Christmas 2008

Read more...

Natalie is SEVEN!

December 12, 2008

Dear Natalie~

Happy Birthday, sweetheart! SEVEN. Wow! I can't believe how fast time goes. You are growing into a beautiful young lady right before my eyes. Good thing Daddy made the rule that you can't go on a date until you're married! :o)

This year has been full of milestones and changes for you. I am so proud of you! You have learned and accomplished so much in a year's time. It has been so much fun to watch you do things and figure things out for yourself.

You are a very sociable girl. You make friends easily and you have a lot of them. Moving twice hasn't seemed to phase you at all. You've jumped right into new situations with a positive attitude...at school, at church and in our neighborhood. You enjoy spending time with people. You are a good friend and are always concerned about making sure that your friends are fitting in and happy.

You are talented. You've always loved music and you have a natural ability for it. I love listening to you pick out songs by ear on the piano. You also frequently treat us to an original song. I don't think anyone will ever forget "The Relish Pool"! :o) You also had the great opportunity of being in our Stake Musical in November. It was filled with firsts for you...your very first audition and your very first solo...both of which you nailed! I hope you continue to develop the amazing talent you have been blessed with.

You are a sensitive person. You feel emotions very deeply and to extremes. At times, this can be frustrating for you (and for Daddy and me), but you are learning to deal with those extreme feelings and the reactions you have to them. You are also making progress in being patient with yourself.

You are a good sister to Emily, Todd and Alex. You love doing "grown up girly" things with your sister and fun "rough and tumble" things with your brothers. You are a big help to Daddy and I also. We love it when you do things without being asked or help someone when they are feeling sad or needy.

Natalie, you are so loved! We can't imagine our family without you. This year is a big year for you...only one more year until you can make the choice to be baptized. We are grateful for the good choices you make each day. We hope you will continue to grow and learn and choose the right throughout this year. Here's wishing you a great year!

We love you, sweet girl!

With love~

Mommy

*Please forgive me for posting this a whole week late...uploading pictures was like cold tar going uphill...our computer needs a check-up! Guess I lose the Mother of the Year award...AGAIN. :o)*

Read more...

Say What?

Todd says the funniest things.

Here's a random sampling from the past couple of days.

• "Mom, my best days are when you don't make me cry."
• "Come on, Alex. We're buddies...and buddies stick together."
• "Carrie, guess what? Last night I had a babysitter and she didn't even "tub" me before she put me to bed."
• "Mom, can we go to that 'museum' again?" (he was referring to the mall)
• "I was looking for my shoes and I went down the stairs and "TA DA"...they were right by the couch!"
• "Mom, I had to steal your money so I could pay you for those glue dots I wasted."

Read more...

Wake Up Call

This morning I awoke to Natalie patting my shoulder and whispering, "MOM! It's time to get up!"

I groggily rolled over and squinted at the clock.

7:56

7:56! Argh! What!?!

Why didn't the alarm go off?

The girls have to leave in 39 minutes!

Why didn't Kurt tell me goodbye before he left?

OH!

That's why. He's still sleeping! Yikes!

An insane flurry of activity followed; I woke Kurt, sent Natalie to get dressed, then ran to wake Emily and hustle the girls along so they wouldn't be late for school.

A few minutes later, Kurt came downstairs (I think he broke the world record for fastest shower) and said, "Did Todd tell you what he did?"

"No."

"Well, ask him."

"Todd, what did you do?"

"I turned your radio off," he replied.

"Oh, really?" I said. "Why?"

"Because I didn't like listening to those people just talking."

Apparently, Todd came into our bed in the wee hours of this morning.
And apparently, he does not enjoy waking up to people 'just talking' on the radio! :o)

Read more...

Oh, Happy Day!

It's been five years and one month (but who's counting?) since Kurt sold his beloved Ford Ranger in order to buy a "flippin' sweet" Ford Windstar. :o)

(Thanks for putting your family first, honey. I love you!)

