tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61871110616628456022024-03-19T00:29:48.140-07:00HEARTS KNIT TOGETHERdenise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-53730363860672659762010-08-14T14:03:00.000-07:002010-08-14T17:03:47.145-07:00CATCH UP - AND KETCHUP!<div style="text-align: center;">This is a catch-up post - the following events occurred in the past 3 months -<br />Enjoy!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWxrrLrpa4y_5KBf8pNKwV8NPS2XiUOiqED2XsZd6edqo-Di3D-Do4j6hKro2hY56aIOoNAvSOPH0S8YE9y9j_yYdz9jS4gs-bUZRiifpd-RPmBbYQ_Zk1TQ-CpjXrMj-R3k6UHnx-tLVD/s1600/IMG_0509.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 255px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWxrrLrpa4y_5KBf8pNKwV8NPS2XiUOiqED2XsZd6edqo-Di3D-Do4j6hKro2hY56aIOoNAvSOPH0S8YE9y9j_yYdz9jS4gs-bUZRiifpd-RPmBbYQ_Zk1TQ-CpjXrMj-R3k6UHnx-tLVD/s400/IMG_0509.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505398161150972306" border="0" /></a>We had a very fast trip to Chicago - and crammed as much sight seeing in as we could. The highlight was seeing Aubrey's new baby!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHGPG9NX-cw97VOScysM6PaYDY1l7X_fbabXA_98muZvpq1poXC8w26FjmQ_vppSl0b0DKs1pW9_kYsdKQwbx7NeegTwishxUPZMfaeDY4Tyn4N30DUF1Fv-9yRraCpSfqHeIeZvc2NNh/s1600/IMG_0521.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHGPG9NX-cw97VOScysM6PaYDY1l7X_fbabXA_98muZvpq1poXC8w26FjmQ_vppSl0b0DKs1pW9_kYsdKQwbx7NeegTwishxUPZMfaeDY4Tyn4N30DUF1Fv-9yRraCpSfqHeIeZvc2NNh/s400/IMG_0521.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505398207832890226" border="0" /></a>The Sear's Tower - glass platform - cool!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mErn1uE4-Nd8HYBjCF_PDzz8VJQ8s6-mhwfd5lubcWVXcQDKeitT4zXqng1U_pfsy-Xt4LC0hmh5hnLbGICIv2fp0wHdJOm7v9XhPsUtcI4kT4vulUGmk48GzFGRQawIDgdq7keXiAuD/s1600/IMG_0462.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mErn1uE4-Nd8HYBjCF_PDzz8VJQ8s6-mhwfd5lubcWVXcQDKeitT4zXqng1U_pfsy-Xt4LC0hmh5hnLbGICIv2fp0wHdJOm7v9XhPsUtcI4kT4vulUGmk48GzFGRQawIDgdq7keXiAuD/s400/IMG_0462.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505398169482730594" border="0" /></a>The Chicago skyline - in the Bean!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8X-7EeBxTy8q3bS-E-BMp0QBzsziyHdBP7ng4Qb-meCDxBYRkVlJkNbLzDzgCWakanLa7zbDGH4Bdm076T9uYRh-C6D9ixN3G_HcfkCi0YvKogACYCKeTJh8D8rPViBfKRIkOWHbca0cR/s1600/IMG_0426.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8X-7EeBxTy8q3bS-E-BMp0QBzsziyHdBP7ng4Qb-meCDxBYRkVlJkNbLzDzgCWakanLa7zbDGH4Bdm076T9uYRh-C6D9ixN3G_HcfkCi0YvKogACYCKeTJh8D8rPViBfKRIkOWHbca0cR/s400/IMG_0426.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505396772776616130" border="0" /></a>Beauty and the Beast - MST college performance<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4x27YIR4yID1shE90Ce63EknkOT1PXtJ95NsbSfob5Ro-LD0H6btCobVNmfx5_HUzRqQtREzAk5y-OkcT6gOaW6OOjzoW6F6DOQJ6BQXuZNs14bG4ImKXXMQcKzaYXamb0CKYL9QABLHq/s1600/IMG_0371.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4x27YIR4yID1shE90Ce63EknkOT1PXtJ95NsbSfob5Ro-LD0H6btCobVNmfx5_HUzRqQtREzAk5y-OkcT6gOaW6OOjzoW6F6DOQJ6BQXuZNs14bG4ImKXXMQcKzaYXamb0CKYL9QABLHq/s400/IMG_0371.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505396767340002530" border="0" /></a>Jorin and Jantzen sang and danced their way thru the play - they did a great job!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzx2kFAiar9SdVk2vN62BChXmmuEeY60bTJxOJRkBPBvRuBf0FKilPB5OCb6T-dcbaoSUHtSaMFcqM92aOvBZ2Q_VnBtx0-ROQ2a7zUQo7zPU9gxJj7q8XvkVd60hBPvO1X8V-gHLpO1Hy/s1600/IMG_5989A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzx2kFAiar9SdVk2vN62BChXmmuEeY60bTJxOJRkBPBvRuBf0FKilPB5OCb6T-dcbaoSUHtSaMFcqM92aOvBZ2Q_VnBtx0-ROQ2a7zUQo7zPU9gxJj7q8XvkVd60hBPvO1X8V-gHLpO1Hy/s400/IMG_5989A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505382301030503730" border="0" /></a>Our sweet sister missionaries - who spend every prep day at our house...<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgGRmvM6ytPNfrn16huseNgP9YYuoDquNV-wtx_MQvpfCZrepwNlXAHqRWdAWaVLIqggFYnMTuOcMALHNLbHizA8t3mnj08lj2coq6PK0epOuubAGF4LGCZAEU6COLDuOrSCKPhXBS3PA/s1600/JANTZjune-aug2010+193A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgGRmvM6ytPNfrn16huseNgP9YYuoDquNV-wtx_MQvpfCZrepwNlXAHqRWdAWaVLIqggFYnMTuOcMALHNLbHizA8t3mnj08lj2coq6PK0epOuubAGF4LGCZAEU6COLDuOrSCKPhXBS3PA/s400/JANTZjune-aug2010+193A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505382297352835714" border="0" /></a>Dress-up day, again, for our rabbit, "Hershey"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjri7Q2i4SLWksRiz5s-zg1oki9TlkszXo-UPMm__qTdolDh-HEM6apxvRpjfY85OiciklybKEST2vDEOXrJ1Vz6gQd5VfgUHwBSOO3x8noX7w87riUDlWOl4vk_xpbcM1APbP1n-BwjKF1/s1600/JANTZjune-aug2010+168A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 367px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjri7Q2i4SLWksRiz5s-zg1oki9TlkszXo-UPMm__qTdolDh-HEM6apxvRpjfY85OiciklybKEST2vDEOXrJ1Vz6gQd5VfgUHwBSOO3x8noX7w87riUDlWOl4vk_xpbcM1APbP1n-BwjKF1/s400/JANTZjune-aug2010+168A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505387820106472306" border="0" /></a>Kiely - having a picture taken of her while she takes pictures of others - going to school full-time, working part-time, doing clinicals and holding 2 church callings aren't enough for her, she needs to take pictures for weddings, families, individuals and events too...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-mJjf0RUcdokiG436res3VLRxA2x6UVHBIZ7Me4mwTOzrIZRsqFLXK3iZj836BNIuM7x89yp0JSYtHFpqw-eQR-8mJyYEUiu0yxhi3GfxgOzvjQHpLMlVgSAxkovqSBQ_qz-rS_7EkYo/s1600/IMG_5933A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 370px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-mJjf0RUcdokiG436res3VLRxA2x6UVHBIZ7Me4mwTOzrIZRsqFLXK3iZj836BNIuM7x89yp0JSYtHFpqw-eQR-8mJyYEUiu0yxhi3GfxgOzvjQHpLMlVgSAxkovqSBQ_qz-rS_7EkYo/s400/IMG_5933A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505382276200425394" border="0" /></a>We visited Pres. Abe Lincoln's family this past month - they were doing well...and we highly recommend the AL visitor's center and museum in Springfield, IL to everyone.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78dPJJrQuHH9aP90udw8SgEKHb2KUCKcAvRB-_Z5ZdLEhe7QizvVpk73nmaewYiEs1RZY3WzpgmOwHRETNwlwEj9wvmzLUVBikN2_Yv5jx0AmlBAVR1c9i5AMXbfGEC0QeO243pYwEzjZ/s1600/IMG_5953A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78dPJJrQuHH9aP90udw8SgEKHb2KUCKcAvRB-_Z5ZdLEhe7QizvVpk73nmaewYiEs1RZY3WzpgmOwHRETNwlwEj9wvmzLUVBikN2_Yv5jx0AmlBAVR1c9i5AMXbfGEC0QeO243pYwEzjZ/s400/IMG_5953A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505378595284935970" border="0" /></a>Jorin and Jantz getting into the spirit of the beard after seeing Abe's...<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6DQWoJe1X2OQ1zKrHLFqRGc5enZg0KsD8SV06O_QY4090aLA9iQ7oGwBTX97Zp0Q29ibyGP3SFoDlsQpTeuDB-thF_-SOdfgyJKsb29N0Z3_y471y-997QtD_jJiPNWROy4CwqOYcmAe/s1600/june-aug2010+163A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6DQWoJe1X2OQ1zKrHLFqRGc5enZg0KsD8SV06O_QY4090aLA9iQ7oGwBTX97Zp0Q29ibyGP3SFoDlsQpTeuDB-thF_-SOdfgyJKsb29N0Z3_y471y-997QtD_jJiPNWROy4CwqOYcmAe/s400/june-aug2010+163A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505378585677108466" border="0" /></a>We visited Elephant Rock State Park - very cool - huge boulders that look somewhat like a huge herd of elephants - hence, the name... We spent hours climbing and exploring.<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_NpOpCAMjo2ysla_8RtW4pFaU0hFPeAvOHZST4cc03Oo6Kp6kInPiVaJXH01U29L7Mvwr13Yh1nCS74mKs9kWW6lSUS5-NYaU2OLe_5iCucakU0sr9yArygmqSfZMnx9lbF6zguIbu77/s1600/june-aug2010+161A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 328px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_NpOpCAMjo2ysla_8RtW4pFaU0hFPeAvOHZST4cc03Oo6Kp6kInPiVaJXH01U29L7Mvwr13Yh1nCS74mKs9kWW6lSUS5-NYaU2OLe_5iCucakU0sr9yArygmqSfZMnx9lbF6zguIbu77/s400/june-aug2010+161A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505378577395233730" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKJFgcwCaxDDDNlR68lCdu7HJM26TD0eW6W5AJ9gMzDshou77m4y98kzhEVwwPvUQUv1khabPmXFOb-0fY15f5WXiQQWD513PjdJwRCrdl-AFiKiMzJTGyh2VAkaIUTi93QQJf6PmIeGP/s1600/june-aug2010+082A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 201px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKJFgcwCaxDDDNlR68lCdu7HJM26TD0eW6W5AJ9gMzDshou77m4y98kzhEVwwPvUQUv1khabPmXFOb-0fY15f5WXiQQWD513PjdJwRCrdl-AFiKiMzJTGyh2VAkaIUTi93QQJf6PmIeGP/s400/june-aug2010+082A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505378566531696498" border="0" /></a>The Garden - where we spent hours each morning - early, to beat the heat - weeding and, well, weeding. It's difficult to tell that with this picture. The weeds won.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWIkTmOz1I45h_C4Kz9MuUWEIHZaIjSN86wFoDVLQ2BGyEtD5xnwJcuqo9n1T6Ks3vF5Xkpx1PJ9f1Y2iPpH5J829P4kB_honDXcA0q7mb8ahmFzJMO8cuq0z6piisKRq3EbIRzEB2YeV/s1600/june-aug2010+149A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWIkTmOz1I45h_C4Kz9MuUWEIHZaIjSN86wFoDVLQ2BGyEtD5xnwJcuqo9n1T6Ks3vF5Xkpx1PJ9f1Y2iPpH5J829P4kB_honDXcA0q7mb8ahmFzJMO8cuq0z6piisKRq3EbIRzEB2YeV/s400/june-aug2010+149A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505378559062266754" border="0" /></a>One of our first major harvests. In one day, we picked 6 varieties of tomatoes, zucchini, butternut squash, straightneck squash, watermelon, potatoes, green peppers, hot peppers, cucumbers, basil and tomatillos. I was so excited...until they just kept coming! We have harvested about 380 lbs. of tomatoes so far - and about that much summer squash, it seems like. BUT WE LOVE IT!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0NL0d8_qyBbCJiuQq6BHCfEbDSfLddDCmzJfiDLmUXEpttcGoRZSNsWyHrmcRTZoMv8z2AZmBwHWKI1_vA8mzRi_8M3I2S4faqcS8_aMu1TprnD4kbriDVgcti0mJDqiA7Ftci84eQbd6/s1600/IMG_6062A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 323px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0NL0d8_qyBbCJiuQq6BHCfEbDSfLddDCmzJfiDLmUXEpttcGoRZSNsWyHrmcRTZoMv8z2AZmBwHWKI1_vA8mzRi_8M3I2S4faqcS8_aMu1TprnD4kbriDVgcti0mJDqiA7Ftci84eQbd6/s400/IMG_6062A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505389130733658386" border="0" /></a>Canning - canning - canning is the name of the game in August - we have so many tomatoes, we actually made ketchup this year, in addition to salsa, spaghetti sauce, tomatoes & chili sauce.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippX5bzysWWoxGXyaGL9LYsKqi0BJCB5iLBuSp9IdjZWHwGXPDVJsTYh7J7gCUM1lZhTEB1uit5skNqlE6itbup9UI04mc2NL8BWHFWVG2wbzgQM16ucczJr_IQizjzvMMjfd3aYwzqHAU/s1600/june-aug2010+001A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippX5bzysWWoxGXyaGL9LYsKqi0BJCB5iLBuSp9IdjZWHwGXPDVJsTYh7J7gCUM1lZhTEB1uit5skNqlE6itbup9UI04mc2NL8BWHFWVG2wbzgQM16ucczJr_IQizjzvMMjfd3aYwzqHAU/s400/june-aug2010+001A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505377001929576290" border="0" /></a>Girls night out - at "Lamberts Restaurant - the home of throwed rolls" in Ozark (yup - they throw them right at you!) - lots of good food<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP03RKh0vqLcmQb4joO7LtfPyz-cGN9vSF7GZQTZl6OpJ-EZG18dJmmMEpn1JTHQTPgw0BcLJKzHaTyxvwA7I7g9gq_tfu3Y3_Y3gWANKMLMdQflb7NCitL0_Kc4EPC8EQp2dGPqBRy4B/s1600/june-aug2010+010A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP03RKh0vqLcmQb4joO7LtfPyz-cGN9vSF7GZQTZl6OpJ-EZG18dJmmMEpn1JTHQTPgw0BcLJKzHaTyxvwA7I7g9gq_tfu3Y3_Y3gWANKMLMdQflb7NCitL0_Kc4EPC8EQp2dGPqBRy4B/s400/june-aug2010+010A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505376992240228514" border="0" /></a>Jantzen - running in her 5K. She beat her best time! GO GIRL!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ocq2Gam7amBlCFUGjdKWE1IBhL0TprlnEvVpZASbO2H9CZ7NNytCIC0QnqwaqCmJGHVxaC0o_hqF_yJUcwQIw9KtYb_sDZhXkMB0R9MsJxMzaRc9gub9EVqm8imrAGWhl82ACZdqegbA/s1600/june-aug2010+022A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ocq2Gam7amBlCFUGjdKWE1IBhL0TprlnEvVpZASbO2H9CZ7NNytCIC0QnqwaqCmJGHVxaC0o_hqF_yJUcwQIw9KtYb_sDZhXkMB0R9MsJxMzaRc9gub9EVqm8imrAGWhl82ACZdqegbA/s400/june-aug2010+022A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505376985326446834" border="0" /></a>Starting the remodel project on the old "kennel" - soon to be "guest rooms". Years of doggy smell makes insulation stinky!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyAQ0D5-hHvfB6dq-ytAE-HYos2A9y2qILjOU5vdxdJ34zRoArbqvUCGFxYrcPUoS4pmsm1PdVyoaIJrhR_qdzN1DbOpdhPrhxL7MGNzUL9VCu722pDJneb_bUWhKhEXJ0RZ_9aotRz6o/s1600/june-aug2010+030A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 288px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyAQ0D5-hHvfB6dq-ytAE-HYos2A9y2qILjOU5vdxdJ34zRoArbqvUCGFxYrcPUoS4pmsm1PdVyoaIJrhR_qdzN1DbOpdhPrhxL7MGNzUL9VCu722pDJneb_bUWhKhEXJ0RZ_9aotRz6o/s400/june-aug2010+030A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505376976655259458" border="0" /></a>Rance - the primary remodeler guy - making the first cut in the cement.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMTfPAHdsklExoksXLI6F6zB1DZIhumQqGjVLCNzquiJ7qALzmPZPVSmxAXmxryWWFTGTP5weJ3PfQIihcUPlnaoH6un8O7MxiJdz4dzAwtPs1ksagkMm3xS9FdSAsO6sv4bPQQBI5a6q/s1600/june-aug2010+065A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMTfPAHdsklExoksXLI6F6zB1DZIhumQqGjVLCNzquiJ7qALzmPZPVSmxAXmxryWWFTGTP5weJ3PfQIihcUPlnaoH6un8O7MxiJdz4dzAwtPs1ksagkMm3xS9FdSAsO6sv4bPQQBI5a6q/s400/june-aug2010+065A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505376969305384818" border="0" /></a>Jorin's 13th birthday was spent at Splash Zone - and then the river - do you think this guy likes water? He's a teenager - can you believe it!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0v7PKOM-phhfFgdVKoPWFEWB1L-hDqZS8Ws5pvJH5Lhnuh_GHIFAQFXnQlDtzW6X_s9QlNvnrsLdUKEYCvlAv3R_5ljC_Vy-IcBGqEPMZJpWSpMYbF_GA1h2nLqwAmQVUuK0jGfrUIcW/s1600/IMG_6040A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 392px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0v7PKOM-phhfFgdVKoPWFEWB1L-hDqZS8Ws5pvJH5Lhnuh_GHIFAQFXnQlDtzW6X_s9QlNvnrsLdUKEYCvlAv3R_5ljC_Vy-IcBGqEPMZJpWSpMYbF_GA1h2nLqwAmQVUuK0jGfrUIcW/s400/IMG_6040A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505382310057151138" border="0" /></a>Jantz - washing her chickens for the fair - complete with shampoo and a blow dryer and everything....it's true!