We LOVED the elves so we did ourselves . . .

We loved John and Mindy's elves so we tried it ourselves. This is the most "movin'" we've done in a while. Love you all. (You just need to click on the title to view it. Sometimes it's a little slow loading.)

Jordan - is that you?!?

This was taken at our Annual Soup and Scoop (Pumpkin Carving Night) At first I thought it was Jeannie. Well it was a Genie but it was Jordan. Don't you think this will be great for a reception slide show? Love you Jordan.

FINALLY!! . . . a new post - Welcome to the world of WEBKINZ!!!

Sorry it has taken so long. Aunt Jayne introduced me to Webkinz which originally I thought were cute but not something we would really get into. WRONG!!!! They are so much fun that after trying out my own I thought every grandchild needed one. . . and I couldn't wait until birthdays or Christmas to give it to them. So everyone got an early birthday present except Lauren who happened to have her birthday at the time and Jordan who is too old(I still have one Jordan if you change your mind).
I have to say I sure have enjoyed these and especially the interactions that I can have with the grandkids. As Marcie said "Now I can speak grandkid". It's awesome. I wish I had pics of everyone with their pets but I only have these. So now part of my daily routine is feeding 'the dog', dressing him and taking him to school, tending the garden as well as the other daily activities. Really - how old am I? Well love you all. Hopefully 'becoming as a little child' applies here. Do you think?

Fun at G&G's

It was so fun to have John and Mindy and the kids with us even if it was only short. It seemed really short because they were gone for 10 days and we were gone for almost a week. Then Honey and Ryan and their kids joined us. It was so fun to have the cousins together. Then Reecy and Eric moved on July 25 and John and Mindy moved on July 27 and Honey and Ryan went home on the 29th. We sure do miss everyone. 'Empty house'!!!! (Terry and Arnon and their kids and grandkids are here this weekend for Kate and Kent's baby blessing so it is full again for the weekend.) The Saturday before the Hunts left Aunt Patti spotted a snake in the yard and Grandpa and Clay caught it - twice! Clay and Kaycee and Rylee were so brave to hold it. It is wrapped around Clay and Rylee's wrist but you can see how long it was when Cassy was holding it. After holding it for quite a while we let it go. They and Fraidy keep the mice out of the yard. Sure do love all of you.

More Pics of the Wall

Here are more pics of the 'Great Wall'. We did a little more work this morning and backfilled the top level. Enjoy the pics. It will look so much better once the levels are grassed and the tops are on the blocks. It will be a few more weeks before that will be done. Love all of you. (We're not dead yet.)

Update on "The Wall"

. . . or as Aunt Arnon calls it - The Great Wall of 'Living-stone'. We have been able to do soooooooooooooo much work and we just really appreciate everyone's help. We have to make special mention of Uncle Ben. He has been a trooper and come over many early mornings. He says "it's like having a free pass to a gym". It's quite the workout. He has lifted the majority of the blocks - twice. Loading them from the driveway and then unloading them at the wall.


Grandpa standing by the wall (not in his work clothes!) This is the end by the swing set. Such a handsome fellow.

Taking off for the start of the 2nd wall.

Grandma setting block on the second wall. When we first started I couldn't budge the blocks and now I can lift them, carry them and set them. I'm getting some definition. Yeah.


Most of the 2nd wall up. We still need to do alot of work on the west end (right hand side) where the fire pit will be.


Would you believe that yesterday we got the top wall done. We still have to back fill it and fill the block. We had a most exhausting 4th of July.(13 hours on the wall in 98 degree weather.) A friend of ours rented a 'Ditch Witch' digger and we split the cost with him so we had to work hard and fast. It really allowed us to move all of the backfill that people had given us as well as pick up another trailer load of fill from some neighbors. Dad and I are nearly dead today. I forgot to take pictures yesterday and it's too late tonight but I will take some tomorrow so you can see the progress. We have a total of 6 walls. I love the way Dad has designed it. Especially the way the walls split off from each other. Well we love you all. If we are dead by the time you read this you'll know why. (We did stop for a BBQ dinner and fireworks. Then when it was too dark and too late to make anymore noise we watched "Independence Day" with everyone in the backyard until 1:00AM-the guys set it up to show on a sheet hanging from the deck. Great finish to a great day.)

Memorial Day and the GREAT WALL

We got the Lasso Golf game(like Jack built for the reunion in Cardston last year). The kids are having a great time. The one that Jack built with pvc pipe and real golf balls though is much better.
Jess, Jordan and Jace are having a great time.
You can see everyone hard at work on the wall. This was definitely a working holiday. We just appreciated everyone's help so much. You can even see Blake ready to drive the tractor. (Reecy doesn't usually dress him in pink but he got his clothes wet in the pool and the wind turned chilly and that was the only extra outfit Grandma had!)
Jeannie and Brent are doing the exacting job of setting the first row. Each block has to been level at 3 measurements and also with the one next to it. It is slow and tedious but absolutely critical. They did an awesome job.
Ben and Dad laid the block and Cassy used the whisk broom to make sure there were no grains of sand or dirt to throw off the level.