It's been a long wait, but he finally has a truck again!

Check out Kurt's new wheels...




No more "man van" for him!

Read more...

Alex is TWO!

November 18, 2008

Dear Alex~

Happy Birthday, baby boy! I am having a hard time believing that you are already two. I guess you are also, because whenever anyone asks you how old you are, you either say "one" or "free" (three). :o)

I'm working on being alright with you turning two, so how about you wait to be "free" for another year?

You are such a fun boy. You always make us laugh. You're very independent and are always doing things for yourself. You like to get your own snacks, your diapers and wipes, put your laundry away, take things to the garbage, and just about anything else I ask you.

You are a chatterbox! It's so fun to listen to you talk and to talk with you. You have a pretty impressive vocabulary. You also say the funniest things. One day a few weeks ago, I put you and Todd in the stroller to take you for a walk. As I was buckling you in, you kept asking "What doing, Mom?" I told you we were going for a walk around the neighborhood. For the entire half hour that we walked you would randomly ask me "Neighborhood, Mom?" Now whenever we come home from anywhere, you declare "NEIGHBORHOOD!"

You love music and are quite a little singer. We were treated to a lovely rendition of 'Jingle Bells' last night at dinner. The funny thing is, I'm not even sure where you picked it up! You can also make a song out of anything...bathing, playing with play-doh, cleaning...and you always provide the soundtrack to our day.

You adore your sisters and brother...and they return your adoration. You like waking them up in the morning, playing with them, making messes of their rooms and running away with their things. You are the first one to give hugs or come running to tell me if one of them is hurt or sad. You're a great little brother to them.

You think Daddy and I are okay too! ;o) You always have hugs and kisses for us and make extra sure to get them if one of us is leaving. There are many mornings when you jump out of bed just to give Daddy a hug and kiss before he leaves for work. I especially love your cute requests of "Hold Me!" and "Sit Mommy's lap!"

Alex, we love you so much! You are a very special and important part of our family. Here's wishing you another wonderful year.

We love you, sweet boy!

With love~
Mommy

Read more...

Safe Blogging

We love it when we see our blog linked on people's sidebars.

However, at this time we're asking anyone who has our last name on their sidebar to please remove it and just link us using our first names or our blog name.

We're just covering our bases and trying to practice safe bloggyness. :o)

Here are some helpful tips I found on a blog today. The author speaks from experience...she says...

1. Photos: Intimate {read: bath or shots only a grandma wants to see} pictures of you or your kids should be kept private; either on a private blog or not posted at all if your blog is public. It is possible for creeps to just save your pictures to their computer. So, even if you delete that one particular post or picture that your statcounter tells you is being overly viewed, you can never get those pictures back that some creep is looking at. Don't post a picture of your child in front of her school on the first day with the name of the school behind her. Also, no pictures of local, neighborhood landmarks that could easily give away where you live.

2. Calendar: Keep your calendar private. Don't tell blogland your day to day schedule of going to this particular gym, this particular restaurant, this particular park with your kids, or that you're leaving town from this day to this day. If you do, you are asking for trouble.

3. Personal Information: Keep your personal information personal. Some bloggers don't even use their real names, some only use initials, some only use first names. Please don't post your address, employment information, etc. If you have links on your sidebar with last names; switch them to first names only. If someone you know has you linked, ask them nicely to remove your last name. If you've included your last name in your blog url, it is possible to change it. Look here to see how. Make sure you educate those you blog with and your family. Maybe you don't know it, but your family or friends could be giving away your location or address or posting pictures of your house, etc.. Don't use names of people you are reminiscing about, unless you are fine with them finding you. On that same vein, google yourself occasionally to see what comes up. Be aware of what people can find about you.