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesWr7eTA6cJVtPczGsIJSENBq5NavKvKlbdXUsVQoyULZD18dtVzCe3WrT6y6bGoib3IBIouKgji27o4aIZbeNNnoSeokvi98XwNBT3RENBkqiR2-p3JKt3rnS8U1pjEo9kGy0tH_nrda/s1600/june-aug2010+087A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesWr7eTA6cJVtPczGsIJSENBq5NavKvKlbdXUsVQoyULZD18dtVzCe3WrT6y6bGoib3IBIouKgji27o4aIZbeNNnoSeokvi98XwNBT3RENBkqiR2-p3JKt3rnS8U1pjEo9kGy0tH_nrda/s400/june-aug2010+087A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505375318357905378" border="0" /></a>Jantzen standing by her chicken cage - which she built - and her chickens - which she raised from 1 day old - at the county fair. (She took 3 blue ribbons and 1 red)<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yRXzyVeP2d2VcrvDUUF41K5fvvh7AxA3Um8eiZJvnk8vHP8Xo7q6WM8LyVthwJtB7VxDb8fOWa1EYOd94RsiIhTRkp2UKT-n15RKK3kvOj3rljZGJhTVmwpjJE1JupnvMKKi9j1mqgtR/s1600/june-aug2010+089A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yRXzyVeP2d2VcrvDUUF41K5fvvh7AxA3Um8eiZJvnk8vHP8Xo7q6WM8LyVthwJtB7VxDb8fOWa1EYOd94RsiIhTRkp2UKT-n15RKK3kvOj3rljZGJhTVmwpjJE1JupnvMKKi9j1mqgtR/s400/june-aug2010+089A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505375313678610290" border="0" /></a>Jantzen won the Showmanship trophy for her extensive knowledge about poultry and her confident presentation to the judge. CONGRATS!<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2umUMHph72O_5lpHfKYvQUcCWSYUqXdTJTTUSZMTvQloFM4IYyNKsCCmA1Ld7RLvrtwL9NU5oQOVcafkKsewhr5Is3YxOhjRqQ__jFmoK-UIa99Z1FGuYQGKwEyWoW_Rn9n3kUAyRoop7/s1600/june-aug2010+100A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2umUMHph72O_5lpHfKYvQUcCWSYUqXdTJTTUSZMTvQloFM4IYyNKsCCmA1Ld7RLvrtwL9NU5oQOVcafkKsewhr5Is3YxOhjRqQ__jFmoK-UIa99Z1FGuYQGKwEyWoW_Rn9n3kUAyRoop7/s400/june-aug2010+100A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505375305192947858" border="0" /></a>Jorin - prepping Old Spice for his big debut at the county fair - this daily shower was a favorite for both the calf and Jorin! It was about 107 degrees every day - so any water felt good!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCs33EkEPIwgEk7_fnAWjHOpZ6ZDgRftsxh6IEImtUXTOZvsNRcFK5r3LYSZLPoInCSBJBOQCb4FWswjvfKy2HCIUYCbkF8Rye5WQ7QMOxdvZ7pFvMU2HsyjAeEzOLJmWpxjsQPUXFVueY/s1600/june-aug2010+116A+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCs33EkEPIwgEk7_fnAWjHOpZ6ZDgRftsxh6IEImtUXTOZvsNRcFK5r3LYSZLPoInCSBJBOQCb4FWswjvfKy2HCIUYCbkF8Rye5WQ7QMOxdvZ7pFvMU2HsyjAeEzOLJmWpxjsQPUXFVueY/s400/june-aug2010+116A+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505375295694934770" border="0" /></a>Jorin - showing Old Spice -who took a blue ribbon! CONGRATS!!<br /></div><br />In addition to these documented events, our summer included:<br /><br />blueberry picking<br />Visit to Cahokia - Indian Mounds - twice!<br />Visit from friends in Colorado<br />Visit to Nauvoo<br />Johnson Shut-in - great river experience<br />raised 2 flower baskets for the fair<br />got a rabbit<br />did a major clean up day at the fairgrounds<br />Spent 4 days from 7 am to 10 pm at the fair - in 107 degree weather - remember!<br />Attended a farm festival in Mansfield<br />Kids performed in Beauty and the Beast college play<br />Book group for Jantzen<br />made Strawberry and Peach jam<br />Jorin attended Scout Camp & 2 camp outs<br />4th of July party<br />Dev's surprise birthday party here with friends from Springfield<br />St. Louis Zoo - Science Center and History Museum<br />Ulyssus S. Grant Visitors Center<br />Sculpture Park<br />Swim team participation<br />Mika, our dog, got a venomous snake bite<br />Chickens started laying eggs!<br />Assembly of 4 Adirondack rocking chairs -with no injuries (please refer to Dev's blog)<br />Visit to US Military fort museums (3)- chemical warfare, military police and Corp of Engineers<br />4H meetings<br />floating on the river<br />Gooey Looey's (you'll just have to come here to find out about this!)<br /><br />...and I am sure other things that I just can't remember right now...<br /><br />I was too busy living this summer to document, I guess - and I will now consider myself successfully caught up on this blog - YEAH!<br /></div>denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-47395242890916448202010-06-29T09:41:00.000-07:002010-06-29T10:14:12.929-07:00A few summer pictures...<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1PC-V_L9OLuWB64Y4n1_vrEv6vYOZpw64x8cioq1s5-DmjGcwCe01F38Q4MGsD2WhCKVlOo-ho5RAuW4q0w2MJReTYewcPUXI5oCA0EhknVB7sXRMqHkjm0fq0-xMLBkdO-gHk3tpBPp/s1600/nauvoo+017.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1PC-V_L9OLuWB64Y4n1_vrEv6vYOZpw64x8cioq1s5-DmjGcwCe01F38Q4MGsD2WhCKVlOo-ho5RAuW4q0w2MJReTYewcPUXI5oCA0EhknVB7sXRMqHkjm0fq0-xMLBkdO-gHk3tpBPp/s400/nauvoo+017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488241477001093330" border="0" /></a>Jorin's sweet calf, Ol' Spice<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTjkCn02v_ys0dgrP823TiWASjCcNBs_FCd41FWRX1-VULMXMpSyyPUftMC2dtaemYw6fCzABCalLdLir7F2L1db581c1POC97XcjIPOtNs_njotvQ-HMwppgt3QiAde-7NGNsFTBA2DF/s1600/june+035.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTjkCn02v_ys0dgrP823TiWASjCcNBs_FCd41FWRX1-VULMXMpSyyPUftMC2dtaemYw6fCzABCalLdLir7F2L1db581c1POC97XcjIPOtNs_njotvQ-HMwppgt3QiAde-7NGNsFTBA2DF/s400/june+035.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488243280797319650" border="0" /></a><br />Jorin, working his calf in preparation for the fair. I love our yard.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxXg1lCEZzyvnsttRsyvbUig-TCCQRVLz-sj7cp2fdDCv92mofuj_JaZ4ZA0lPpBz6P5NAbiDBVKjE0Z5tk0g0k2zuPSVGuJMDhpGmBoAT9v3QyfTHBqw2pWkTbisCM0mPiIK0iPcej72/s1600/arch3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxXg1lCEZzyvnsttRsyvbUig-TCCQRVLz-sj7cp2fdDCv92mofuj_JaZ4ZA0lPpBz6P5NAbiDBVKjE0Z5tk0g0k2zuPSVGuJMDhpGmBoAT9v3QyfTHBqw2pWkTbisCM0mPiIK0iPcej72/s400/arch3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488243270808112834" border="0" /></a>a field trip to the St. Louis Gateway Arch - right before a thunderstorm<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKc9M8ory4gG5N6VGXySd-kTkEG9o2qiQcs_Bp3oBfe2sKKwbrFoDhYDBRLdSI2rh-wEst6fNOmn_tHA_-PqxL4D_41MiWyF_YPn_ivvryy0bq6KJ24rqfOPaL4TaUvWaTRt3zTkeJcsYs/s1600/nauvoo+006.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKc9M8ory4gG5N6VGXySd-kTkEG9o2qiQcs_Bp3oBfe2sKKwbrFoDhYDBRLdSI2rh-wEst6fNOmn_tHA_-PqxL4D_41MiWyF_YPn_ivvryy0bq6KJ24rqfOPaL4TaUvWaTRt3zTkeJcsYs/s400/nauvoo+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488243265769332722" border="0" /></a><br />We watched this Amish man carve a wooden spoon at the Spring Festival at Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. in Mansfield.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQil3K4oMiGe2dtOImwPMZs2CEXfGdJVrVSCXFacsd1Cdz9TrtkC3e91rjO6mImZRR1iS-kl_2rKvE-4dKpqqeNpwDAhIdbd7mXLrDSd3BqPJ-JQC_fx6hbicOsRByJjm1KYD58GADgb1-/s1600/nauvoo+091.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQil3K4oMiGe2dtOImwPMZs2CEXfGdJVrVSCXFacsd1Cdz9TrtkC3e91rjO6mImZRR1iS-kl_2rKvE-4dKpqqeNpwDAhIdbd7mXLrDSd3BqPJ-JQC_fx6hbicOsRByJjm1KYD58GADgb1-/s400/nauvoo+091.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488241492448607378" border="0" /></a>Look who we found unexpectedly in Nauvoo! Uncle Sam!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpKU93BaFIwQ36_T8BaFmZBJGr_PJRLkQszqZOyH5bfSjdJGNH-TSgusxPaeDHfpbnNwb3m2xe5-8f7SrKYCR3BtvmibJGSIR7nPL2-z_V1esC9zl9AlHXn9ffl8EpiNLUwIeblzvo4TX/s1600/nauvoo+088.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpKU93BaFIwQ36_T8BaFmZBJGr_PJRLkQszqZOyH5bfSjdJGNH-TSgusxPaeDHfpbnNwb3m2xe5-8f7SrKYCR3BtvmibJGSIR7nPL2-z_V1esC9zl9AlHXn9ffl8EpiNLUwIeblzvo4TX/s400/nauvoo+088.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488241485319416754" border="0" /></a>Jorin and Jantzen getting into the spirit of Nauvoo!<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLgR1HoxetzLR0xWUwvjeQPfi8RicQURnF1fuFflFlp8R2955CFRoWfxAb-Ri271dzCuX4f8_Mjg356KAMDTR3IvOR9S1WQi1vibYkAQmoVuPsl2VeABUkWlqQTPW7UW8pKnDTdclXNiOJ/s1600/nauvoo+079.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLgR1HoxetzLR0xWUwvjeQPfi8RicQURnF1fuFflFlp8R2955CFRoWfxAb-Ri271dzCuX4f8_Mjg356KAMDTR3IvOR9S1WQi1vibYkAQmoVuPsl2VeABUkWlqQTPW7UW8pKnDTdclXNiOJ/s400/nauvoo+079.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488241461492901922" border="0" /></a>It was so great going to Nauvoo with our dear friends, the Nelsons!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3sBzDCq9Qv69KOg02ncMK8th5Z_W3jMVhtyksvq8uW7iyluaNubu0I4_rRNWunQXh3cWpjDU1rNZlYQxxv_P1qMKF6S-gHAnujGJ-xhVX1d8gSYxFDyvoJpko8zdsykdyd1BQ1GcHVik/s1600/nauvoo+014.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3sBzDCq9Qv69KOg02ncMK8th5Z_W3jMVhtyksvq8uW7iyluaNubu0I4_rRNWunQXh3cWpjDU1rNZlYQxxv_P1qMKF6S-gHAnujGJ-xhVX1d8gSYxFDyvoJpko8zdsykdyd1BQ1GcHVik/s400/nauvoo+014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488237930409879394" border="0" /></a>Jantzen's chicken tractor for moving around the yard...<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaB9p-akYYA2vqn9B5lkKPVwbOnkta7KqctyT0srqMjcvHTmDMYQUTWjwJAIfKe5d4gbiwQWYTWelkN9MvyjaQpON7HCnIcB3uk26o6_IdaXYRWsbE14Yi3m09wQn1mW4incVx-1sWoO6O/s1600/sewing+007A.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaB9p-akYYA2vqn9B5lkKPVwbOnkta7KqctyT0srqMjcvHTmDMYQUTWjwJAIfKe5d4gbiwQWYTWelkN9MvyjaQpON7HCnIcB3uk26o6_IdaXYRWsbE14Yi3m09wQn1mW4incVx-1sWoO6O/s400/sewing+007A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488237922395086450" border="0" /></a>Jantzen's award winning poultry waterer - hand painted upside down so as not to bend those 3 water drippers on the bottom! State Fair here she comes!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE_lCOCtENSRshDdzpGHz8m7KWam_f6NgEM7TOw8zMPzpkZ65_V119RD0TWOe4J2_HQEvbKuBdCcwqAwXZ9e5TrpljcLcqNBMbgpCCEnxrF1OqFe69-vGa-N1DXZV0OoiTWCMhmodq1Dya/s1600/sewing+006.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE_lCOCtENSRshDdzpGHz8m7KWam_f6NgEM7TOw8zMPzpkZ65_V119RD0TWOe4J2_HQEvbKuBdCcwqAwXZ9e5TrpljcLcqNBMbgpCCEnxrF1OqFe69-vGa-N1DXZV0OoiTWCMhmodq1Dya/s400/sewing+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488243293447002786" border="0" /></a><br />Jantzen made this pillow - the whole thing - by herself in 4H!!!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJfLiZngLLs7TrU3fJOJ5J9GaGZo5OBGO-IqAIHJ5KLMrypO9ksjspg9NbmkcyDJa_GYJvRxs_2YggaO1oXXZBTzEaknSmXkGnRQjIWy5JqpkI3tfiC0-EtSbMoS6oSnrSbUwNk7bJ17d/s1600/june+005.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJfLiZngLLs7TrU3fJOJ5J9GaGZo5OBGO-IqAIHJ5KLMrypO9ksjspg9NbmkcyDJa_GYJvRxs_2YggaO1oXXZBTzEaknSmXkGnRQjIWy5JqpkI3tfiC0-EtSbMoS6oSnrSbUwNk7bJ17d/s400/june+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488237913281932450" border="0" /></a>Jantz's chicks love being free-range!<br /><br /><br /></div></div>denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-56870927783399241312010-04-16T06:13:00.000-07:002010-04-18T15:19:45.704-07:00PLEEEASE, MOM!!!Our barn cat, Taffy, caught something. That's what our cat thinks she is for - catching little things that run around on the ground. And usually, we agree. But this time..... Taffy came running up to the barn with something in her mouth - a pretty big something. Mika, the ever-curious puppy, ran to have a look. She quickly snatched the something from Taffy and ran out into the pasture, where she proceeded to dig a hole faster than we have ever seen, stuffed the something into it and buried it.<br /><br />Jorin and Jantzen, who are also ever-curious, ran to dig up whatever it was and maybe return it to the cat, its rightful owner. I called to them to make sure and use a stick, not their hands, because you just never know what kind of germs are on dead animals, after all. After a few minutes of searching and digging, they unearthed a little rabbit. And it was still alive. And that's when it began........."Please, mom, pleeease! Can we keep it? Pleease!"<br /><br />While I appreciated that they were asking in such a polite way, I was pretty sure we didn't want to try and raise a wild rabbit. Thankfully, we determined, after calls to the local vet and the Missouri Conservation center, that the rabbit's best chance of survival was back in the woods. After quite a few more "pleases" and "are you sure"'s, the kids took the little critter behind our house into the woods - and deposited it in a sunny spot, where I am sure it joined its rabbit family and is living happily ever after.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsI8zSBghvtnuIAiyxvYV3gxRt-_SQ2DaIbay8cToBQg6S0Ky-LQWoYrMo8fctcPTzuVV6UJsd4BwbDctev42VvN7HxsGe2_Xbtk9Lbqrq-aXoTTTXe5jVCDv3YNObjwNCOvkTGy1uap0J/s1600/4-12-10+007.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsI8zSBghvtnuIAiyxvYV3gxRt-_SQ2DaIbay8cToBQg6S0Ky-LQWoYrMo8fctcPTzuVV6UJsd4BwbDctev42VvN7HxsGe2_Xbtk9Lbqrq-aXoTTTXe5jVCDv3YNObjwNCOvkTGy1uap0J/s400/4-12-10+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460726664132820914" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RMcONhZ5PbTVK2JlN6Tr-UzVvYDHa_BYvrxKViKeBFongt2GDqfHLViu6TTcOKuyO7U2GTzsyBHwPWDlnHd2CJZo7gLPPU2FtWISZC3gyJcl3gjVFOODjZ1rhMewks8-NZFkI-HLMKe9/s1600/4-12-10+008.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RMcONhZ5PbTVK2JlN6Tr-UzVvYDHa_BYvrxKViKeBFongt2GDqfHLViu6TTcOKuyO7U2GTzsyBHwPWDlnHd2CJZo7gLPPU2FtWISZC3gyJcl3gjVFOODjZ1rhMewks8-NZFkI-HLMKe9/s400/4-12-10+008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460726655755356466" border="0" /></a>denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-82817698360557405782010-03-28T12:52:00.002-07:002010-03-28T18:25:19.465-07:00CAVINGMissouri is known for its caves - and we were able to experience the first of many ( I hope)!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3vAb9a579srK2jqUC2aWrdwTxSTL_lWu-cXP0yMZ0rKo1PsByN4HLPNTJPqP6NuiMTvBmHudxxfhyphenhyphen11oYbwAgvkMh9H-id9YZqasTL5O1gibsyzgRb3rl0T4gnV_N4PYO55NXR2Q1o1x/s1600/3-20+practise+cave+095B.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 334px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3vAb9a579srK2jqUC2aWrdwTxSTL_lWu-cXP0yMZ0rKo1PsByN4HLPNTJPqP6NuiMTvBmHudxxfhyphenhyphen11oYbwAgvkMh9H-id9YZqasTL5O1gibsyzgRb3rl0T4gnV_N4PYO55NXR2Q1o1x/s400/3-20+practise+cave+095B.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453776413710213938" border="0" /></a><br />Kiely and I spent 3 hours in the Onondaga Cave last Saturday- taking pictures. It was such a cool experience! The typical tour is about 1 1/2 hours - but the photo tour was longer - and minus the commentary on the cave. The guide just let us go at our own pace and take pictures of anything we wanted.