Patti and Reecy are filling the blocks.
Cassy and Patti hard at it. I think that is Jordan too. He had to be careful not to get his fingers dirty because he split his fingers right between 2 of them in the webbed part. It is nasty and of course he couldn't wear gloves. He had a staple in it to hold it together and then they were buddy taped.
Actually that looks more like Ethan. If anyone know please post it. Grandma must be getting old.
Here is the first course finished. Grandpa finished laying the last blocks last night. Doesn't it look great?
Where the rock pile/'snake' pile is will be a fire pit so the wall only goes 3 high so it can be used for seating.
The other end of the wall by the swing set will also be used for seating. You can almost push the kids while sitting on the wall.
This is the section that Jeannie came over and helped with yesterday. She and I set the block for this short wall part. And Patti filled all the blocks of the main wall with sand and tamped it with the broom stick. It was a hot day. Jeannie and I had to dig through large rock and chunks of asphalt to get it level. I can't believe how strong Jeannie is to carry those 67# blocks and lay them. Ben had come over on Wed. late afternoon/evening and he and I were able to pull down alot of the hill and backfill with gravel. He brought down the block for Jeannie and I to use the next day. After we finished yesterday I did a bunch more clawing of the hill and bringing down gravel from the trailer and back filling the top layers. (I'm counting on some definition from all the shovelling, chopping and clawing.) I absolutely love to work out there. Today I have to do laundry, dusting and vacuuming and it's all I can do to stay inside and not go out and do more digging. It's addicting! And Dad is so appreciative of everyone's help. It is great. It will be so fun to see it all come together. Love you all.

Roses, our Beautiful Picture and Fraidy

The roses this year are just amazing. I'm not sure why but we are sure enjoying them. Especially the pink one is so full - the leaves are sooooooooooo green and the the flowers so beautiful. And there are so many of them. Usually they have aphids feasting on them and there is not one this year. It is just great. We thought you could all enjoy what we enjoy. We sure do love all of you.

I hung the beautiful picture downstairs in the family room. This sure isn't a very good shot of how beautiful it is down there. I just love, love, love it. It goes so well with everything down there (again this shot of it is gross). You just wouldn't believe how good it looks. Thank you, thank you, thank you. We love you alllllla much.

Springtime in the yard

I just love all the seasons here. This spring has just been soooooooooooooooo beautiful. As we were out cleaning up after a big day on Saturday I just had to take these pictures. The yard is so green and beautiful. We will be putting out the pipe for watering the garden today and then we'll plant it. All that part is easy. It's the constant weeding that is a pain. It is supposed to be really hot for the rest of the week - so we'll work outside in the early morning and late afternoon - evening. I think Siestas are a very smart idea. We love you all.

The hill is just waiting for someone to do 'slip 'n slide'.

"The GREAT WALL" by Grandpa

Last week much to the delight of the grandchildren that were visiting Grandma Stutz across the street we had the "GREAT WALL" delivered. Each block weighs 67#. Each pallet has 45 blocks and weighs 3015# and we have 10 pallets. This is about 1/3 of what we need to complete the project. Can you just image how BUFF dad will be when it's all done?! I'm glad he is excited about it.

Rod our wonderful neighbor next door came over and helped Dad set the block for the 1st row so that they had 4 evenly spaced blocks that were level along the entire length. It is quite the process. Then you start at one end and move along to the next level block. Each block that is laid has to be completely level before moving on to the next one. We are excited to see it grow.
He is only going 3 blocks high near the swings so that once the capstones are on it will be seats for us to use while the kids swing. Doesn't it look great?! He is one TOUGH Dad and Grandpa. YEAH Grandpa!!!! Love you all.

The Wood pile

On Saturday while Grandpa worked on the 'GREAT WALL' I decided to move the woodpile. I thought it would be great to have the space so we could have an area to sit and watch the kids swim. It was not as hard as I thought it would be. Some of the wood was quite dryed out and so it was quite light. Others were VERY heavy. I loaded it into the little trailer of the tractor and then drove the tractor around behind the fence - until Dad needed it to haul more brick down and then I used the wheel barrow.


I only had one casualty. A log rolled off the original pile and got me. I had my capris on. After that, at Grandpa's suggestion I put on my jeans on. I was teasing the kids at Jeannie's Sunday night that Fraidy got me. That she grew back her claws. (I quickly told them the truth so as not to freak them out too much.) Bad Grandma.

Thank you for the Mother's Day gift!!!

Thank you all of you for the beautiful Mother's Day gift (and Anniversary gift)!!!!!!!!!! We love it. I am sorry that the picture (that I took) sure does not do it justice. I need Jeannie and her new camera to take a picture of it. She is so talented with it. We have hung it in the front entrance so everyone can see it. Maybe we'll have a travelling gallery because there is a space in the Family Room that is 'crying out' for it. It would be perfect there. We'll see. But I just love it. I just feel bad that you spent so many $$$$$$$$$ on it. You guys are just too too good to us. We love you all. (And not just because you give us nice presents.)

2 weeks and several degrees later . . . Unbelieveable!

We went for another Sunday drive today after our dinner. It was so beautiful today. We ate out on the deck. Dad had a great view of Timp and I had a great view of the lake. I couldn't believe that the lake looked like open water and then I saw a couple of boats out in the middle. So as soon as we finished eating we headed down to the lake! What an amazing difference. Everything was completely open and there were several boats coming and going. There was only a small amount ice on the end of both jetties. I can't believe that ALL that ice is gone. People were out fishing from the shore.





This is the big cement circle that Jace and Tanner and Lauren and Emma were in just two weeks ago. They just posted the picture to their blog yesterday. The difference is amazing. We have been having incredibly warm days in the 60's and 70's and above freezing at night. We added their picture so you could see the amazing difference in 13 days. WOW!






I just love these pictures. Because of the bright sun they are quite dark so it looks much later. They were actually taken at the same time as all the others. We are excited to find some time to take the boat out. Spring has come to the lake. I just love winters here. It only takes it's share of the year and doesn't drag on and on. Hope you enjoy the pictures. We sure do love ALL you guys.