4. Tracking: Add a sitemeter or statcounter to your blog. There are various kinds to choose from and they can be visible or invisible. I prefer statcounter. My favorite features show you which pages are most popular and getting the most traffic and also which blogs are linking to you and how people find your blog through google by searching random words or phrases. {If you allow google to search}

5. Search Engines: In your blog settings, you can click the option NO so search engines can't find your blog if you don't want people to find your blog or certain pages in your blog.

6. Backup: Even still, your blog is archived in the google index. Meaning, even if you delete a certain post, it can still be found through the google cache. I went into the google webmasters site , inserted my web address and asked for google to delete my blog from the cache. It only took a couple of days. You can also insert code into the html of your blog to stop all indexing and block the robots, google or not, from spidering through your blog to find information.

After reading these tips, I've done a bit of "blog safety housekeeping" here at Perpetual Motion. I hope you'll take a minute to ensure that you're safeguarding yourself and your family too.

Thanks for listening. I'll hop off my soapbox now. :o)

Here's to happy, safe blogging!

Read more...

A Night of Broadway

Emily and Natalie spent the past 10 weeks rehearsing for their parts in our Stake Musical. On Friday and Saturday, we were treated to the result of all their hard work as we watched their performance.

The girls were in the "Annie" medley, which included the songs Hard Knock Life, Maybe, and The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow.

Here's a clip from Hard Knock Life.

Em had a dancing part and Nat sang a small solo.



They did such a fantastic job!

We're proud of you, girls! :o)

*Edited to add*
A BIG thanks to my friend Dianne for saving the day (and what was left of my sanity) by lending us an orphan costume for Natalie. You're the best! :o)

Also, thanks to Dave and Kathy for being the costume delivery service! :o)

Read more...

Halloween 2008

We had a great Halloween!

A cousin's cookie party (thanks Lori), pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating around our new neighborhood, and a yummy dinner afterwards.

And now...I leave you with a warning...

If I have to 'fix' a slobbery, sugar encrusted paper tube one more time, I'm going to stick a fork in my eye.

...and a public service announcement...

PLEASE...FOR THE LOVE OF PETE...DO NOT GIVE PIXIE STICKS TO TRICK-OR- TREATERS!

Thank you.

Read more...

Casting Her Ballot

Emily's class is following the presidential election.

This afternoon she came home with an assignment to do some research on the candidates. We were talking about the assignment when Emily asked...

"Mom, what's a Republican?"

I replied, "Republicans are..."
(and paused slightly, trying to make sure my answer was something she would understand)

During my slight pause, she chimed in with this gem...

"Old?"

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! :o) I'm still belly laughing over this one.

Well...Emily, not always, but in this case...YES!

Read more...

Who Wants To Be A Winner?

Do you know my friend Dianne?

If you don't, it's about time you get to know her.

She's an amazing friend and a talented long arm quilter.

She's also participating in Handmade Holiday, sponsored by the Nester.

Run, don't walk, to check out her blog...and register for her darling giveaway.

Read more...

Look Out For Me...Oh Muddy Water

We had a great Fall Break!

(And by the way...when did UEA become 'Fall Break'? Just wondering...)

We road tripped to St. George to spend the long weekend with our friends Dan and Ivy and their kids.

We met Dan and Ivy in Colorado Springs last year. They moved in the same week we did and our families were introduced as "newbies" in our ward on the same day. To make a long story short, we became fast friends and I honestly feel having them there with us last year was a "tender mercy". It was so nice to have someone who was experiencing the same adjusment as we were. Coincidentally, they had the opportunity to move back to Utah shortly after we did.

It was a great few days...

• A tasty steak BBQ
• Tadpole and fish catching along with lizard and rabbit sightings
• Yummy Mexican food
• An amazing showing of Big River at Tuachan (if you've never been to Tuachan...GO! It was amazing. They flooded the stage for the river scenes...I could hardly stay in my seat...it was so incredible)
• Fun at the farm/pumpkin patch/GRASS maze
• Playing at the awesome Washington City Aquatic Center until we were "pruny" and waterlogged.