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9ajvqQf-TFnmX11jYGjOxJcXl-D6NaXGqFKsls2aTKVDUNnsmDOkgmBNOQRQMzdDQT-wfOKpm5wZDYxHXyrb4LUgTVLKUsEzuxsn7E9Q-FzC2M9ykZfBVH04LGExeGmXZ4a5v-3CkC-e/s1600/3-20+practise+cave+063B.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 302px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9ajvqQf-TFnmX11jYGjOxJcXl-D6NaXGqFKsls2aTKVDUNnsmDOkgmBNOQRQMzdDQT-wfOKpm5wZDYxHXyrb4LUgTVLKUsEzuxsn7E9Q-FzC2M9ykZfBVH04LGExeGmXZ4a5v-3CkC-e/s400/3-20+practise+cave+063B.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453778183465483282" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6HhAC59LY9kzdvQPdbq2pd-rCOAfz_Uy3dKfBU3gmusy5ogU_dUraGrJd56wi8JPJS37TP0eOzjF4Z8KVu1Y6gXrnTp1NO7AAp8MxdMaSKAFCT-8iy3rg6VQBqQWQ3t-b5S5eKXgugNf/s1600/3-20+practise+cave+073B.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 332px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6HhAC59LY9kzdvQPdbq2pd-rCOAfz_Uy3dKfBU3gmusy5ogU_dUraGrJd56wi8JPJS37TP0eOzjF4Z8KVu1Y6gXrnTp1NO7AAp8MxdMaSKAFCT-8iy3rg6VQBqQWQ3t-b5S5eKXgugNf/s400/3-20+practise+cave+073B.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453778188864249650" border="0" /></a><br /><br />First - I am not a good photographer - but I am learning - and trying to improve.<br />Second - I would not recommend using an unfamiliar tripod for the first time in the dark of a cave...<br />...but other than that - I would highly recommend this experience! We had such a fun time trying new things, seeing in a new way and learning from others.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1biPeXgaNyaP6mjnf9f6JCTnXwNUIpP5ZxJa_rUJXuE3WRuy-NoE40EpLPcIgGZG75GEIx_Vlbp6GuZS79aiH2OzZU0V0WhOOgSkmo9U9jfYTKmzEAfb_cwHbgtGzObxEVStqd_YcIciw/s1600/3-20+practise+cave+020A.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1biPeXgaNyaP6mjnf9f6JCTnXwNUIpP5ZxJa_rUJXuE3WRuy-NoE40EpLPcIgGZG75GEIx_Vlbp6GuZS79aiH2OzZU0V0WhOOgSkmo9U9jfYTKmzEAfb_cwHbgtGzObxEVStqd_YcIciw/s400/3-20+practise+cave+020A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453776402253232194" border="0" /></a>The Onondaga Cave is beautiful! It has so many amazing and varied features! It's like walking through Canyonlands or Arches National Park...in the dark. We were awed by our surroundings the entire time. While I sincerely enjoyed the visual experience, I loved spending time with Kiely, experiencing first hand her talent and passion for photography. <br /><br />Side note: These caves are only minutes from where we live - and I issue a standing invitation - COME AND SEE! (us and the caves!)denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-66542417748063307902010-03-25T08:03:00.001-07:002010-03-25T14:20:26.249-07:00IT'S A BOY....and TWENTY GIRLS!!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlCNcADDKlClPgLW9_lj9Wdv6g7rMa7ElJ-Z2UVXIFlRIBWbvOrXinw4Vor0SV0eVtVoCzhg-j7Ask4mKaRrABL7X311Nx6QXAljWRKh-xdDGUaaDDpcLx09E00s_ZWQ9kNrMy1pvP024/s1600/3-24+PICS+007.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlCNcADDKlClPgLW9_lj9Wdv6g7rMa7ElJ-Z2UVXIFlRIBWbvOrXinw4Vor0SV0eVtVoCzhg-j7Ask4mKaRrABL7X311Nx6QXAljWRKh-xdDGUaaDDpcLx09E00s_ZWQ9kNrMy1pvP024/s400/3-24+PICS+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452592128522831106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnSlHBxoRSlYUt2COED1Eb4lYKEpiEUKSL16tzId7xBd4OlfUu5x7l-Mya3OFXkqiE69jCFXY_BBMvkQolkHwQQeVSEM7GJ5ANGaOl3pGoNGExmIq5zm_9qMdFb7_iINZJ_oXsZCuzV3S/s1600/3-24+PICS+006.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnSlHBxoRSlYUt2COED1Eb4lYKEpiEUKSL16tzId7xBd4OlfUu5x7l-Mya3OFXkqiE69jCFXY_BBMvkQolkHwQQeVSEM7GJ5ANGaOl3pGoNGExmIq5zm_9qMdFb7_iINZJ_oXsZCuzV3S/s400/3-24+PICS+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452591605114532178" border="0" /></a>Jantzen is a mama...of twenty chickens! We drove to Lebanon and visited the Cackle Hatchery. She picked out 6 Barred Rock, 5 Black Australorps, 5 Buff Orpingtons, 2 Crested Polish (the bad hair day chickens) and 2 Araucanas (which lay colored eggs!). She is so excited about these babies. They are growing like crazy and she is counting the days to when they will be laying eggs (a.k.a. money).<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bEohYvGZf_yJMN6yamgG53ZaW9coR-jyscV0RePe8nVs_WLCkeq74EVdaCYodkXb29c_2zOYBjehcMBuoolV9U9hLiwELx6EoLQNivKyWosvej60sOajciPVgMbmPqdvUO7UH_ChB6UX/s1600/3-24+PICS+012.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bEohYvGZf_yJMN6yamgG53ZaW9coR-jyscV0RePe8nVs_WLCkeq74EVdaCYodkXb29c_2zOYBjehcMBuoolV9U9hLiwELx6EoLQNivKyWosvej60sOajciPVgMbmPqdvUO7UH_ChB6UX/s400/3-24+PICS+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452588321704696226" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9AaV0hMA0OnEewuQq9jPbsskdK94AAKyKsvtQjTmDtME9gBj1sLoTeILB3R6k5V0hosbwCS0vWpK7sG8loJHKIfUed5cd2qjmGxRc5MVKD5oErK-4F7e6ir5BFAHvcR0CcUdCTY_qEvY/s1600/3-24+PICS+013.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9AaV0hMA0OnEewuQq9jPbsskdK94AAKyKsvtQjTmDtME9gBj1sLoTeILB3R6k5V0hosbwCS0vWpK7sG8loJHKIfUed5cd2qjmGxRc5MVKD5oErK-4F7e6ir5BFAHvcR0CcUdCTY_qEvY/s400/3-24+PICS+013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452591591374002098" border="0" /></a>Jorin finally has his bucket calf! It is the cutest little black purebred angus. Bottle feeding is a riot! This little calf follows Jorin around - looking for milk. Jorin has named him Old Spice - because..."he's a man, man". (Well, kind of - we banded him last night).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbMor-LDvJm6tb3KbU7Ij7KM8aIWwIckJunijt19taH9BwfLzoc3XDcqslDOxRXFcoxPQfUyD7o9aytkHMOFEZSXj1lh9xx1wz6j9XhXRi91SO9H6Gj_pBdjWKbe2oG4k3kZxw5eXT9wp/s1600/3-20+practise+cave+117.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbMor-LDvJm6tb3KbU7Ij7KM8aIWwIckJunijt19taH9BwfLzoc3XDcqslDOxRXFcoxPQfUyD7o9aytkHMOFEZSXj1lh9xx1wz6j9XhXRi91SO9H6Gj_pBdjWKbe2oG4k3kZxw5eXT9wp/s400/3-20+practise+cave+117.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452596181523684530" border="0" /></a>Mika is getting used to the new additions to the family - she watches the chicks closely - and isn't sure about the calf yet (the only animal bigger than her!) - but we are hoping they will soon all be friends! In three months, Mika has gone from being a 15 pound bundle of puppy - to about a 45 pound bigger bundle of puppy.denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-7508079579787060852010-02-05T10:07:00.000-08:002010-02-05T10:41:47.352-08:00COUNTRY NEWSJantzen and Jorin came up with the idea of producing a weekly newsletter for our family. I love that they are doing this -not only will it improve their computer word processing skills, it is fun to read their perspective on family events! They print it out every Sunday and hand it out to Rance, Kiely and me. Here is their first installment...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZYTpDRPLng3Yrf4HKE1iuAkMUSYvdNTZQkif2uY4swvtH7h72_8N07zgZd8H45FoviP-PcBhJGILKUfOoW6yTEcJy_E_33cXN9PrCU-gNXplLMmUbslvGl-w4lvOIHlfhONlMszHEz38/s1600-h/Picture+13.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 307px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZYTpDRPLng3Yrf4HKE1iuAkMUSYvdNTZQkif2uY4swvtH7h72_8N07zgZd8H45FoviP-PcBhJGILKUfOoW6yTEcJy_E_33cXN9PrCU-gNXplLMmUbslvGl-w4lvOIHlfhONlMszHEz38/s400/Picture+13.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434831233935828418" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEntgIxenNYoE9H1_e17lECo9gJx0A3ixvMPda8ssdPZoIpcVitatSQn-Q66oOcU2EKVbEp_6PfOJ4OF2dFS3Iqqapyxv0sTHCaC-z-eQnSpZ2EzLazwekciE5jWiCSG8SDFvPimDIOluh/s1600-h/jorin+jan10+125.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEntgIxenNYoE9H1_e17lECo9gJx0A3ixvMPda8ssdPZoIpcVitatSQn-Q66oOcU2EKVbEp_6PfOJ4OF2dFS3Iqqapyxv0sTHCaC-z-eQnSpZ2EzLazwekciE5jWiCSG8SDFvPimDIOluh/s400/jorin+jan10+125.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434829996567863362" border="0" /></a>denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-49790709608649708322010-02-05T08:39:00.000-08:002010-02-05T08:56:17.681-08:00Just a day in the life....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSoMJbLUBNwYF_WQF8DNP4Z_-77tsGhQk0tDlHBT7IMPHzfrgt5BMsdXtJAwlqVIgtDJJZq0NbxRHwMpw7aB19R_27SKxxc3UmD_tt_2FtjfmnhQ06QZg0Om4NxbIdwmN0dx5R7jOEAGNc/s1600-h/feb.5+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSoMJbLUBNwYF_WQF8DNP4Z_-77tsGhQk0tDlHBT7IMPHzfrgt5BMsdXtJAwlqVIgtDJJZq0NbxRHwMpw7aB19R_27SKxxc3UmD_tt_2FtjfmnhQ06QZg0Om4NxbIdwmN0dx5R7jOEAGNc/s400/feb.5+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434801865699543890" border="0" /></a><br />I know that you probably think I am canning in the middle of winter - but no - this is actually my cell phone, buried in a jar of rice. My phone was somehow left in my jeans pocket, and then washed - and dried - and then found, banging around the dryer. I immediately stuck it in a jar of rice - with very little hope that it would survive. Three days later - voila! It works! <br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQq2O09WTI8-FI7xZCDC2arEv15pF4gadnlJWcPUGdF90rK5oMzzg_D8vNEA58IIx6tgi6Vt-CWXRKU6xCbwXYjXcJcEJExigtHd8p0ZXo9FXxp52tYd8504yoQnfZ0WYAk_urXvyXEnpz/s1600-h/feb.5+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQq2O09WTI8-FI7xZCDC2arEv15pF4gadnlJWcPUGdF90rK5oMzzg_D8vNEA58IIx6tgi6Vt-CWXRKU6xCbwXYjXcJcEJExigtHd8p0ZXo9FXxp52tYd8504yoQnfZ0WYAk_urXvyXEnpz/s400/feb.5+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434801487054350050" border="0" /></a>Last night, Jorin and Jantzen discovered an opossum trying to find a way into our chicken coop! An opossum! Who has those in their yard? I thought they lived in South America or somewhere! While it played....possum, we scooped it into a bucket and drove it down the road to a more remote location and let it out. Two minutes later, Kiely came up our driveway, narrowly avoiding an...opossum! <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxHeTfw5sbIHBwLhA2i_R4dVV23LEXIOVM1dWkCcPwjUo61i76kZTRUVa-7YET_F6Zw4qUvXh3hO-REnEQFJfTmuK_c4WL0fPW4tDF5OQgTUofvPrdzZz3Vp9fCnk_oZQ5qMTWvGWZpuO/s1600-h/feb.5+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxHeTfw5sbIHBwLhA2i_R4dVV23LEXIOVM1dWkCcPwjUo61i76kZTRUVa-7YET_F6Zw4qUvXh3hO-REnEQFJfTmuK_c4WL0fPW4tDF5OQgTUofvPrdzZz3Vp9fCnk_oZQ5qMTWvGWZpuO/s400/feb.5+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434800932140463106" border="0" /></a><br />Jantzen got a balloon kit for Christmas - and LOVES making new things with balloon...(By the way, she is very good at sewing, knitting, crafting, decorating, scrapbooking, and just about anything she tries to make..)denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-70116609225097521742009-12-29T08:08:00.001-08:002009-12-29T08:50:02.156-08:00CHRISTMAS TOGETHER<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HkTp-iHzwMEiiodtCRllAfOBKe_y_vc9C-40-yyVoLeWWx50igvgAOHd6iVDLmYsgKtDWg5gp2gXLvtj8idm_7Cd0GjEeJx2s6zLE8bqrNn7P-RWIaVBt5ZaTZAZiEQa9N5_XosqzVYh/s1600-h/christmas09+014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HkTp-iHzwMEiiodtCRllAfOBKe_y_vc9C-40-yyVoLeWWx50igvgAOHd6iVDLmYsgKtDWg5gp2gXLvtj8idm_7Cd0GjEeJx2s6zLE8bqrNn7P-RWIaVBt5ZaTZAZiEQa9N5_XosqzVYh/s400/christmas09+014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420694114511829330" border="0" /></a>VISITING CARTHAGE<br />What a sacred place and a sacred experience.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_cnC3uJNkYfsImeQOqhKhLEVJy3YD3fY3AOWDAopOx7JbzK6m2_9YME3RD-w6PRaAw_I2yA5OhFbMeWggOsJn1EksBgTBgDg_JRG3tR479XXZasoXYM-3qSjU5yhTt6ZtbqRJKEDU_7M/s1600-h/christmas09+141.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_cnC3uJNkYfsImeQOqhKhLEVJy3YD3fY3AOWDAopOx7JbzK6m2_9YME3RD-w6PRaAw_I2yA5OhFbMeWggOsJn1EksBgTBgDg_JRG3tR479XXZasoXYM-3qSjU5yhTt6ZtbqRJKEDU_7M/s400/christmas09+141.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420693675453448226" border="0" />CHRISTMAS IN NAUVOO</a><br />There was such a beautiful spirit there - We spent 3 days in Nauvoo. We enjoyed learning about the families that had lived there, were humbled by their sacrifices and were touched by the<br />Spirit that resides there still. We attended a bell concert and a play, had a 2 hour carriage ride- bundled up in blankets, learned to make rope and candles, ate gingerbread cookies, toured homes, attended a schoolclass, received a brick, a horseshoe and a nail ring, and heard the gospel preached and testimonies borne. We loved being there in the winter - there were only a handful of other visitors - so we had the place to ourselves! I would HIGHLY recommend this time to visit!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwpWQV0tJW2XJfQf4uW8wyyeKg2RzWRM5OuxzRrtxEsvo2y3uPqKH6yfY6x3VGe1Bs6zHtIbMJomcO18IRtj88DA_9n6CfRsn02Fe5lJCMsjOHUR6QKO4cDy8VO7dXyaka2zPRvXv6JjN/s1600-h/christmas09+177.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwpWQV0tJW2XJfQf4uW8wyyeKg2RzWRM5OuxzRrtxEsvo2y3uPqKH6yfY6x3VGe1Bs6zHtIbMJomcO18IRtj88DA_9n6CfRsn02Fe5lJCMsjOHUR6QKO4cDy8VO7dXyaka2zPRvXv6JjN/s400/christmas09+177.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420693671996793442" border="0" /></a>MIKA - THE NEWEST EDITION TO THE FAMILY!<br />We just weren't the same without a great pyrenees puppy.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAHZgJa_n32_aqad-ANZdWzsgfjTDxtvQuANHmnGQ1d-YSFRhpMxQ1uIryzgN9wrvfzkxcG7D8BRhggIpVTKtYMrAo_NYF9VKZfJiYoaDTkyNlMOehfCwPPqvSv-3GOCEoc47kUjYKZdB/s1600-h/christmas09+155.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAHZgJa_n32_aqad-ANZdWzsgfjTDxtvQuANHmnGQ1d-YSFRhpMxQ1uIryzgN9wrvfzkxcG7D8BRhggIpVTKtYMrAo_NYF9VKZfJiYoaDTkyNlMOehfCwPPqvSv-3GOCEoc47kUjYKZdB/s400/christmas09+155.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420693663196057250" border="0" />CHRISTMAS EVE JAMMIES & SLIPPERS</a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQNl6lEWFIfxQSwgY9kbew8UIdOuPlngynuUZHnKED4FZOZEoEHHScgBSphRlthbI9G1g0u_56Jr9BpMM6q14LKlayFawpleP0KmRm-yTOBK-I7UGwb7d5QmZpwKt-5CX5Gk_n24H2SyP/s1600-h/christmas09+157.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQNl6lEWFIfxQSwgY9kbew8UIdOuPlngynuUZHnKED4FZOZEoEHHScgBSphRlthbI9G1g0u_56Jr9BpMM6q14LKlayFawpleP0KmRm-yTOBK-I7UGwb7d5QmZpwKt-5CX5Gk_n24H2SyP/s400/christmas09+157.