It's all done!

AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL!
After lots of work (very fun work, at least for me) the deck is finished. It turned out GREAT; I love it. It is better than I had imagined. I had the best time working with my family on this.

Getting handy with a drill. It took a while to master the skill....the special deck screws were a bit tricky.

And THIS is the most ingenious way to stain. We just dipped our gloves in a bucket of stain and wiped our hands all over the board. It was fun, and went by so fast! Seriously, my dad is the smartest guy around. Matt's assignment was to bring us the boards and feed us redvines. He did an excellent job, I might add. MMMM yummy.

****

And....The finished product!!!!! Want to come over and barbeque and bask in the sunlight and gloriousness of our handiwork? (Assuming we move in someday...)

The only thing left is the tiny strip by the garage, the little overhang will be sawed off, and someday, permanent steps. But, other than that, it's all finished and I am in LOVE with it.

Rest Stop

Moab is almost exactly half-way between our house and Traci's. We like to plan our stops here because it is so beautiful and there is always something fun to do. They just finished the bridge over the Colorado river. I have been waiting patiently for them to get it done, and finally, we were able to go across it. We even snapped a few good pictures.

It felt so good to get the kinks out after being in the car for so long. Kaden was ecstatic, stretching his legs and sprinting down the long bridge, taking a few breaks to gaze into the water.

Another fascination for a little boy....Water.

My little rock-climber. He's starting early. I think it is in his blood. He climbs on absolutely everything.

I always feel like have to make it home in exactly X number of hours, X number of minutes. I am kind of weird about it. (I'm also a total freak about my gas mileage, but that's another story...) I don't like stopping much; I just want to get there. This time, I tried not to worry about how long we stopped, or how long it would take to get home. I am so glad about it too, because it was a highlight of the trip. We ended up playing and running around for over an hour. I wish we could have stayed longer. This might just turn into a permanent stop for us, and I will add another hour or two to my weird obsession.

*

Side note: I love running. I love hiking. I love river-rafting and kayaking. I love biking. I love rock-climbing. I love camping and being outside. Moab is adventure-town and my cup of tea. Someday, I'll plan a recreational excursion there. Anyone want to come?

Celebration

We had a mini-birthday celebration for Kaden while we were up in Utah last week. He is going to be 2 in a couple of weeks. I can't believe it. Is there any way to make time stand still for a while, or slow it down so he can stay little forever? Or, at least for a really long time. I, like most moms, completely LOVE every stage, but it all flies by too fast. I am afraid of missing something, or of waking up one day realizing he's grown and gone and I haven't taken advantage of every day.


Slow down baby, mommy can't take you growing up so fast!


He's obsessed.

If I break 80...

I love tripping up to Utah because I get to see Matt's fam, my sister, and Andrea too. I ditched the boys one night to hang out with my favorite girls.

I haven't bowled in years, so I was thrilled when Michaela suggested it. I told her, "if I break 80, you owe me some kind of prize..." She said, "yeah, well if I break 80 you have to buy me a house, because it will be a miracle."

Don't let our stance fool you, we stink.

My shoes were the ugliest of all time.

We ended up bowling 3 games and she broke 80 twice! I even ended up breaking 100. We are the worst but we had fun laughing at each other and cheering when we knocked anything over. I love hanging with my sis. She always makes me laugh.

A little too late

But I had to post a few Halloween pictures that my silly (cutest) friend Tiff sent me, finally. I had actually totally forgotten about them, but they made me smile. I am sad I don't have one that shows Kaden's awesome BAM BAM costume. He had a leopard print outfit and looked too cute for words.

The Rubbles: BamBam, Betty, and Barney.

Matt making his way around the trunk-or-treat. He got a big bag of candy again this year. Only Matt can get away with things like that. I reaped the benefits, as I am the one with the sweet tooth. I think I ate 95% of it.

Maybe Matt should have been Betty and I Barney. Apparently, she is like a foot taller.

Game on-

Our cousin Graham came to visit for Thanksgiving. He lives in Arizona right now, and hasn't seen snow in ages. So, when it snowed on Thanksgiving day he was geared up and ready to go play. He wanted to make a snowman, and Michaela and I thought we'd make a competition out of it. Girls against boys. The problem came when we couldn't lift our snowballs even an inch. They wouldn't budge. So, we decided just to make him dead..."DOC" dead on creation. After a LOT of laughs, and trash-talking Michaela and I declared ourselves the winners. You be the judge...


The process...

The finished products--- Oh, and you've GOT to click on these to super-size them....it's all in the details people.

Ours

Theirs

Ours

Theirs

My favorite part was definitely his twig legs and boots.

***WINNERS***WINNERS***WINNERS***

Thoughts on a wonderful man

Today is the funeral of Matt's dear grandpa Dahl. I absolutely LOVE this man. He has such a goodness about him. He is gentle and kind. I have adored him since the first time we met. I loved sitting and talking with him. He literally twinkled; he just had a special sparkle about him. He was such a smart man, a true man of God, and a loving husband, father, and grandpa.

He and Bethe paid for countless reunions and trips so the family could get together and enjoy each other. They truly got joy from the company of family and the shrill noises of little children running around. They have 5 children and many grand and great-grandchildren, but yet when I talked with them, I felt like I was the only one, like I was loved just as everyone else was. They have helped Matt and I out in times when we needed it most and I am forever grateful for that.

Dahl has been struggling with illness in his lungs for quite some time, and this release was a blessing for him. Although it was expected and even hoped for, his passing is still sad for those he left behind. I mourn for the heartache of his wife Bethe, and for his 5 children. I know they are hurting right now and I pray for their peace and comfort.

I am grateful for the belief and knowledge we have that we will all be together again. I wholeheartedly believe in eternity, and know that our families will all rejoice and embrace together again. Until then, Dahl will be greatly missed here on earth.