We enjoyed our vacation! Thanks to Dan and Ivy for their hospitality.

Catching river critters

The view from above

Best Buds

Pre-show photo op

Read more...

The Terrorists Are Sedating My Grandpa

My Grandpa recently had heart surgery and a hip replacement. He is recovering at the Sunshine Terrace and will hopefully be able to go home in a few weeks.

The following is a classic example of marital miscommunication...

Me: Hey Kurt, get this...Grandma thinks the Terrace is sedating Grandpa because they don't want to deal with him.

Kurt: What?

Me: You know, sedating him.

Kurt: Huh? Who?

Me: THE TERRACE!

Kurt: THE TERRORISTS?

Me: No! The Terrace...as in the Sunshine Terrace.

Kurt: Wow. I know your Grandma is getting a bit 'funny' in her old age, but that seemed flat out crazy.

Hopefully there are no terrorists at the Terrace! :o)

Read more...

A Confession

I listen to Miley Cyrus in my van.

And sing along.

While I am alone.

Read more...

Tell Me How You Really Feel

Last week while I was making dinner, Todd came into the kitchen and asked...

"Mom, what are you making?"

"Dinner," I replied.

My answer was greeted with a 'limp noodle' drop to the floor and the wail of...

"UUGGHH! I DON'T WANT DINNER! YOU ALWAYS MAKE NASTY STUFF FOR DINNER!"

"Well, what do you want me to make?" I asked.

His reply...

"LUNCH!"

Read more...

Conference Weekend Mosaic

Ah...Conference weekend! Nothing is better than church in my jammies! :o)


We played at Treehouse Museum on Saturday afternoon.

We ate a yummy breakfast this morning...I think we'll call it "Conference Casserole" from now on.

We made "Steph Cookies" this afternoon.

We had dinner with friends this evening.

It was a great weekend!

Read more...

Notes to Self

When making barbeque chicken sandwiches, open the barbeque sauce bottle with care. Especially if it has been sitting upside down on the hot stove top.
Also, be careful what you say when said sauce explodes all over the place...it might be heard by tiny ears...and then repeated.

Read more...

Death by Chocolate

My Mom and my Grandma spent a couple of hours at our house last week. It's always fun when Nanna comes, but my kids don't see my Grandma very often, so it was extra fun for them to play a bit of "catch-up" with her.

Todd was especially enchanted with Grandma...she read him lots of books, told him stories and listened to him chatter about whatever came to his mind. They talked about how he was young and she was old. She showed him how to count to 82 and compared that to the four fingers he uses to show everyone how old he is. At one point, their topic of conversation turned to what treats were the yummiest. Grandma loves sweets and Todd has a bit of a sweet tooth himself.

I joined the conversation to tell Todd about my memories of Grandma's "treat drawer". I told him when I was a little girl, the bottom drawer in Grandma's kitchen was the treat drawer. I would ask Grandma for a treat and she would say yes. There were lots of yummy treats in that drawer, but most of them were chocolate of some sort! I would choose my treat, eat it and ask for another. The answer was always yes. After all, what are Grandmas for?

Todd was pretty impressed with the story. He's looking forward to the next time we go to visit Grandma. Not only because he enjoys her company, but also because he likes chocolate.

In fact, I think he's picked out his inheritance from her. A couple of days later he said this to me...

"Can I have her chocolates when she dies? 'Cause she's old!"



*Title inspired by Lori...Thanks!* :o)

Read more...

Why are they called black eyes?

They're really more purple, blue, green and yellow.

Read more...

Deep Dinner Conversation

Tonight at dinner Emily said to me, "Mom I just have one question..."Who is Heavenly Father's father?"

Natalie piped in with a "Yeah, who?"

Feeling unsure of how to answer, I glanced over at Kurt, hoping he could help me out.

This was his reply...