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420693654558459666" border="0" /></a>Our family was together at long last - It was a wonderful & relaxing time . I am sure that no one in the picture will be thrilled to see this "early Christmas morning - no make-up" picture ...but this is my heaven right here...my family snuggled together. (Rance and I were snuggling off camera!)<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7JpL3XBgn_wN8N9k0GtxF24_xQpJylchGykflEyU1vtq3quWzrLuw41esW6HzSAHqKVgRGdyvDaY3Uzy_IfOrL4wUPKlVsjxB4VWcr5_fXJaKLukaZM7JLwzt8dxvkN9OLuhfpmOlSkH/s1600-h/christmas09+136.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7JpL3XBgn_wN8N9k0GtxF24_xQpJylchGykflEyU1vtq3quWzrLuw41esW6HzSAHqKVgRGdyvDaY3Uzy_IfOrL4wUPKlVsjxB4VWcr5_fXJaKLukaZM7JLwzt8dxvkN9OLuhfpmOlSkH/s400/christmas09+136.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420693643906773986" border="0" /></a>GANNON - The sweetest!<br /></div>denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-42166594394785697812009-11-23T07:40:00.000-08:002009-11-23T11:02:11.597-08:00COUNTRY LIVINGWe moved! We are settling ourselves into a home in the country - together - finally - as a family. It has been a very hectic, busy two weeks - but the trucks have been loaded, unloaded and returned, the boxes have been loaded, unloaded or stored, the clothes have been packed, unpacked and put away, and we are settling in!<br /><br />We have put in a firepit, raked millions of leaves, walked around the lake, walked the outer 40 fence line, collected firewood - and it is beginning to feel like home!<br /><br />I took these pictures today - it is overcast and gray - but I am not sure what Missouri winters are like - so I'm going with what I've got!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBDW5zmqUm76Pm_6Z9F_mcpZ7zRzVkKsF7kCtaSCIhF8VQ_f28aicyKTzaArPpzjWuTGhfxXZ8HBKrLJAhEmlZcBjic3NyDV5dZqn1pb1V8cvkuoMLXWkodz4oituDIZmuj7pOBJrVhkW/s1600/nov+021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBDW5zmqUm76Pm_6Z9F_mcpZ7zRzVkKsF7kCtaSCIhF8VQ_f28aicyKTzaArPpzjWuTGhfxXZ8HBKrLJAhEmlZcBjic3NyDV5dZqn1pb1V8cvkuoMLXWkodz4oituDIZmuj7pOBJrVhkW/s400/nov+021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407355236874103106" border="0" /></a><br />Back yard - little fish pond - outbuilding with wood furnace & kennels<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGM9raaZ4Je3Wf_KlgXIfHDXz1igJ8IFK7Njhkue5lCvrkw8_meMHURsaJC0x28w1yhao6zeswyTyqbmP55Odejpkl7J9dzzxWx5lD8vXUhdpK7gCQtozXSAw5Y578mebMK4RYKuFLS1hO/s1600/nov+033.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGM9raaZ4Je3Wf_KlgXIfHDXz1igJ8IFK7Njhkue5lCvrkw8_meMHURsaJC0x28w1yhao6zeswyTyqbmP55Odejpkl7J9dzzxWx5lD8vXUhdpK7gCQtozXSAw5Y578mebMK4RYKuFLS1hO/s400/nov+033.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407352694663354802" border="0" /></a><br />FRONT (back) DOOR - right into the laundry room!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihsPE9vGzxio1jLZZ9rOkrNRUDzfp1mBtF30we4-H2cXNF2Wagp_TVQdw7X6bal9cWQVm3ihi-EoTuo3NVdAUgjpQbv_X9r4yhrM4tp61vk8V5wu-7zAqfDuJbPnKR7TXqhA8UzZw_YhZN/s1600/nov+032.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihsPE9vGzxio1jLZZ9rOkrNRUDzfp1mBtF30we4-H2cXNF2Wagp_TVQdw7X6bal9cWQVm3ihi-EoTuo3NVdAUgjpQbv_X9r4yhrM4tp61vk8V5wu-7zAqfDuJbPnKR7TXqhA8UzZw_YhZN/s400/nov+032.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407352686897296546" border="0" /></a><br />Little Barn<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNtiZQ574N7od_L82D_4XiYxq3C6pAiYruE-MOkVx9rpN_-rvG-uiE33j2fshgkIPBGTS5WP_940dulbCCVQMNPn1AzoYe-5_UWb_i5sYD_4GZ4bUAOPd_KY2m0n1sBX_ND_wt419HFGM/s1600/nov+023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNtiZQ574N7od_L82D_4XiYxq3C6pAiYruE-MOkVx9rpN_-rvG-uiE33j2fshgkIPBGTS5WP_940dulbCCVQMNPn1AzoYe-5_UWb_i5sYD_4GZ4bUAOPd_KY2m0n1sBX_ND_wt419HFGM/s400/nov+023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407342661848186642" border="0" /></a><br />Lake - stocked with fish - for you fishermen!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvagSyxfng366aSbNzOyXL7s7MHYIDpvcba421nURVt7doTWHAoRxaG978ozbe3fszITml9VBNNofUSAmE2FQP3f__vE4sZx6HkLbaREe3TXuKByeQWEfEOx5_18LcLFr36W9JAZKw37WX/s1600/nov+026.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvagSyxfng366aSbNzOyXL7s7MHYIDpvcba421nURVt7doTWHAoRxaG978ozbe3fszITml9VBNNofUSAmE2FQP3f__vE4sZx6HkLbaREe3TXuKByeQWEfEOx5_18LcLFr36W9JAZKw37WX/s400/nov+026.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407342653492579074" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-i4QciyHl2oh2Q2FaER9KYiJdxytJk2l-abFGBRAHwASVit1u5IX0vRFQ3SNUtUo-qRsW7Pj8XD8A99va9vH2kK7t7MWsxxrdtpc9ZOV-JT-ctRJA1_59KDb7ik5fW-4ZtNk3ffh2uZP/s1600/nov+027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-i4QciyHl2oh2Q2FaER9KYiJdxytJk2l-abFGBRAHwASVit1u5IX0vRFQ3SNUtUo-qRsW7Pj8XD8A99va9vH2kK7t7MWsxxrdtpc9ZOV-JT-ctRJA1_59KDb7ik5fW-4ZtNk3ffh2uZP/s400/nov+027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407342646628194194" border="0" /></a>Front Yard<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVsunCxAl5natjtewERsQqZtdw3iOHsRC2fmgKljU5NvMT7GGTdzr7r9eykPfSsC_vgQqd_VDf_A6XaO7c5p9ThBzK_Uqz1Qangwyi5RQmNw5vmSG3qt_44FBoZ8sKRIACz99R4aD43vn/s1600/nov+029.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVsunCxAl5natjtewERsQqZtdw3iOHsRC2fmgKljU5NvMT7GGTdzr7r9eykPfSsC_vgQqd_VDf_A6XaO7c5p9ThBzK_Uqz1Qangwyi5RQmNw5vmSG3qt_44FBoZ8sKRIACz99R4aD43vn/s400/nov+029.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407336481477531010" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Barn & Greenhouse<br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLInqdIYTcW7g0pDj9D2i4a_wfXcSI-VeoCdEf6NvLpw2JCNIss8WECE3tpm8rd4fBXsTG9RIknjIJhi7IDH4hJyCeFbyeMdaPCUTNbagERiB4N7Zr8I9PXhIudGgA2M04jHV4RwVlB57/s1600/nov+030.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLInqdIYTcW7g0pDj9D2i4a_wfXcSI-VeoCdEf6NvLpw2JCNIss8WECE3tpm8rd4fBXsTG9RIknjIJhi7IDH4hJyCeFbyeMdaPCUTNbagERiB4N7Zr8I9PXhIudGgA2M04jHV4RwVlB57/s400/nov+030.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407336475144268818" border="0" /></a><br />Chicken coop<br /></div>denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-15423497576227437672009-09-20T19:34:00.000-07:002009-09-20T20:01:45.116-07:00AND SO WE RELY....<p>Being in what feels like a distant land in the middle of the midwest for almost a year now has afforded us many moments of self reflection.<span> </span><span> </span>While I have been able to invest a significant amount of energy in learning a new job, (this has been a blessing of the protracted separation), we have also had many ponderous moments laboring to understand the perplexity of our remote relationship and the wisdom of the Lord in our behalf.<span> </span>We have stepped into the darkness of this chapter of our life and have, as a family, partially moved to Missouri.<span> </span>Though in seeming reverse order, Kiely is here in Missouri now going to school and reshaping her future, rooming with me here in Rolla.<span> </span><span> </span>Devery is enrolled in a graduate school program at Missouri State University two hours to the south.<span> </span>We, the three Missourian Larsen’s, (sounds like the title of a bad B movie) usually meet here in Rolla every two or three weeks.<span> </span>This time and these mini regional reunions are punctuated by daily and nightly conversations with Denise and the Colorado (Jantzen & Jorin) family (thanks Verizon) and regular connections with those who we lovingly refer to as haleyjon&gannon (pronounced rapidly).<span> Denise and the Colorado kids remain in Grand Junction carrying on with home school and the constant pressure of life while trying to sell a residence. </span>The marvels of today’s communication options have helped to ease the effects of the separation. Our plan is still that we will sell or rent our Grand Junction residence so that we can relocate together in Missouri.<span> </span>This has proven to be a longer process than either of us had anticipated, complicated by uncertain national and regional economic conditions.<span> </span>We have seen the hand of a loving Father in our lives in the past and have been able to retrospectively recount the wisdom of His actions.<span> </span>In this situation, the enlightenment has seemed more distant and the yearning much more acute.<span> </span>The nights on our knees and our own spiritual white knuckles have certainly intensified as we find ourselves in the middle of a test.<span> </span>We question and yearn to reconcile the alignment of our own desires versus the as yet unknown plans of a loving Father. <span> </span>While His remodeling of our lives will ultimately be worth the wait, we desire to satisfy our impatient curiosity and see a copy of the blueprints of what we will become.<span> </span>Short of this, we press forward and have faith.<span> </span>We have faith in the Lord, faith in each other and our children and faith in the outcome of this test.<span> </span>Together in faith, cell phones in hand, we go forward and……..rely. </p>denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-35337081166815330012009-09-14T14:17:00.001-07:002009-09-14T18:51:29.560-07:00HOMESCHOOL STARTS WITH A....GASP?!We have started - and stopped - and started homeschool this past two weeks. September 1st brought excitement and enthusiasm for the new school year (especially since all their friends had been in school since Aug. 17!) - Sept. 2nd brought a severe cold to Jorin, Jantzen and me. By Sept. 6, I had pneumonia and the kids were coughing like crazy - and school petered to a measly couple of subjects per day. Today, Sept. 14th - we attempted a new beginning - I directed each subject from the couch - but Jantzen started fading - and had to take a nap...I hope she doesn't have pneumonia too! We really are excited and anxious to learn this year. We are starting with Ancient History subjects - and going from there...we did manage to make a canopic jar in art - for our diseased organs, I guess, should we need them...denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-33575475669278308792009-09-12T07:23:00.000-07:002009-09-12T08:29:32.077-07:00MISSOURI TRIPI wanted to post a few pictures of the trip we took to Missouri in late July...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgph_fqaZCHWAPjE-_em9xFXgIfRD1sxLrTiXjM1tKcmoms-zya19kWzZeBY_PZnsuFmQcOL-1VH29O-ApE71Eiyr-mToLl3FJrnOPp1Q8XeDQMYEV6FWL6QUW_OlSgCuekGRQIAabT8P1Y/s1600-h/july+011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgph_fqaZCHWAPjE-_em9xFXgIfRD1sxLrTiXjM1tKcmoms-zya19kWzZeBY_PZnsuFmQcOL-1VH29O-ApE71Eiyr-mToLl3FJrnOPp1Q8XeDQMYEV6FWL6QUW_OlSgCuekGRQIAabT8P1Y/s400/july+011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380591799638850946" border="0" /></a><br />Jorin turns 12! Rance ordained him and he was able to pass the sacrament<br />in the Rolla ward with Rance. He did such a good job!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMXN3NFOjpR1trKdX5DBhIBG91SbZ7Dw5botKNlG75nJ3ELN4Vu0X2JuNDWs_zJRhiUzhP2fVHLUGqhFJh4dtegqAWZMFMIoGE46zzmDXxMwKR4w9HKx84Mw0eaelQq7_8ZmzaUgdvLAV/s1600-h/july+042.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMXN3NFOjpR1trKdX5DBhIBG91SbZ7Dw5botKNlG75nJ3ELN4Vu0X2JuNDWs_zJRhiUzhP2fVHLUGqhFJh4dtegqAWZMFMIoGE46zzmDXxMwKR4w9HKx84Mw0eaelQq7_8ZmzaUgdvLAV/s400/july+042.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380591789234285298" border="0" /></a>We visited the Meramec Springs - This one spring pumps 96,000,000 gallons per day!<br />There was a visitors center, a cool old ironworks (1st west of the Mississippi), 2 museums, a fish<br />hatchery, original cabins, and other very cool and historical things. It was also beautiful! We loved our hikes here.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQtK4cjXk9lCn_u9ZIVx7vPxhOXqUyMlO3zKe8ppX9TFmOi27p_RWsjsVXikfq_jUyS9TAqrVBsd79L43ETQseb6Iaj2yiJ2z-sLLuBiXeHhI_f-sE9ft8q3fh0utGPVsxvQ3LAQjaTUK/s1600-h/july+019.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQtK4cjXk9lCn_u9ZIVx7vPxhOXqUyMlO3zKe8ppX9TFmOi27p_RWsjsVXikfq_jUyS9TAqrVBsd79L43ETQseb6Iaj2yiJ2z-sLLuBiXeHhI_f-sE9ft8q3fh0utGPVsxvQ3LAQjaTUK/s400/july+019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380591778449031538" border="0" /></a>The kids' first look at the Mississippi River.<br />We walked along its banks<br />before going to the St. Louis Gateway Arch.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_QMLkMkNHL6AgUyFTHD9-zXOPwCSu5lRQZb7iiT4g0U_IauBOTnIRKWkUGVapNSSonQiEaOAo3TU4GcXgA5xvaQx4B9wv7DJBIynbnv1kBR2N0bVEpSRGL2uJD1ErYox5RYAhw7a8uRgp/s1600-h/july+023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_QMLkMkNHL6AgUyFTHD9-zXOPwCSu5lRQZb7iiT4g0U_IauBOTnIRKWkUGVapNSSonQiEaOAo3TU4GcXgA5xvaQx4B9wv7DJBIynbnv1kBR2N0bVEpSRGL2uJD1ErYox5RYAhw7a8uRgp/s400/july+023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380591777518326626" border="0" /></a>That little itty bitty door is where we entered and sat in a little "dryer" type unit as we<br />ascended up the inside of the Arch. Fun!! Breathe, breathe....<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJwFazgRWnP-JMmqio2aKV-GZaYpIzo_OF3g4Q_Mu09l9DrNjtR1ZqtTgMDx9W89m7Ti6-c_YFl5XuHaVy7Qc1Y0cYF1JSX7nLu8Y7Q5MMSJw1V_cvOYDt5MSv4kdSyK9SltD5z-MkfE3/s1600-h/july+024.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJwFazgRWnP-JMmqio2aKV-GZaYpIzo_OF3g4Q_Mu09l9DrNjtR1ZqtTgMDx9W89m7Ti6-c_YFl5XuHaVy7Qc1Y0cYF1JSX7nLu8Y7Q5MMSJw1V_cvOYDt5MSv4kdSyK9SltD5z-MkfE3/s400/july+024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380589485491414354" border="0" /></a>The windows at the top were suprisingly small - but we got a<br />great view of St. Louis down below! The Arch is the nation's tallest<br />man-made monument.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiioLnk3_oL4g3lyXio3NVKfbxIaBEdkOQYLmLppbUoEHdLs6FLzPmJPSUz3jF4adl1UnQizX03EqfNlAW6deU_DmBlW_yzzNQGPU44x2pPkkWKgCN1aQqQH8xalxl8EQENHXehBedcmXMn/s1600-h/july+025.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiioLnk3_oL4g3lyXio3NVKfbxIaBEdkOQYLmLppbUoEHdLs6FLzPmJPSUz3jF4adl1UnQizX03EqfNlAW6deU_DmBlW_yzzNQGPU44x2pPkkWKgCN1aQqQH8xalxl8EQENHXehBedcmXMn/s400/july+025.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380589478897553346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih760V8-B2SYp1up7D3CD8dgSM8JvSeGbPJRrL2PoPyB1yAoNHoHG6SzTpvB5wuFP4Rvbgrk_RWPd31gHziQ9Yr4VS87SbCtqin7FhHmkMurlLcFd9vrRHgLjg2Emv5CUiojGq9qLqFn7O/s1600-h/july+037.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih760V8-B2SYp1up7D3CD8dgSM8JvSeGbPJRrL2PoPyB1yAoNHoHG6SzTpvB5wuFP4Rvbgrk_RWPd31gHziQ9Yr4VS87SbCtqin7FhHmkMurlLcFd9vrRHgLjg2Emv5CUiojGq9qLqFn7O/s400/july+037.