"Heavenly Grandpa."

Nice one, dear! If you need me, I'll be over in the corner with my lightning rod. :o)

Thanks for always making me laugh...even if you are a bit irreverent about it!

Read more...

We call him "Crash" for a reason

Check out the latest shiner...
I'll be really surprised if his eyes aren't black tomorrow.
Noses and metal stair edging don't mix.
OWIE!

Read more...

Are They Twins?

Three, yes THREE, different people asked us that question on Saturday.

Yes, they were dressed alike, but come on, people...they're 28 months apart.

Todd is a bit on the small side and Alex is average, but I never would have guessed anyone would think they were twins.

What do you think?

Matching outfits, yes...twins...no.

Maybe if we spike Todd's hair...

...then it will look more like Alex's.

Hmm...I'm still not seeing it.

How about slicked down?

Does that do the trick?

Read more...

Never Forget

I will never forget that day seven years ago.

The anniversary of 9/11 is bittersweet for me. I am still conflicted with feelings of anger, loss, fear, sadness, love, joy, patriotism, and forgivness. I know those events of seven years ago have changed me for the better.

Before that day, I thought of myself as someone who loved her country, was grateful for her freedoms, and was 'aware' of the cost of those things. It's like I didn't really know what I had until I almost lost it. And it still hurts that my innocent countrymen and women lost those things.

Now, I have a greater understanding of my freedoms, a deeper love for them and a resolve to make my actions consistent with my thoughts and feelings. And to never, EVER forget.

Read more...

Halfway to 70

Dear Kurt~

Happy Birthday! I can't believe you're halfway to 70! :o) I hope you have a wonderful day.

You are my best friend, my sweetheart and my rock. You are a wonderful, caring husband. You can always make me laugh. You are calm when I am not. You love me unconditionally. You think of me and the kids before thinking of yourself and I appreciate that so much. I am grateful to you for your hard work, determination and willingness to support us and make it possible for me to stay home with our monkeys. That means the world to me. You are a righteous husband and father and you lead our family with love. I am lucky and blessed to have you as my husband. I love you so much!

Wishing you a great 35th year...

With love~
Mim

Read more...

A Short(ish) Story

~Prologue~

She loved the shoes. Black Madeline Stuart pumps with delicate detailing, a cute strap and just the right heel. A perfect addition to her new skirt and top. They were super cute and she had scored a screaming deal on them. Ross was awesome! She was having a lucky streak there. She purchased them and vowed to return soon to see what other bonuses she could find.

~Chapter 1~

After wearing the shoes ONCE, she tossed them in a shopping bag (for reference purposes) with some items she was planning to return/exchange and headed back to Ross. She left her shoes and other items at the customer service counter, per Ross return/exchange policy, accepted her claim ticket for them and ventured into the store with high hopes.

She didn't find any more cute shoes, but she did find a skirt to replace one she was hoping to exchange. She approached the checkout, handed the cashier her claim ticket, proceeded with the exchange for the skirt and informed the cashier she had just brought the shoes along for reference. The cashier handed her the bag containing her new skirt and the beloved shoes and she headed for the exit.

~Chapter 2~

Just then, she realized she had forgotten to look for something else.

She turned and said to the cashier, "I need to do a bit more shopping. May I take my bag back into the store?"

"No. You need to leave it here. Just sit it there and I'll take care of it when I'm done with this customer."

In her naivete, she did as she was told.

~Chapter 3~

She spent a few more minutes in the store and then returned to get her bag. She said to the cashier, "I just need my bag, I didn't find what I wanted."

The cashier cast a frantic glance toward the empty spot on the counter. Stunned silence followed.

She raised her eyebrows and said, "Didn't you put it behind the counter?"

To which the cashier replied, "Oh my heck! I'll bet that pregnant lady with the boots took it!"

"Are you serious?!?" she exclaimed.