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380589469035105778" border="0" /></a>Missouri, the Cave State, has more than 5,500 caves.<br /> We visited the Onondaga Caves, a National Natural Landmark, that are about<br />15 minutes from Rolla -<br />It was amazing to see all of the tall stalagmites, dripping stalactites, active<br />flowstones and many other different formations inside these caves!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfHQakTnGTJAicDrVc08bd_VHfy2aIqMdoLzfhLv1knSL4rz1f9afwIT_8ML-s-AgNZXlK9W66kfKAmQUdICyDmVadWT032shd9GCbWRNaqVDjhC9mGaSZK8WCHk8tIsco_X1TW5HQhIg/s1600-h/july+027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfHQakTnGTJAicDrVc08bd_VHfy2aIqMdoLzfhLv1knSL4rz1f9afwIT_8ML-s-AgNZXlK9W66kfKAmQUdICyDmVadWT032shd9GCbWRNaqVDjhC9mGaSZK8WCHk8tIsco_X1TW5HQhIg/s400/july+027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380591767019162146" border="0" /></a>The St. Louis Zoo was fun! It really was one of the best zoos I've seen.<br /> - I took several pictures of different animals...<br />but one of the most interesting sights was of this woman who danced<br />for a crowd that was listening to a GREAT blues band - She was older -<br />and it was very hot - but she put on quite a show!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWEIC4mu-SqEt2I_OVfbkCRo-GHIn5mOBSyQAn-OhvlRuXZxn6LKBOOhsM2kCBCMMYPhNLrMvpkdwws4gv-WXbnbGK7VPR95Axx5ZrqH512kOx6kpZD9xoZ-bEQWZnHb65HTgbSJIQlL1/s1600-h/july+062.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWEIC4mu-SqEt2I_OVfbkCRo-GHIn5mOBSyQAn-OhvlRuXZxn6LKBOOhsM2kCBCMMYPhNLrMvpkdwws4gv-WXbnbGK7VPR95Axx5ZrqH512kOx6kpZD9xoZ-bEQWZnHb65HTgbSJIQlL1/s400/july+062.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380589460922366402" border="0" /></a>It really is very beautiful in this area. We enjoyed being surrounded by trees<br />and water. This river was still cold - in July - but fun to play around in.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhiFFjC06rAPTcLGaUkrYJ9THOmpoJzSruxyDBVo-g00bwic-qfEMLCgfUcmC4JtFTcU2QDxwqhWREySBecKvFlvhkF9LhTNsAthEwfhBEIWfY9IUtJltWOQvLVIEbzUhaEGNq_2gKOyrH/s1600-h/july+072.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhiFFjC06rAPTcLGaUkrYJ9THOmpoJzSruxyDBVo-g00bwic-qfEMLCgfUcmC4JtFTcU2QDxwqhWREySBecKvFlvhkF9LhTNsAthEwfhBEIWfY9IUtJltWOQvLVIEbzUhaEGNq_2gKOyrH/s400/july+072.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380589455654118130" border="0" /></a>The best part of this trip was being with Dad!<br />The worst part - leaving him!<br /></div>denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-50575618102738450812009-09-11T09:39:00.000-07:002009-09-11T10:16:23.605-07:00The Last Camping Hurrah!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-MG1rLKVGCR2x7RbNvJ0RsjORRbJyxUuP1F_Ui-8j-xphfBjcmQkQ7lY3EPPyJkudgzB1ixz-Yxh74jMdOLBRHuaWYHmDpWoA48CrsLoETcW6sbtLKAIntihBX3zua4gsmMSOm8Ardu4/s1600-h/august09+022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-MG1rLKVGCR2x7RbNvJ0RsjORRbJyxUuP1F_Ui-8j-xphfBjcmQkQ7lY3EPPyJkudgzB1ixz-Yxh74jMdOLBRHuaWYHmDpWoA48CrsLoETcW6sbtLKAIntihBX3zua4gsmMSOm8Ardu4/s400/august09+022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380259284281821842" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOIB8MSsAzOpk12IbW_d8zJ10RhfLAXZMcTNKQSu-RoqP5Hv4uVnfmyXjBbDI4M3TqfL0s55o5nPCAbQKSUVu3UbozD75wq1JzYSrBVeaiSTuEyrKWQT_lmCZUyy4DaCPJUaNreiAS20k/s1600-h/august09+021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOIB8MSsAzOpk12IbW_d8zJ10RhfLAXZMcTNKQSu-RoqP5Hv4uVnfmyXjBbDI4M3TqfL0s55o5nPCAbQKSUVu3UbozD75wq1JzYSrBVeaiSTuEyrKWQT_lmCZUyy4DaCPJUaNreiAS20k/s400/august09+021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380251910771602082" border="0" /></a><br />The last weekend of August we spent in the Colorado Rockies with our friends, the Nelsons - primitive camping. We drove on a rock-strewn path-type road straight up a mountain--- until we found a beautiful little lake - and pitched camp. It was perfect ( except for our missing family members!) The kids paddled around for hours on the little lake, Kerri and David fished - and I read, surrounded by wildflowers! It was so peaceful.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzf2kWU-Xn8pLUxi84s6ik8OcaVRo4Wh04v2yENqFiYLP9OQePEeg6ZtfGgfVQNegEDlgx3gUCfmecoUozAkDsaBEBTbDJTFvU5Q5_nnyVxCsvhSmc1_JwHs9-1bUVrEwIIm38_5EzkJER/s1600-h/august09+030.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzf2kWU-Xn8pLUxi84s6ik8OcaVRo4Wh04v2yENqFiYLP9OQePEeg6ZtfGgfVQNegEDlgx3gUCfmecoUozAkDsaBEBTbDJTFvU5Q5_nnyVxCsvhSmc1_JwHs9-1bUVrEwIIm38_5EzkJER/s400/august09+030.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380255244877467058" border="0" /></a><br />Jantzen - enjoying an early morning hot apple cider!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2duUzFDxWMBp3iB6WALVxlhpBVyMGeGCcvVrAEAgw6J2JcUoR_rlBygqxTtRy5cpsnS4hD1HUUqWcUIB6D-LMWdLOPONcg7z-idtQXjYgrMJySqN0nfBQL5ZmTQtWNo9_Dg-PoS9_L80g/s1600-h/august09+027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2duUzFDxWMBp3iB6WALVxlhpBVyMGeGCcvVrAEAgw6J2JcUoR_rlBygqxTtRy5cpsnS4hD1HUUqWcUIB6D-LMWdLOPONcg7z-idtQXjYgrMJySqN0nfBQL5ZmTQtWNo9_Dg-PoS9_L80g/s400/august09+027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380255235583013010" border="0" /></a><br />Jorin started our fire - even after a night's rainstorm soaked our wood! Hooray for scouts!<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY21htZOlNX4BFyHt5oJ4uYg4w1lcn229_ExhzazFnoUeP2l8VNbHHGDEDXdb4o9KoMbsA2BNuoVeqD8rmkQ0afA5t8iwb1n8nVqIhRHFpsi_6WSl7OlzR65L92iXxfxpvhLm1g0_XgtK7/s1600-h/august09+036.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY21htZOlNX4BFyHt5oJ4uYg4w1lcn229_ExhzazFnoUeP2l8VNbHHGDEDXdb4o9KoMbsA2BNuoVeqD8rmkQ0afA5t8iwb1n8nVqIhRHFpsi_6WSl7OlzR65L92iXxfxpvhLm1g0_XgtK7/s400/august09+036.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380255261567122930" border="0" /></a><br />We went to Rifle Falls one day - enjoying the spectacular scenery and hike to the falls, cave exploring and a great swim in the river.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGrOgjG5-Cx8SJsBoQnQtNwle3ouOnOm27i2DG8p36L8jA-J3NhKuNXGCrIfnZE33NCOBb55dkVFxKDS1vAcBjH4oGSbVWmgfmyhVzuipPEVAPlkAcZ08nmv1jmRyRKcf2ScmxGlEIH9f/s1600-h/august09+034.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGrOgjG5-Cx8SJsBoQnQtNwle3ouOnOm27i2DG8p36L8jA-J3NhKuNXGCrIfnZE33NCOBb55dkVFxKDS1vAcBjH4oGSbVWmgfmyhVzuipPEVAPlkAcZ08nmv1jmRyRKcf2ScmxGlEIH9f/s400/august09+034.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380255251745208722" border="0" /></a><br />There were many caves to explore in this area - Jorin and Jantz loved it! We love camping and being in the outdoors - and this summer has afforded us many opportunities to get to know the little corner of the world we are currently in.<br /><br /></div>denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-7152404620388779302009-07-11T07:55:00.000-07:002009-07-11T09:22:15.839-07:00WHIRLWIND WEEK...I wanted to share some of the pictures of our most recent crazy week...we had so much fun - had great visits, learned much, and enjoyed ourselves immensely!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBo4GiBXonISM0lL9pzd3LyKEO-L7sODLI4aSsfLSxG8KLbaFzpWN2xcpWfsKiKiBjiVV1vMJ9bhsdjGjQtCol17yyZWKSOS-KJOEc0BS_uuwY11A38XjLTiJKrAXEOJb-03s0WVBkaNOg/s1600-h/june+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBo4GiBXonISM0lL9pzd3LyKEO-L7sODLI4aSsfLSxG8KLbaFzpWN2xcpWfsKiKiBjiVV1vMJ9bhsdjGjQtCol17yyZWKSOS-KJOEc0BS_uuwY11A38XjLTiJKrAXEOJb-03s0WVBkaNOg/s400/june+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357218492194831842" border="0" /></a>Bethany, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Jantzen</span>, Nick, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Jorin</span> & Dennis<br /></div><br />We drove to St. George on Thursday - we saw Robin's family and Katie's family and Grandma <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Reber</span>. It was good to visit with them - that doesn't happen often enough - and it was great to see Trina before she moves to California.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj371uttcPmj4m4623dpG-OCewzwrrU7cP42JCqyiQmN4HXk9gN2EZNL2KLm3acojNU3pZbrHtPpgwBX9_dRbi3bCv7oRGBnLJ_yEZTPIdpBKPA4Sn7-swtOLXMGrJsoPoyIzPUMEv2PIND/s1600-h/june+014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj371uttcPmj4m4623dpG-OCewzwrrU7cP42JCqyiQmN4HXk9gN2EZNL2KLm3acojNU3pZbrHtPpgwBX9_dRbi3bCv7oRGBnLJ_yEZTPIdpBKPA4Sn7-swtOLXMGrJsoPoyIzPUMEv2PIND/s400/june+014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357218486480897122" border="0" /></a>We met the newest member of the family - Quintin <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Soli</span> - what a sweetie!<br /></div><br />I left on Friday afternoon - taking the St. George Shuttle to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Las</span> Vegas airport - and flew to Seattle. After arriving very late - and getting my rental car, I drove to a very tiny town called Gold Bar, about 1 1/2 hours northeast of Seattle. I stayed in a dive of a motel - across the parking lot from the largest bar in town (yes, there was more than one) - where I think most of Gold Bar's 225 adult population were visiting that night. (Must have been payday!)<br /><br />I took a two day class on how to build log homes - it was fantastic! There were 40 people in the class - from all over the US - and even 3 from Great Britain, 1 from Costa Rica & 1 from the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Philippines</span>. There were 3 other women in the class. We met for about 13 hours a day - with only 1 10-minute break and a 30 minute lunch break. It really was non-stop information - and I loved it!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUuCwiStnwG-IKp3GtMY0Ai7OLC2beK86hHEMLidtzLXsfQb1eBbw2np9yBVKRJmEFshp7HcWsTDdtqYf-gFGcCR-dSMnEI59nJKrc3ZivrR5dh0Uo6PRPM7pGN5NcNS5yknvWw9rae9w/s1600-h/june+016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUuCwiStnwG-IKp3GtMY0Ai7OLC2beK86hHEMLidtzLXsfQb1eBbw2np9yBVKRJmEFshp7HcWsTDdtqYf-gFGcCR-dSMnEI59nJKrc3ZivrR5dh0Uo6PRPM7pGN5NcNS5yknvWw9rae9w/s400/june+016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357224061074678562" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhBrljLRSKxi6_Dz7myp3uiVkVYsw6jULDI8yOjnvchOPWQCRxbb2mtNX86Mn8uTmvhjNReOu8S05T-RYFNszE1lEnCp7s9MaiPLnBi5pHW5O7DjbZCMdQ0k7ATxryW6OY7A053Min_bpG/s1600-h/june+017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhBrljLRSKxi6_Dz7myp3uiVkVYsw6jULDI8yOjnvchOPWQCRxbb2mtNX86Mn8uTmvhjNReOu8S05T-RYFNszE1lEnCp7s9MaiPLnBi5pHW5O7DjbZCMdQ0k7ATxryW6OY7A053Min_bpG/s400/june+017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357224059200704610" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWPR_ZOT39T9rVgFwWOHWg_HHbYC-jYwl8j59DAd6TGFsZ4_wcP-TYhjVAAG8aK5rlbY1zZYODRWGrmcZngh6BQrsu-WCXDH5r_NcIPKWtBmJL6N6XiwlQb_9_St90MzvylMovVqdPHuQ/s1600-h/june+018.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWPR_ZOT39T9rVgFwWOHWg_HHbYC-jYwl8j59DAd6TGFsZ4_wcP-TYhjVAAG8aK5rlbY1zZYODRWGrmcZngh6BQrsu-WCXDH5r_NcIPKWtBmJL6N6XiwlQb_9_St90MzvylMovVqdPHuQ/s400/june+018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357224048485169362" border="0" /></a><br />I drove back to Seattle on Sunday night -returned the car - and rode to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Longview</span> with Melanie Kitchens. It was such a good visit! It was so nice of her to drive up there to pick me up. Haley and Jon met us there - at midnight - and we drove to Portland from there. We got to their apartment around 2 am - and stayed up until 4, talking...<br /><br />It was so good to see them! Gannon has grown so much since we saw him in March -<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5NKQwzKlvXHMX76MyeRi2dsIc43Y3p_OKHPObddW_gYQ3H7loVgsx2B_mafnUHtHP9-JpQIlGATV9KaKWZqSXyhSzQxTA7JqWKzl_WTpPVHgWjbO8ShNO4i03xl9R-I7Bbxx6AmHTOKi/s1600-h/june+020.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5NKQwzKlvXHMX76MyeRi2dsIc43Y3p_OKHPObddW_gYQ3H7loVgsx2B_mafnUHtHP9-JpQIlGATV9KaKWZqSXyhSzQxTA7JqWKzl_WTpPVHgWjbO8ShNO4i03xl9R-I7Bbxx6AmHTOKi/s400/june+020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357228156900532898" border="0" /></a><br />Gannon is now mobile! - look out!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gnH8NFvPyn8k0dGAioss2yXQTetsR528B9Bk5KH7khwnkrBnaAzqBGh0AZFmUm8-0FIpjG9iOWZcHcIFkZa179LqveX2w8l5kOuwtRFvh7G5lPZueCVZSUrOzEjh-VJzfIK5Ut6y2hf2/s1600-h/june+022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gnH8NFvPyn8k0dGAioss2yXQTetsR528B9Bk5KH7khwnkrBnaAzqBGh0AZFmUm8-0FIpjG9iOWZcHcIFkZa179LqveX2w8l5kOuwtRFvh7G5lPZueCVZSUrOzEjh-VJzfIK5Ut6y2hf2/s400/june+022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357228152173168018" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6eaGTLCM4K9xjW2chLzSVRRkfpOegZB0jdkXak5PZEhvrSpplfM2527vGwr0-Pp97RxjMwY8WoVf5jJXj3bSJcCCm6BieBsd4tt5g_pE1J5oRAaskX3x5UsOAVNikjNnN0TYSqoQmF0Kv/s1600-h/june+027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6eaGTLCM4K9xjW2chLzSVRRkfpOegZB0jdkXak5PZEhvrSpplfM2527vGwr0-Pp97RxjMwY8WoVf5jJXj3bSJcCCm6BieBsd4tt5g_pE1J5oRAaskX3x5UsOAVNikjNnN0TYSqoQmF0Kv/s400/june+027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357230555930799010" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I had a fun - but way too short! - visit with Haley, Jon & Gannon - we walked around downtown Portland, visited <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Powells</span> (of course!), enjoyed great Thai food and an incredibly rich chocolaty cupcake. I was even able to see Rachelle, Kristen and her kids! That was a bonus surprise. The time went quickly - and I hated to say goodbye.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />I flew back to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Las</span> Vegas on Tuesday night - and Wednesday we headed back to Grand Junction. It was a fun-filled, educational and all-around good time! THANK YOU to Grandma and Katie for keeping <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Jorin</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Jantzen</span> while I was gone. I know they had such a good time playing with cousins & swimming.<br /></div><br /></div>denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-91446743487281781172009-07-04T17:57:00.000-07:002009-07-04T20:38:43.959-07:00OUR LITTLE SCOUTERS....