"Um...yeah. I was having trouble getting the security tag off her boots and she set her bags here and..."

MORE STUNNED SILENCE.

She did her best to gather her wits about her, to resist screaming like a raving lunatic.

"Well. I would hope if your store policy doesn't allow customers to carry their purchased items back into the store, along with their reciept, that you would at least put those items in a safe place while that customer was possibly spending more money in your store."

At this point another associate who had witnessed the scene bolted for the parking lot in a futile attempt to track down the 'pregnant boot lady'.

While the chase ensued, another associate proclaimed, "This happens more often than you would believe."

"Fantastic," she thought.

Out of breath, the track star associate returned and said, "I couldn't see her. Let me go check the video to see what happened ."

Indeed.

She waited. She was fuming. Standing there, being ignored by all associates, except for one who pushed a loaded Z rail past her and whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, me too," she muttered...mostly to herself.

The video detectives returned and confirmed that, clearly, 'pregnant boot lady' had absconded with her skirt and beloved shoes.

~Chapter 4~

"Well, why don't you just give us your name and number? Then we'll call you IF she brings them back," they said.

"No. I don't think so. I'm going to get another skirt off the rack and since I know there are no other shoes like that in my size, you are going to refund my money for the shoes," she stated, grateful that she still had the reciept for the shoes in her purse.
"I'll also leave you my name and number. I'd appreciate a call if 'pregnant boot lady' returns the bag. I would really like my shoes back."

They had no choice but to agree. She left the store shoeless and blazing mad.

~Epilogue~

She called the store manager. Explained the situation. Expressed her extreme disatisfaction. Ranted and raved.

Then she listened as the manager apologized, promised she would discuss the problem with her employees and vowed to find the shoes at another store.

Several days passed. The phone rang. Her hear leapt...then sank. The beloved shoes were nowhere to be found.

Additionally, 'pregnant boot lady' had not found it important to return the bag that was not hers.

She accepted the manager's apologies again, along with an offer for store credit.

She wondered if 'pregnant boot lady' was enjoying the perfect shoes. She secretly hoped that her pregnant feet were too swollen to fit into them. And also that she was having trouble sleeping at night...and not just because she was pregnant!

~The End~

Read more...

We're Jammin'

We're equal opportunity "jammers".

For jam session number one, we made 9.5 pints of strawberry and strawberry mango freezer jam. YUM! Freezer jam is easy and delicious. I recommend using Ball brand freezer pectin (requires MUCH less sugar than other brands) and following the recipe on the back of the packet. Ball also makes the really awesome freezer jars pictured below. And no, I am not being paid to advertise for Ball! :o)


Jam session number two features Alex performing his original song, 'Toddy Huming Home'. I think he might have a future in music. Watch out Zac Efron!

Read more...

First Day in the...

Fourth Grade

Emily is enjoying fourth grade. She has two teachers...they share a contract. Mrs. B teaches in the morning, Mrs. J in the afternoon and they alternate Fridays. Emily is having fun, making friends and feeling comfortable. Hooray! And by the way...

I HAVE A FOURTH GRADER!

Seriously?!? When did that happen?

First Grade

Natalie thinks going to school all day and eating school lunch is the best! She keeps us up to date on the daily menu and always lets us know what she'll be choosing. Mrs. W's class is great fun. Natalie is enjoying friends, homework and reading chapter books like a pro.

Preschool

Todd is in Miss K's class at preschool. His school is a fun-filled place with a great curriculum and the awesomest playground toys you've ever seen. He's so proud of his "Thomas" bookbag! He has liked snack and playtime the best so far. :o) He hardly had time for a hug and kiss goodbye...which is both a good and bad thing for me!

Alex and I aren't sure what to do with ourselves for 6 hours each week when it's only the two of us. I'm doing my best to equal two sisters and a brother in the fun department! I'm not sure I'm succeeding. Today when we went to pick up Todd, I told Alex we were going to go get Todd and bring him home. As we were driving to the school, Alex started singing. His cute little ditty went like this...