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLCLn_irCERSXWg3oCbn2gKqghXplsaTDfNBHfywK7hKHkgl7OsDN-m-D1wFmlEy0haHfVyCps8CDXwF95byLiQQzsa3yLhMi5kvyPOG7scplbBeqDqsyd2Lm_gICfy01Fla925KIR-0G/s1600-h/june+scouters+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLCLn_irCERSXWg3oCbn2gKqghXplsaTDfNBHfywK7hKHkgl7OsDN-m-D1wFmlEy0haHfVyCps8CDXwF95byLiQQzsa3yLhMi5kvyPOG7scplbBeqDqsyd2Lm_gICfy01Fla925KIR-0G/s400/june+scouters+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354775677336849394" border="0" /><!-- a--></a>Here is Jorin after his 50-mile bike ride! He is still smiling - so it must not have been TOO hard! He did such a great job, despite a major flat tire about 20 miles in...I am so proud of him!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VuxRqmgYUbc6UQuvksSjleAKdVUwDsCu86DLOXlFP6EQyUgXkGbn0aj5oF6iFCfEsttonIJg0_QJrT5Q_Jy68dXvVjcpqhb0EI15o2VJy2HWqSYsJHNprv2aYOKilpeAv3ZLmzxWMkWV/s1600-h/june+010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VuxRqmgYUbc6UQuvksSjleAKdVUwDsCu86DLOXlFP6EQyUgXkGbn0aj5oF6iFCfEsttonIJg0_QJrT5Q_Jy68dXvVjcpqhb0EI15o2VJy2HWqSYsJHNprv2aYOKilpeAv3ZLmzxWMkWV/s400/june+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354775691764041954" border="0" /><!-- a--></a>This is the boy scout group in our ward - Jorin was awarded the Emergency Preparedness , First Aid, Leatherwork, Cycling, Music, Fingerprinting, Woodworking, Reading, Cinematography and Environmental Science merit badges - along with his Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class rank. GOOD WORK, JORIN!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjrUa300immDVs74YL3cWtsAFOBJ-5p6UvSiiJwlafDcvEHIIhTivPv-_J9UWmeH1ckD39smZqq2yJH-EDax5JF9EnJCAT0reRBVq8y5DEOgD0IzfnUzGJXjTfZZwokl_gF1JS_2gvTIn/s1600-h/june+scouters+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjrUa300immDVs74YL3cWtsAFOBJ-5p6UvSiiJwlafDcvEHIIhTivPv-_J9UWmeH1ckD39smZqq2yJH-EDax5JF9EnJCAT0reRBVq8y5DEOgD0IzfnUzGJXjTfZZwokl_gF1JS_2gvTIn/s400/june+scouters+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354775682884859970" border="0" /></a>Jantzen did a great job in Girl Scouts this year too! She was awarded the top seller in her troop for Girl Scout cookies (over 400+ boxes)! She also earned badges for Money Sense, First Aid, Camp Together, Horse Rider, Outdoor Cooking, Drawing and Painting, Theater, Rocks Rock & Camera Shots! GOOD WORK, JANTZEN!denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-15895525580340880192009-06-23T17:07:00.000-07:002009-06-23T17:31:17.636-07:00SISTERS ARE THE GREATEST!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkW6zMzRpdmphgu6aKVf_afh_mC59f2Kg-9f7eYS6dv_FgB1j5o0pV9SPS4vQQNjthjHbA_MD10NpmoWwJKVrsOSnZAtezCvAQiq-T6TxUj_U0ezyconZLTB-Dr4hcJYVrguq_DMj25hwj/s1600-h/june+scouters+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkW6zMzRpdmphgu6aKVf_afh_mC59f2Kg-9f7eYS6dv_FgB1j5o0pV9SPS4vQQNjthjHbA_MD10NpmoWwJKVrsOSnZAtezCvAQiq-T6TxUj_U0ezyconZLTB-Dr4hcJYVrguq_DMj25hwj/s400/june+scouters+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350681040934850530" border="0" /></a>Having Jorin as a big brother is so cool - Jantzen loves him so much....but there are some things he just can't do.... Jantzen depends on her big sisters for so many things, like.....<br /><br />.....knowing which clothes are SO cute - and which ones are just not OK...<br />....having very fun sleepovers & late night parties<br />....showing her how to fix her hair pretty - and what to definitely not do...<br />....sharing which music is good to listen to<br />....feeling special and grown up - just like them<br />....making yummy treats (or buying them, in some cases!)<br />....providing her with a real live baby to love<br />....snuggling and talking and talking and talking....(OK, well, Jorin can do that one too...)<br />....trying on their high heels - the higher the better!<br /><br />Jantzen loves being around Kiely, Haley and Devery. Every visit is a cherished event for her. They may not know how much of an influence they have in her life - but she looks up to them and watches all they do. I am so grateful to have these 3 excellent "sister" role models for her. Thank you for all the time you spend in helping her feel special!denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-70575856608141333672009-06-21T18:36:00.000-07:002009-06-21T18:41:29.114-07:00MY DADMy dad is always there for me,<br />he plays with me - he teaches me,<br />he loves to help me, and does whenever he can.<br />I like that he is always joking, he is hardworking and never gives up.<br />My dad is kind to others and is fair.<br />He is a good cook and a good eater. He never complains.<br />My dad always encourages me, even when things are hard for me.<br />My dad sets a good example for me of trying to do what's right.<br />Even when I do something wrong, I know that he loves me.<br />I love my dad so much, and hope I can be just like him.<br /><br />HAPPY FATHERS DAY, DAD!denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-13111297532691153332009-06-21T18:30:00.001-07:002009-07-04T20:38:22.755-07:00DADDYMy dad snuggles with me - and I love it...<br />he plays with me all the time - and I love it...<br />he loves to laugh with me - .and I love it...<br />he plays card games with me when I ask - and I love it...<br />he does flips with me - and I love it...<br />he gives me horsey rides - and I love it...<br />he provides for our family so we have things we need - and I love it...<br />I love him - he's the best dad in the world!<br /><br />HAPPY FATHERS DAY, DADDY!<br /><br /><br />denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-14501596136096731652009-06-09T10:27:00.000-07:002009-06-09T19:39:08.768-07:00SMILE!<p class="EC_MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family:georgia;">It is not that it was especially fun. I can’t really put my finger on it. We have done the same things, and even more before, with less of the effect. Much of our time was spent taking care of challenges and problems with one thing or another. Yes, I am sure that the previous prolonged absence had something to do with it. But, I have been walking around for the last few days in the illumination of that wonderfully peaceful and loving experience. Three days. Not even three full days. Three days of peace and happiness. Three days of just the basics, getting the car fixed, moving furniture, helping Devery get settled. These three days just sort of snuck up on me. Denise decided to come to Missouri to help Devery make the transition to a new university experience. And in the process I was the benefactor of her presence. There was peace, there was togetherness and closeness. We had a little din din, we watched a movie, we snuggled on the couch and we did some very nice and casual things, but nothing significantly out of the ordinary. I dropped her off at the airport this morning very early. We said our goodbyes and both went our separate ways and, yet every time I think about it……………the house still needs to be sold, she is still 16 hours and a time zone away, each of our individual situations still have their own set of challenges……….I don’t know what it is or how to explain it…………..the time we spent together this weekend…………just makes me…………….. smile</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >.</span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal"> </p>denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-55730078644411816852009-05-29T17:24:00.001-07:002009-05-30T14:49:54.773-07:00SCOUTING IS COOL!CAMP #1 - Amazing Girl Scouts...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTiwIJaG72B1KO9l5LWBEiqWHOLOh22WhfNxWR5SQBvDK303azHuqk_JyfvM4B6ZOlLGX_PgrvlLiYimAAO2nHi7ORvnXfO-RjBPYv-H-I2b18GX15OwB4vegOxMYAcjsdHFM72KJwEIOo/s1600-h/camping+042.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTiwIJaG72B1KO9l5LWBEiqWHOLOh22WhfNxWR5SQBvDK303azHuqk_JyfvM4B6ZOlLGX_PgrvlLiYimAAO2nHi7ORvnXfO-RjBPYv-H-I2b18GX15OwB4vegOxMYAcjsdHFM72KJwEIOo/s400/camping+042.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341410123913340610" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVpP3j7xu13k-_Pkv3nEK9uPq_R76VMNI795PdKCO7RntTLohE8iHXmlSNSBs3PcEkN6e6ZqyK8ng5fhMRAvIb6BEGWVPlCSxnYKkOFuvN4s9XbwtP_hZ-0uOPwwQpALfO8cNL1-rFL2-/s1600-h/camping+036.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVpP3j7xu13k-_Pkv3nEK9uPq_R76VMNI795PdKCO7RntTLohE8iHXmlSNSBs3PcEkN6e6ZqyK8ng5fhMRAvIb6BEGWVPlCSxnYKkOFuvN4s9XbwtP_hZ-0uOPwwQpALfO8cNL1-rFL2-/s400/camping+036.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341410131614666770" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirOtaaGUQWCTUbNs43GVCckM01Ivsz3e9haT3vytVSHFUFenlyL1QsTGHKzHGtLCzIAYM7IW6zb2cMQnnGCq2wfgJTljDhQ-Hv8bZbqbi2vLoOH1c5JgPzivzLndxHkin09XEFwGWKj6Se/s1600-h/camping+010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirOtaaGUQWCTUbNs43GVCckM01Ivsz3e9haT3vytVSHFUFenlyL1QsTGHKzHGtLCzIAYM7IW6zb2cMQnnGCq2wfgJTljDhQ-Hv8bZbqbi2vLoOH1c5JgPzivzLndxHkin09XEFwGWKj6Se/s400/camping+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341408944592975522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihdnLKEfKhDVSiSLchQ5s4vE3DsjmOrO1SRrZ0ZxiGpsQe0A9FaWxz4iJffI9AoKB_4MO1TrJ6WLW93cCQtidtoHME8DB3DZnQk_NnGm80PiyyjVqeWDEcGcoYCQnsTU3F4ltJeXgGkaW/s1600-h/camping+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihdnLKEfKhDVSiSLchQ5s4vE3DsjmOrO1SRrZ0ZxiGpsQe0A9FaWxz4iJffI9AoKB_4MO1TrJ6WLW93cCQtidtoHME8DB3DZnQk_NnGm80PiyyjVqeWDEcGcoYCQnsTU3F4ltJeXgGkaW/s400/camping+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341408941991132050" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Jantzen's girl scout troop recently spent 3 days camping together. As one of her leaders, I was able to accompany them. None of the girls but Jantzen had any camping experience, and I was a bit apprehensive when the girls asked if we could order pizza during our meal planning session...but it turned out great! We enjoyed hiking, ranger led activities teaching us about the Ute Indian culture, great camp food and a swim. The rangers warned us to keep all food and SMELLS out of our camp - as the bears were just coming out of hibernation and would be really hungry! GREAT! 8 young girls & 2 women in camp with no scented lotion! But we had no mishaps. We finished up our year with the camp-out and a horse ride across the mesas. It really was a blast!<br /><br />CAMP #2 - MESA VERDE...<br />Jorin needed to have a couple of camping trips for his scouting activities, and his troop has been unable to go, so Devery, Jantzen and I became his temporary patrol and we took a 3 day camping trip to Mesa Verde. What a great experience! We learned so much about the ancient ancestral puebloans (anasazi), took incredible hikes into cliff dwelling and pit dwellings, ate large quantities of yummy food and enjoyed out time in the outdoors. It really is an amazing national park! And, once again, we were strongly warned about bears!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7IJcTt5tbMyRmYKN4hyphenhyphen9O37hyphenhyphenn-n9APwKVOkRbLuuAV1-ltHaD8PqXKPQHYorbKeIaM86NVNmvhPzZUZ8Vi9NzRguVjTGPIGIbAFcng9VGDALrlQ8bB-2WI8nJhGj-7t47G2dsU214tvN/s1600-h/mesa+verde+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7IJcTt5tbMyRmYKN4hyphenhyphen9O37hyphenhyphenn-n9APwKVOkRbLuuAV1-ltHaD8PqXKPQHYorbKeIaM86NVNmvhPzZUZ8Vi9NzRguVjTGPIGIbAFcng9VGDALrlQ8bB-2WI8nJhGj-7t47G2dsU214tvN/s400/mesa+verde+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341414424871688946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxN7XmZm0vBTRELs3Nb9UMS_4xz58XWykIMLNbubiniwkJ27EN3ICtprgEh6NhyXkgd6KJXCb2b-8SITdH14Hk2K1r07qivNMd0s0jO1itZ1OKnEwH5xNYQUgdsz1KFkw3HljjeIwNj0Sj/s1600-h/mesa+verde+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxN7XmZm0vBTRELs3Nb9UMS_4xz58XWykIMLNbubiniwkJ27EN3ICtprgEh6NhyXkgd6KJXCb2b-8SITdH14Hk2K1r07qivNMd0s0jO1itZ1OKnEwH5xNYQUgdsz1KFkw3HljjeIwNj0Sj/s400/mesa+verde+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341414415716894226" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8pRb-6urlLfJJn4bwhf1ln2rQvV2ZY6h92LgbvLJySxoxn8yrB37WG0JZUBz767YlKpy15AYSmRXAQXsTppBRv-NZvdiSeGbgK408vAS5vc0Yw33HH_Gs8PTFkt_D303Ndlax4A4jNrh/s1600-h/mesa+verde+014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8pRb-6urlLfJJn4bwhf1ln2rQvV2ZY6h92LgbvLJySxoxn8yrB37WG0JZUBz767YlKpy15AYSmRXAQXsTppBRv-NZvdiSeGbgK408vAS5vc0Yw33HH_Gs8PTFkt_D303Ndlax4A4jNrh/s400/mesa+verde+014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341418678877383202" border="0" /></a><br />"About 1,400 years ago, long before Europeans explored North America, a group of people living in the 4 corners region chose Mesa Verde for their home. For more than 700 years they lived and flourished here, eventually building elaborate stone communities in the sheltered alcoves of canyon walls. They built their dwellings beneath the overhanging cliffs, hundreds of feet up from the canyon floor, using brick and mortar Then, in the late 1200's, in the span of 1 generation, they left their homes and all moved away."<br /><br />You might wonder how we got into these cliff dwellings...well, to reach the Cliff Palace, the largest of the cliff dwellings, you climbed 5 10' ladders for a total of 100 foot vertical ascent The Balcony house was even more adventurous - It involved climbing a 32 foot ladder, a 12-foot long x 18" (inch - no kidding) wide tunnel crawled thru on hands and knees, and a 60 foot vertical climb along an open rock face using ladders. It was so cool!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIh8WzkE0iIJqwowR5kszewrAPfntGWO2b-vKZTD4RU91dVMiaLfDWhOWZLJ_Ih0SjXMLEMP8x50mVcT8ipe99Zs5Cw5Ls9R6_uYuFHbXY1Mo33QzisosED-7wLEDAm7OTNOi0vksZlHmJ/s1600-h/mesa+verde+031.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIh8WzkE0iIJqwowR5kszewrAPfntGWO2b-vKZTD4RU91dVMiaLfDWhOWZLJ_Ih0SjXMLEMP8x50mVcT8ipe99Zs5Cw5Ls9R6_uYuFHbXY1Mo33QzisosED-7wLEDAm7OTNOi0vksZlHmJ/s400/mesa+verde+031.