"Toddy huming huh huh HOME!"

It was adorable! I'll try to capture it on video and post it later.

Summer went by so quickly! I'm a bit sad that it's over, but I'm welcoming the (alleged) routine and structure that come with going back to school.

Read more...

'Til We Meet Again

Annis Blanche Crandall Murdock

August 02, 1916 ~ August 24, 2008

Draper, Utah:
Annis Blanche Crandall Murdock, 92, passed away on Sunday, August 24, 2008. Annis was born August 2, 1916 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the daughter of Arthur Thomas Crandall and Ivy Clyde Evans of Tooele, Utah. Annis graduated with honors from Tooele High School and attended the University of Utah where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority. Annis married William O. Murdock of Beaver, Utah, son of United States Senator Abe Murdock, on October 17, 1936 in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were later sealed in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. Following graduation, Annis and Bill went to Washington D.C. where he earned a law degree from American University and became Assistant General Counsel at the National Labor Relations Board. Annis supported Bill’s government service and enthusiastically moved their family of 4 children when he was relocated to Indiana, Ohio and Maryland. In 1955 Bill became a Vice President of the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company in Boston, Massachusetts. They lived in Needham, Massachusetts where Annis was actively involved in United Way and supported the school system by championing many innovative programs for students.

They later moved to Windham, New Hampshire where she served as President of the National Federation of Women’s Clubs of New Hampshire, President of the Derry, New Hampshire Garden Club and the Federation of Garden Clubs of New Hampshire. Having been a breast cancer survivor she was very proud of the recognition she received from the Norris Cotton Cancer centers in New Hampshire for her personal commitment to quality community service. She served on the New Hampshire Juvenile Parole Board and Governor Sununu’s Committee on Volunteerism.

Annis started playing the piano at age 7, attended the McCune School of Music in Salt Lake City and received many honors for her musical talent. She loved music, directed many choirs and enjoyed teaching children to play the piano. She was thrilled when they exceeded their own expectations.

Annis served faithfully in many auxiliary organizations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints including several ward and stake Relief Society Presidencies. Annis and Bill served an LDS mission in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1997 Annis and Bill returned to Utah where she served as a guide at the Joseph Smith Building in Salt Lake City.

Annis was preceded in death by her husband Bill, her brother Col. Thomas O. Crandall of Virginia and her granddaughter Valerie Anderson of New York City. She is survived by her four children: Nancy (Robert) Larner, Balboa California; Judith Murdock-Anderson, Draper, Utah; Thomas (Janice) Murdock of Salt Lake City, Utah; Kathryn (David) Farnsworth of Hyde Park, Utah, 14 grandchildren and 32 great grandchildren whom she loves dearly.

The family wishes to express its gratitude to our sister Judy Murdock-Anderson who cared for our mother for many years. A private family graveside service arranged by Larkin Mortuary was held Wednesday August 27, 2008 in Beaver, Utah. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family online at http://www.larkinmortuary.com/.



It has been an emotional week for our family. We miss our "Mamoo" so much!

Read more...

An Ode to the Comcast Installer

Oh Blayne, oh Blayne, you've eased our pain
And connected us to the world again.
We were lost, but now we're found
And our love for Comcast knows no bounds.
The lesson learned from enduring this test...
Qwest DSL is not the best!

Read more...

Anyone want a Snickers bar?

We have not fallen off the face of the earth. Apparently, nobody was in any hurry to get us connected to the real world. We just got our TV and phone yesterday. And joy of joys...STILL NO INTERNET!

As the nice old man at Qwest put it"Darlin'...it's like there's 90 Snickers bars on the shelf at the store and 100 people want 'em. Your internet is a Snickers bar."

Uh...okay.

Qwest is out of DSL capacity in our area. So rather than wait for someone to move or not pay their bill, we're shopping for a new internet service provider.

Hopefully we'll be back online soon!

On a happier note...our house is fantastic and we're getting more settled every day.

Read more...

Camping and Closing

Yep.  That's what we've been doing over the last week and a half.  :o)

We spent five days in the Uinta Mountains with Kurt's family.  It's an annual tradition that we love and we were so grateful to be there this year. Despite the mosquitoes being a "BIT" rampant, we had a fantastic time!  We fished, hiked, played in the dirt, ate good food and relaxed.  We even managed to escape the rain!  I don't think that has ever happened before.  It must have been because we rented a tent trailer this year.  You know...the year we're all prepared to be snug and dry, we don't get rain.  It was so great though, we may never "tent it" again!  

In other exciting news...

We FINALLY (banks just don't really get in a hurry, do they?) had the closing for our house on Friday. We moved our things in today.  Now the fun begins...unpacking!  Stay tuned for updates.

Read more...

Todd turns 4!

July 23, 2008

Dear Todd~

Happy Birthday, cute boy!  You are FOUR today.  I can hardly believe it.  You are growing up so fast! You broke the mold and joined our family during the warm, sunshiny summer. Daddy and I were so excited to have a son and your sisters were thrilled to get a brother.  You were such a happy baby.  From the very beginning, you brought joy and peace into our family.  You continue to make us smile and laugh every day!

You are a fun-loving, adventure seeking, sociable and talkative boy.   You enjoy people of all ages and are adored by your many friends, both young and old.  You like books, trains, the computer, "projects" and playing outside.  You've always enjoyed animals from a distance, but recently, you've learned to enjoy them up close.  

Emily and Natalie love having you as their little brother.  They love you very much and take such good care of you.  Emily is always there to help you do things.  She buckles your car seat when it's "just too hard", helps you with shoes, coats and other clothing frustrations, and is always willing to read or play with you.  Natalie is your best pal. She plays pretend with you, watches your favorite movies with you, is your snack waitress and has great concern for your feelings.  The two of you had some amazing afternoon adventures this past year.  I have a feeling you'll miss her this fall when she's in school all day.  

Alex looks up to you so much.  I find so much joy in watching you be brothers.  I love finding you playing together.   Alex listens to you when you tell him what to do.  He tries to do everything you do. He often calls for you when you're in another room..."Todd...Todd...Toddy!" Alex is your partner in crime, and although it makes me a bit crazy, I love seeing you get into mischief together.  I hope you will always have a special bond as brothers.  

Daddy and I love your humor, your friendliness and your intuitive nature. We love your constant chatter, your stories and your many observations. We enjoy your independence, determination and willingness to try.  We love snuggling with you at night and reading "just one more" book. We are amazed at your memory, your desire to learn and the speed at which you learn.  We love your amazing blue eyes and the "soul grabbing look" you have. You make us happy every day!

Todd, we love you and are so grateful to have you in our family.  We hope you have an amazing year. Happy Birthday, big boy! We love you!

With love~

Mommy 

*Check this post in a couple of weeks for Todd's "Year in Review" slide show...I won't have my computer and access to all my pics until we're in our house*

Read more...

Locks of Love

*Pre-post warning...If your name is Nanna, prepare yourself...and remember it's only hair and it's for a WONDERFUL cause! :o) *

Ever since K.E. and H.E., our neighbors in Logan, grew their hair to donate to Locks of Love, Emily and Natalie have wanted to do the same.

After much time, patience and a few hair brushing arguments between mom and daughters, the day has arrived!  

There was a bit of nervous anticipation, but with the support of cousins, brothers and Mom, both girls took their turn in the chair.  A big thanks to Aunt Lori for donating her time, talent and skill.  She made the end result darling in both cases!

I'm so proud of Emily and Natalie for choosing to give of themselves to serve someone else.  

Emily's adventure...

Natalie's adventure...

Read more...