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341414437870203042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpph26m8SnSULApDCyeT-L4_AVVcXP6P4eejlrInLZy0eT65FUy_GMayTLvR_rjvF3qkOwIsksER8n8Tc39ytORwy-uSC2Ki2ozqjj4lkBAuDWJT93iSJOLyqZNnZras9p8a5uMHYbkAAu/s1600-h/mesa+verde+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpph26m8SnSULApDCyeT-L4_AVVcXP6P4eejlrInLZy0eT65FUy_GMayTLvR_rjvF3qkOwIsksER8n8Tc39ytORwy-uSC2Ki2ozqjj4lkBAuDWJT93iSJOLyqZNnZras9p8a5uMHYbkAAu/s400/mesa+verde+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341414428315365058" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKOheLj-LYpOdMr6gIULiRQoyZCiU_sjylWZXHYgKC0M779mbsbQc-_wXH7w6U3D8nlSy60qtJHFKHyVI9rYm5lo7A7GeFIezf4V_EDbk7wkWtUkZPxegca4H4VosTTV-RwApP4c0ve8n/s1600-h/mesa+verde+030.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKOheLj-LYpOdMr6gIULiRQoyZCiU_sjylWZXHYgKC0M779mbsbQc-_wXH7w6U3D8nlSy60qtJHFKHyVI9rYm5lo7A7GeFIezf4V_EDbk7wkWtUkZPxegca4H4VosTTV-RwApP4c0ve8n/s400/mesa+verde+030.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341418699218986322" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-L-TZimT9j7bDvHy7VRWfiEh02AH3PKM5rrGBIT4cLt8zo19bYER18UYjGsMMDOyp629r7mXaPfyT2GO9bkmN3JcS7LvEONbkpb-9y_8RyfiDeifvM-nB-j7eDYBz56VQuypX28tNlMO/s1600-h/mesa+verde+027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-L-TZimT9j7bDvHy7VRWfiEh02AH3PKM5rrGBIT4cLt8zo19bYER18UYjGsMMDOyp629r7mXaPfyT2GO9bkmN3JcS7LvEONbkpb-9y_8RyfiDeifvM-nB-j7eDYBz56VQuypX28tNlMO/s400/mesa+verde+027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341418694643721474" border="0" /></a>This is a kiva - a spiritual center, and probably a family dwelling during the winter - a bit more protected from the wind and elements. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMpr-ytFxhost5BZC_yUxcP3oCKFmc9TEkYF3YdFPI1bz2HaVGF5WoQbE6xvaIYYwUsozqn6u2tqqsi5aDK4xTewn20a5MqkVIdwLC7MUeg8SrBB95JrWMK3JUZGcrA9ZhsuijELQLOOl/s1600-h/mesa+verde+025.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMpr-ytFxhost5BZC_yUxcP3oCKFmc9TEkYF3YdFPI1bz2HaVGF5WoQbE6xvaIYYwUsozqn6u2tqqsi5aDK4xTewn20a5MqkVIdwLC7MUeg8SrBB95JrWMK3JUZGcrA9ZhsuijELQLOOl/s400/mesa+verde+025.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341418685706067618" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDS2gTesLgFExbuGYJFYDnNFmynJH6m4by8XOVNt0JpyNw-CkcincrxrGjVyJ1-gnDEPXEd-e6lCDwbVWODUHis-H8EquppuaaULXTA53Ie3xkaBqe2vj7YjUbK0PboQltcDDKRfQJK8PN/s1600-h/mesa+verde+039.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDS2gTesLgFExbuGYJFYDnNFmynJH6m4by8XOVNt0JpyNw-CkcincrxrGjVyJ1-gnDEPXEd-e6lCDwbVWODUHis-H8EquppuaaULXTA53Ie3xkaBqe2vj7YjUbK0PboQltcDDKRfQJK8PN/s400/mesa+verde+039.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341418706393891522" border="0" /></a> This is NEWSPAPER ROCK - near Moab, Utah. Pretty cool! We stopped here on our way home. We spent quite a bit of time trying to interpret the symbols... the one at the top could be either a stretched out skin, a turtle or a flying squirrel, depending on which one of us you asked...<br /><br />CAMP #3....<br /><br />Well, Jorin needed another camp out- so he and I went to Ridgway for a couple of days - and Dev and Jantzen did the sister thing at home. We had so much fun!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI4ElnKdJn9G3aQANDo9Mek-FEO-IFH4gJ-Q9i-9g6mW7fCBSxmLhOv_oaQ8O-R2DkCeKQ0YQdmAr6ImEMCRBSGlQq23jCITNXjVcSQOiS-MgeJDj3eBapFW6Tn1P0ksFF5ouhyphenhyphenxIJyKTz/s1600-h/camping+069.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI4ElnKdJn9G3aQANDo9Mek-FEO-IFH4gJ-Q9i-9g6mW7fCBSxmLhOv_oaQ8O-R2DkCeKQ0YQdmAr6ImEMCRBSGlQq23jCITNXjVcSQOiS-MgeJDj3eBapFW6Tn1P0ksFF5ouhyphenhyphenxIJyKTz/s400/camping+069.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341430183015505554" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I'll go camping with Jorin anytime! He cooked some great meals - we had 7 layer dip & chips for lunch, dutch oven potato casserole & corn on the cob for dinner - and pancakes (with strawberry syrup) and hashbrowns for breakfast! We ate good!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9075bu007jBnSDh22RB567kyba8rcaFfxiIBbH0WkZoTcSq8z44tFbDyKbu3APWyqLcpf7x3dYig38C2VtlwshB30cA8LSvd2dTSU1DL5CGJulPy-gv29mFcSomaeSev7ROGONm8W1FxK/s1600-h/camping+061.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9075bu007jBnSDh22RB567kyba8rcaFfxiIBbH0WkZoTcSq8z44tFbDyKbu3APWyqLcpf7x3dYig38C2VtlwshB30cA8LSvd2dTSU1DL5CGJulPy-gv29mFcSomaeSev7ROGONm8W1FxK/s400/camping+061.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341430179091385218" border="0" /></a><br />Jorin made kindling, built the fires, cooked the meals and supervised the tent set up and general camping. We hiked, did service, went swimming, read, identified native plants and animals, and really enjoyed our time camping together!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7p9c9Mgdh6h4x3yHZD-EElFGB7_jOrJRSW2aH0xuawdb6_PbAhCcqY0PjWbedG3jl8GK4pwgnDBZyz-kVu_FaeslW61g-zoljBgSXJNexG6Aey7SNjGx5N9fGh3JuI8I-r30KGioYipi/s1600-h/camping+056.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7p9c9Mgdh6h4x3yHZD-EElFGB7_jOrJRSW2aH0xuawdb6_PbAhCcqY0PjWbedG3jl8GK4pwgnDBZyz-kVu_FaeslW61g-zoljBgSXJNexG6Aey7SNjGx5N9fGh3JuI8I-r30KGioYipi/s400/camping+056.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341430168022270386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBkEzy6q-jF5-uBxlaiGH6qEDV6cs_1nIBvs4Zarj2WJ5Bkno8F0MyAV2wf87LXft5GhfZbixbKxB0IVQQVvjIwPxPuFYsz31eeIUyp2DJk6iQNn-fQkykwje7a9lW5jeWsUOS7TJrJW1/s1600-h/camping+046.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBkEzy6q-jF5-uBxlaiGH6qEDV6cs_1nIBvs4Zarj2WJ5Bkno8F0MyAV2wf87LXft5GhfZbixbKxB0IVQQVvjIwPxPuFYsz31eeIUyp2DJk6iQNn-fQkykwje7a9lW5jeWsUOS7TJrJW1/s400/camping+046.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341430160138552658" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tmTzDzc7vWFBxv1bOxXdGEbjtOe6g_w-MPAJwCr3mrxNfJOCv2PuOeRX4ZW0RAMDzcXF65r086DDMEHvDS4kbJMFNV76kzCY-CtwgnRmoXBW4VmVww2-7PYr_XRq22r0l376d8AGx0IA/s1600-h/camping+064.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tmTzDzc7vWFBxv1bOxXdGEbjtOe6g_w-MPAJwCr3mrxNfJOCv2PuOeRX4ZW0RAMDzcXF65r086DDMEHvDS4kbJMFNV76kzCY-CtwgnRmoXBW4VmVww2-7PYr_XRq22r0l376d8AGx0IA/s400/camping+064.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341408929655376898" border="0" /></a>/><br /><br />We've seen some spectacular scenery in Colorado & Utah in the past 10 days, - we've enjoyed the great outdoors & learned so much. I would do it all again in a minute, but I AM excited to shower tonight with hot water and sleep in my own bed - without worrying about bears!denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-83160419015202191712009-05-16T20:29:00.001-07:002009-05-17T07:04:02.140-07:00BEGINNER FELTERS...A FUN LITTLE HAT...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9ET0CE3U7eAKjyKBPLBfApDWnob9IM0gAjQ_FAQAlmFHlGJnjVmPMW2TbGcwla9415eVly6PPBjJc8Oi0hJ01CxhvcktpsoD7p-9RfcrvotVQ-O6mAbSQWHmNdoADIWkkSdKyj_ZkrTl/s1600-h/FELTING+007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9ET0CE3U7eAKjyKBPLBfApDWnob9IM0gAjQ_FAQAlmFHlGJnjVmPMW2TbGcwla9415eVly6PPBjJc8Oi0hJ01CxhvcktpsoD7p-9RfcrvotVQ-O6mAbSQWHmNdoADIWkkSdKyj_ZkrTl/s400/FELTING+007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336793230513503730" /></a><br />MY FIRST HOT PAD AND OVEN MITT...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFYzLhEtIlvUc7b_3ZgjfYa0cq2ezcpmlL5kPPo-16mUWba1u6DDHAudba8mUw4z2e3gMGGx563Nlvfo7mHDpW7DhAqp2tcD8OXdrP5JuefGGz9FMc1VvDEmFrJbzDfWyBjKCoHjyfS-E/s1600-h/FELTING+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFYzLhEtIlvUc7b_3ZgjfYa0cq2ezcpmlL5kPPo-16mUWba1u6DDHAudba8mUw4z2e3gMGGx563Nlvfo7mHDpW7DhAqp2tcD8OXdrP5JuefGGz9FMc1VvDEmFrJbzDfWyBjKCoHjyfS-E/s400/FELTING+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336636350861855138" /></a><br /><br />SLIPPERS FOR JANTZEN...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYYb7qeh7oSveOoJrTsS4OvQTnSEiotNo6ozWji0vIRWz1nDqpDIj4j-vWM35ktidHoOQDTksrQtW-eZsXTlrWbtyY0J8-oWGcDHMS9_mSrdCiuP6fZMhF5G4bIyDbQL3nWdhp971AxWwq/s1600-h/FELTING+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYYb7qeh7oSveOoJrTsS4OvQTnSEiotNo6ozWji0vIRWz1nDqpDIj4j-vWM35ktidHoOQDTksrQtW-eZsXTlrWbtyY0J8-oWGcDHMS9_mSrdCiuP6fZMhF5G4bIyDbQL3nWdhp971AxWwq/s400/FELTING+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336636353030635026" /></a><br /><br /><br />DEV'S 1ST FELTING PROJECT...A SCRIPTURE COVER = COOL!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXurX0KXN9dtgthgqF4BqniCeoop-UBoeTndr_z2xRqL0a6Qj94divlRVcBPaeXiBP0useCGnibO1xfqU8stxBQjj4xjgtCCJk8D0M_2fwQ-U7mEbZTEVtrIB9UF4JbPw0Dzzcd-_SxaO/s1600-h/FELTING+003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXurX0KXN9dtgthgqF4BqniCeoop-UBoeTndr_z2xRqL0a6Qj94divlRVcBPaeXiBP0useCGnibO1xfqU8stxBQjj4xjgtCCJk8D0M_2fwQ-U7mEbZTEVtrIB9UF4JbPw0Dzzcd-_SxaO/s400/FELTING+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336638645902294370" /></a><br /><br />MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT A PICTURE - <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzDqDgOE8Mbzd80cQnYFT8SV30e4USYfVNp2Cm-mMsAS3KG8-P8dtD1WnP0B2IJn4rbHvuS4c4pWDErBsUyGlbOFmsofsNM7sR8tE7robDh4ngLWeNsy4zNhW_5CyHCx5NkA9HKFwWuZD/s1600-h/FELTING+004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzDqDgOE8Mbzd80cQnYFT8SV30e4USYfVNp2Cm-mMsAS3KG8-P8dtD1WnP0B2IJn4rbHvuS4c4pWDErBsUyGlbOFmsofsNM7sR8tE7robDh4ngLWeNsy4zNhW_5CyHCx5NkA9HKFwWuZD/s400/FELTING+004.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336638647487628226" /></a><br />NEEDLE FELTING - JANTZEN FELTED THE FLOWER - JORIN FELTED THE DRAGON - I DID THE BUTTERFLY <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPgV9nFGhQJ-FR8tr462e38JF6bs-HFYdo0K_kFHUVYWRlqPxYqbDS_T0g0ZGhddpUy-FkcbyuIkxEuD8rmXyml3oJwyNm9_ZdiE1iEhst6plTTQchZe0J3pEpaQGS1jhKOd0idmXo8yt/s1600-h/FELTING+005.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPgV9nFGhQJ-FR8tr462e38JF6bs-HFYdo0K_kFHUVYWRlqPxYqbDS_T0g0ZGhddpUy-FkcbyuIkxEuD8rmXyml3oJwyNm9_ZdiE1iEhst6plTTQchZe0J3pEpaQGS1jhKOd0idmXo8yt/s400/FELTING+005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336638650629501538" /></a><br /><br />P.S. The colors here are not accuratedenise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-68783133249020489512009-05-09T20:59:00.000-07:002009-05-10T21:42:50.255-07:00On this Mother's DayFlowers (Well?)?<br />A nice card (Not really very original.)?<br />A phone call (Of course, but that doesn’t count.)?<br />Yes but……well….how about a Mother’s Day……………………<br />…POST!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZr5tu6DiDGd7Odqv5dQowarbqVY8CSWx3NP3MikrI5017Gdtl8VqNVFY7Ub5OLwcDFDEl_tVWFpKvsV8pLTDiIraPYkGUwSixA9yFebwIcCLepPp4Qt3wdJj8RVTve7bgXpo9gig7mMU/s1600-h/mom.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZr5tu6DiDGd7Odqv5dQowarbqVY8CSWx3NP3MikrI5017Gdtl8VqNVFY7Ub5OLwcDFDEl_tVWFpKvsV8pLTDiIraPYkGUwSixA9yFebwIcCLepPp4Qt3wdJj8RVTve7bgXpo9gig7mMU/s400/mom.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334264057335590178" /></a><br />This is the first time I have given a post to anyone, and especially on Mother’s Day. I may be considered “dumb as a post” for attempting such an activity. Good thing we are talking about a virtual post, or blog on a website, for you, on Mother’s Day.<br />The activity the enables someone to be called a mother is in the giving birth. But it is what goes on after the birth that should be celebrated the most. It is a job that is never finished. Once you sign up for the job of motherhood you generally cannot stop. It is like the gift that, by design, just keeps on giving, because others just keep on asking. We have great kids and they are by no means demanding or burdensome. This element of the job of motherhood is what is so great to others. Mothers are always there, they are dependable, they are wise, and they know lots of things. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWuEbVgjTzSpMo55udfxhx0F04ntzBxy1jNfpQO_fsNnE8UOw4vGp3YoqceCjV0YBjavUtZlYGd8TYzYRm3ITz2yv0z42wK4dSyk-roTr5BR302P8toCvR4pZB6TmOZJ7elDn9D2YoYcYX/s1600-h/418F3334.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWuEbVgjTzSpMo55udfxhx0F04ntzBxy1jNfpQO_fsNnE8UOw4vGp3YoqceCjV0YBjavUtZlYGd8TYzYRm3ITz2yv0z42wK4dSyk-roTr5BR302P8toCvR4pZB6TmOZJ7elDn9D2YoYcYX/s400/418F3334.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334059466866049698" /></a><br />They are beautiful on the inside and on the outside. They are able to support others. They bake cookies, they fix things, they are plumbers, they have a little auto mechanic in them, they know a lot about taxes, they listen well, they know where to get the greatest bargains, they hear things that many don’t and they certainly feel things that others totally miss. They are physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight, and because of this they are able to help little boy and girl scouts. <br /><br />They get degrees, they love learning, and they just seem to be able to keep on going. They have been found in the woods, up on roofs, taking tests, giving tests, giving blood (even if only theoretically), stopping blood, giving hope, giving comfort, giving love, never giving up, giving life, giving others a lift, giving great care, giving a hand to others and frequently to their children. They give violin lessons, piano lessons, they give advice, they endure advice from time to time, they know when to listen and not speak and they know when to speak up. They are able to leap tall buildings in a single bound (or at least it seems like it). <br /><br />They give direction, they give counsel, they give comfort, they give a darn, they felt, they cook, and yes they sometimes sew, and clean and do dishes and sweep the floor, they clean the house over and over and over, they pack and unpack, they pack and unpack, (did I mention they pack and unpack?) they help others pack and unpack, they are really movers and shakers in every sense of the word. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCJnAqFZoetqM1UoPj-FUKyvAxaxtKXFKSd4l5AAftJj2fjuyJVZoTViQC8d17K-MV4-jIcZTLf7bA0D9J3A0MGBRerPrzi-2ajB25l5wsQ9-IWha1eIAwW-aem8R6L-Jn69UWS3jPIQq/s1600-h/0318091647a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCJnAqFZoetqM1UoPj-FUKyvAxaxtKXFKSd4l5AAftJj2fjuyJVZoTViQC8d17K-MV4-jIcZTLf7bA0D9J3A0MGBRerPrzi-2ajB25l5wsQ9-IWha1eIAwW-aem8R6L-Jn69UWS3jPIQq/s400/0318091647a.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334061328589528274" /></a><br /><br />They make things beautiful. They make children beautiful, yards beautiful, homes beautiful, themselves beautiful, front rooms beautiful, tv rooms beautiful. They make their friends feel beautiful, husbands feel handsome around them, children feel loved around them, and husbands feel loved around them. They are sometimes frustrated but seldom show it, they are sometimes hurt but are good at swallowing it back and showing selflessness. They teach, they cry, they talk on the phone to friends and family, they remember things, they work and work and keep going until they are really tired and then they go a lot longer. They think of others constantly and do for others and help others. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbnWzMp2WXC59fxdk9bFVqcRhRQ8VHQd6E3HyrqO2hqRjvLvDhYcROsnOHHzGL9HwRqod8U9kOH6DQahQBLTytlr_HHtrEntMF-vRE6lELC-wqiKWvKjggegY5vtg-qgm5NrjnB9N0lSK/s1600-h/418F3337.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbnWzMp2WXC59fxdk9bFVqcRhRQ8VHQd6E3HyrqO2hqRjvLvDhYcROsnOHHzGL9HwRqod8U9kOH6DQahQBLTytlr_HHtrEntMF-vRE6lELC-wqiKWvKjggegY5vtg-qgm5NrjnB9N0lSK/s400/418F3337.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334061326440054546" /></a><br />The family rallies around them, they are the spark that ignites a flame of love in a family and keeps it burning bright and constantly. They seem to have an endless source of energy and wisdom and caring and this world would be a pretty boring and dull place without them. They give prayers, they hear prayers, they read scriptures, they give family home evening lessons, they give and give and give and give and give and then someone comes along and asks them to give some more. They give caring, they give kindness, they give tenderness, they give sweetness, they ride bikes, they drive go carts, they drive the car everywhere and then drive some more. They go for walks, they sometimes go crazy but this is usually never seen. <br /><br /><br />They have it together, they have it with a cherry on top, they have it with several types of toppings, they have it with gravy and mashed potatoes and without meat and with rice. They make salads, they make beds, and they do laundry………once, twice and three times a day sometimes, most times. They fold clothes, they have their husbands (when they are there) clean toilets, they work on computers, they work on marriages, they work on family relationships, family reunions, family pictures, family web sites, family home evenings, family scripture study, family prayer, family councils and family group sheets. They work in gardens, they preserve, they store, they shop, and they go without so that their children can have what they need. But mostly I think they are great. This is all about you and what you do Denise as a mother, and there is so much more that you do that goes unnoticed and unrecognized. And for that, thank you. Denise, have a wonderful Mother’s Day……….you deserve it.<br /><br />With all my love (from a distance). Rance<br /><br /><br /><br />I have said over and over again that If I could be at least a quarter the woman my mother is I would be doing really well in life! She's pretty much Super-mom. She is alway reading and learning, taking classes... she has learned to knit, garden, taken photography classes, scrapbook, she bikes, she's a landscaper, and she's and INCREDIBLE cook and has studied health and nutrition and put them into practice to benefit not only herself but her family, and the list goes on and on. Not to mention her gospel knowledge. She is an inspiration as I watch her study the scriptures and other books to further her understanding of the gospel truths- and then put them into practice. She is not content to settle for less then excellence, always looking to improve and move forward. I have watched her go through trial after trial with incredible strength, grace and humility. Always putting the Lord first in her decisions no matter what the situation, she looks to the scriptures as she decides how to handle whatever life has given her. Lets also remember her six kids that she has put first in her life, sacrificing every bit of time that she has for herself to better our lives. Her life seems to revolve around us and I don't know how she can give so much day after day. She has created not just a house but a home where the spirit resides, learning is prevalent and we feel loved and accepted. It is a haven. As if all that isn't enough, she is my best friend. I talk to her multiple times a week... sometimes multiple times a day. I turn to her when something exciting happens, or when something devastating happens. I can't tell you the number of times I have cried on the phone and in person. I turn to her when I have an important decision to make and when I just want to talk. I wish I knew how to fully express how much I love an appreciate you Mom. I appreciate your friendship and your example, your prayers in my behalf. So on this day that is for honoring mothers I have a lot to honor... Happy Mothers Day Mom!!<br /><br />Kiely<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmh42UYylLbsKSJVqU_LlN-776j9iBn8SOuH_kv0srqiva5v506rLgsBGgUWIH8QuLDPmnW_gfx4crEhHDe_U-nAf8gkIGsPYpzOooxrHNyxlLzE4_Gt84n2p91-XK93lPBAXQJ3TBW1f/s1600-h/Copy+of+IMG_0828.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmh42UYylLbsKSJVqU_LlN-776j9iBn8SOuH_kv0srqiva5v506rLgsBGgUWIH8QuLDPmnW_gfx4crEhHDe_U-nAf8gkIGsPYpzOooxrHNyxlLzE4_Gt84n2p91-XK93lPBAXQJ3TBW1f/s400/Copy+of+IMG_0828.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334061333363788866" /></a><br /><br /><br />On this mothers day, I wish that I could describe how much my mom means to me, in this post. How do you sum up 20+ years of ceaseless love, service, kindness, and friendship? I won't make a list of everything my mom has done and does; one, because the list is too long, and two, because its already been done a few times. I will say, however, how much my life has been greatly benefited by my mother. There hasn't been a single thing (problem, celebration, pain, joy) in my life that I have not been able to share with her. No matter what the situation or occasion, I can always go to her, and she always knows what the best thing to do is. <br />Over the years, and especially since I was the oldest child living at home, our relationship has grown from simply mother-daughter to friends. This has been very special to me; its a relationship that I cherish and without it, I would not be who I am today.<br />If I could make this post as long as it should be to truly demonstrate a fraction of how much I appreciate and love my mom, it would go on for pages. I just want her to know on this special day, I love you mom! Thank you so much for all you do! I hope you know that I try every day to be more like you; and, as I have heard many women say, (but I said it first!) "When I grow up, I want to be just like Denise!"<br /><br />Dev<br /><br />To read Haley's go to her blog, http://haleyandjon.blogspot.com/<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaD5DV_Rl_YK8U37UhXVqFFHGMcNOJpMbkNeQWzezqGYn17n13YuSuzlRoHBUaCaGX7YlnZuwtxm3RdQ1ItqXp8uFF6OMU_lygagILVzTuvoVbpr2c8PvL1-Y5icM0_pPsJrr3Gbb2YIpJ/s1600-h/Copy+of+IMG_0921.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaD5DV_Rl_YK8U37UhXVqFFHGMcNOJpMbkNeQWzezqGYn17n13YuSuzlRoHBUaCaGX7YlnZuwtxm3RdQ1ItqXp8uFF6OMU_lygagILVzTuvoVbpr2c8PvL1-Y5icM0_pPsJrr3Gbb2YIpJ/s400/Copy+of+IMG_0921.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334040458554442354" /></a><br /><br />We love you Mom!!denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-65284355438512032332009-05-05T18:29:00.000-07:002009-05-05T20:05:22.944-07:00DisciplineSo where does it come from, discipline? Are we born with it? Does it ebb and flow? How do we obtain it? Discipline! I can’t buy it. But if I could I would go right out and purchase some because it because it has such a great value. With it I can accomplish almost anything. I can go to the moon. I can bake a loaf of bread. I can persist and chip away at tasks that are so large and intimidating that most would never even try. With it, tasks are whittled away to something manageable and doable. It is the coming back, the patience, the persistence, the belief in the process and the organization of mental capacity in the attainment of a worthwhile goal. Not all at once. Not in one night, not in three days, but over years. This is true discipline. <br /><br /> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjo1uoNfytB95tTzWfbIZm4zBN7Q01rZ-VUcdUUoRrmuA8qwkxHO3NLYhsD_U2N79oavY4pHWP6bQ2Ty7DJiS8LnYrgFt7h6QAtUuNyj5KjB6AiH71l2BZ-NV4ahvNKSYvuDTy89WAP6SN/s1600-h/IMG_6844.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjo1uoNfytB95tTzWfbIZm4zBN7Q01rZ-VUcdUUoRrmuA8qwkxHO3NLYhsD_U2N79oavY4pHWP6bQ2Ty7DJiS8LnYrgFt7h6QAtUuNyj5KjB6AiH71l2BZ-NV4ahvNKSYvuDTy89WAP6SN/s400/IMG_6844.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332539628188377954" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqxFndULxj-_2697T-vwQp9gvrhhX4NQIFf_Il6JhyZps_Lzb95RnNGF_Z_IMqDXEocKzp0HzNClZZK_Pvm3cUFEBOgFHl_1Yd8CKESy1UwzmxPTsI4CaEf9UHK1X9SA28ctWw60y56bdg/s1600-h/IMG_6855.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqxFndULxj-_2697T-vwQp9gvrhhX4NQIFf_Il6JhyZps_Lzb95RnNGF_Z_IMqDXEocKzp0HzNClZZK_Pvm3cUFEBOgFHl_1Yd8CKESy1UwzmxPTsI4CaEf9UHK1X9SA28ctWw60y56bdg/s400/IMG_6855.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332539635521815762" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyFAEuIThlnkrhZNP1I4Exu2WHFx_IJbxCXYNWmF8zSqITk5CZMqTeRvXH3lbR7FTPreBVPy0lYmopMD39xPNN0zMh0Y49LHTqUAIywq3DZLzX435x-VXuC7rNk2YbpGp2d4xvtmM8d_-/s1600-h/IMG_6856.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyFAEuIThlnkrhZNP1I4Exu2WHFx_IJbxCXYNWmF8zSqITk5CZMqTeRvXH3lbR7FTPreBVPy0lYmopMD39xPNN0zMh0Y49LHTqUAIywq3DZLzX435x-VXuC7rNk2YbpGp2d4xvtmM8d_-/s400/IMG_6856.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332539639293678370" /></a><br /><br />Devery has just graduated from college. With perfect grades. As the valedictorian of her college. She did it all herself. She saw the task and believed in the process and set out to accomplish it and accomplish it well, and she showed true discipline in the process. By the time it was all over, she had patiently and persistently worked her way through a bachelor’s degree and in so doing had done it nearly perfectly. You did a great job, Devery. We are very proud of you. Thanks for teaching us in the process how having a little discipline (well probably a lot of discipline) can make the significant task manageable. The daunting, attainable; the practically out of reach, reachable-- all by coming back every day and giving it your very best, and sticking to it all the way to the rugged end. CONGRATULATIONS!denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-80235069458431958562009-04-30T14:59:00.000-07:002009-04-30T16:02:03.453-07:00SOME SMALL AGGRAVATIONS...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKW_fHmC2uuWPW3T9DHcjOt2fDusaTRPwCLBedR8aIGSq2TSDxm2LYa5zHSvzTXitL_HAkcIiMUDk0xYEMoSSvg72hTuz_RpDm0Fg9oN719dpbCyrdX1OG4RSyF_ahFoB8ZUXMANKj7LSW/s1600-h/IMG_1093.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKW_fHmC2uuWPW3T9DHcjOt2fDusaTRPwCLBedR8aIGSq2TSDxm2LYa5zHSvzTXitL_HAkcIiMUDk0xYEMoSSvg72hTuz_RpDm0Fg9oN719dpbCyrdX1OG4RSyF_ahFoB8ZUXMANKj7LSW/s400/IMG_1093.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330618084142386930" border="0" /></a><br />There are many aggravations in life For one thing, there is batteries . Say you're listening to a good audio book and your CD player dies. You go to get batteries - and there are none left. Man, that bugs! Or for another thing, when you sweep a patio, and then the wind blows. Everything you swept is blown right back in! That bugs!<br /><br />,,,Well, after thinking awhile...I couldn't think of any other aggravations. So, I guess life doesn't really have that many. Life is actually pretty darn good. So, let those small aggravations go, and think about sunny days, flowers and really cool heavy equipment right out side your door!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckTwEy8FVaE9jO_DoLQJVecR7uevwYyu6M-4JEAwhG9gW9mLq0MTmdBIijVfDYeJSMY3-B_gp4GE2g4G4xDLL4CGJUqAlbzPNP4ga01H7JMkckFsWBA2mwM6UCJxnAjLytxsBDPmbUDyr/s1600-h/IMG_1095_edited-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 382px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckTwEy8FVaE9jO_DoLQJVecR7uevwYyu6M-4JEAwhG9gW9mLq0MTmdBIijVfDYeJSMY3-B_gp4GE2g4G4xDLL4CGJUqAlbzPNP4ga01H7JMkckFsWBA2mwM6UCJxnAjLytxsBDPmbUDyr/s400/IMG_1095_edited-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330619066485715010" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnd3MBNu846F51mG29rVMpyQGTAwmm-YpIsYgf9qaFKza3WVqAAvO_gmNyjqzuv3vqxc1OstQjy88QWoSwoj17MYYslMI_JqNvQevnox5L0pQy72bPnwCZ6mZf0omr9Ng6byU835iQgiyP/s1600-h/IMG_1089_edited-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnd3MBNu846F51mG29rVMpyQGTAwmm-YpIsYgf9qaFKza3WVqAAvO_gmNyjqzuv3vqxc1OstQjy88QWoSwoj17MYYslMI_JqNvQevnox5L0pQy72bPnwCZ6mZf0omr9Ng6byU835iQgiyP/s400/IMG_1089_edited-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330619070567228578" border="0" /></a>denise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187111061662845602.post-16367432478398634112009-04-24T19:05:00.000-07:002009-04-28T13:47:22.345-07:00Road Biking vs. Mountain Biking<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnh8BjMcjnW76lRiiZPFVxc9xYUS8SNNDK06abm-oqnP10foY2hWb5SzuIxLXDRq5W3KmmeouSwAYdKjpjS_zTznIaJYUD3acpoSB7ndeBHeyxYlF5H5YpBigV4s5Tcc3TYwz6o07CqT2/s1600-h/IMG_1086.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnh8BjMcjnW76lRiiZPFVxc9xYUS8SNNDK06abm-oqnP10foY2hWb5SzuIxLXDRq5W3KmmeouSwAYdKjpjS_zTznIaJYUD3acpoSB7ndeBHeyxYlF5H5YpBigV4s5Tcc3TYwz6o07CqT2/s400/IMG_1086.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329845942109053026" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Me,mom,and Jorin went on a bike ride on the old Spanish trail. It was unbelievable rocky!! I had trouble keeping up to mom because it was so rocky.We went up a big hill and when looking down you can see grazing cows in a field. It was picture perfect and looked so much like a painting. We also saw pretty purple flowers along the side of the road. The downhills were right beside deathly!! The old Spanish trail's dirt was thick and if one tire wheel went into that stuff it would stop you. It was a hard but good bike ride. The 7 1/2 miles mountain biking was like 15 miles road biking. I liked the short downhills - but I think I like road biking better! ~Jantzendenise and rancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14139892565774871679noreply@blogger.com1