JanMarie....the moments of my life

Dew Tour, Etc....

2012-02-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

Heather and I at the Dew Tour :)
DJ was working a little further down the mountain.

Four words about the Winter Dew Tour @ Snowbasin: Shaun White wasn't there!
Someone said it was because of the perfect score he got at the Winter X Games he didn't need to finish the Dew Tour in order to participate in upcoming events. I'm not sure of the exact details.
It was still a fun atmosphere and a beautiful day on the mountain.
We rode the Little Cat lift up to the base of the SuperPipe and directed traffic as the Athlete Lounge wasn't set up yet.

I'm not meeting with my trainer tomorrow as he's out of the office so I'll meet with him Wednesday.

I did have an interview Thursday with the assisted living facility where Heather works. I was interviewed for the Activities Director position and the Activities Director assistants position. It was my first official job interview ever. I don't have any idea how I did. We'll see.

JanMarie

Snowbasin Prepares the Superpipe for the Winter Dew Tour Toyota Championships

2012-02-07T17:11:00.050-07:00

Another busy week..........
Monday's I work out with Ryan then have coffee with a friend and Tuesdays I volunteer at our local food bank signing clients in for 3 hours during food distribution.

Last night DJ, Heather and I went to a short training session for the Dew Tour (winter sports) that's coming up this weekend up at Snowbasin. We are volunteering in the Athlete Lounge on Friday for a few hours :)
Ogden is the Winter Dew Tours final stop. Two words concerning the Dew Tour: Shaun White!
I have loved watching him snowboard for years. He's amazing. The air he gets is unbeatable.
I will be so happy if we can watch him this weekend! The Dew Tour is Free.
Snowbasin Prepares the Superpipe for the Winter Dew Tour Toyota Championships (click on this link)

There's no news about the job I applied for last week but am still hoping..............

I'm drinking more water this week. I'll be honest though ~ it is a struggle to stay motivated on this weight loss journey. This has been my struggle all these years. I've lost 4-5 lbs.
Tomorrow I'm taking the dogs hiking in the snow with Erin, Laura and their dogs. We'll stay on the roads/trails that are groomed and not wear our snowshoes.
Koda and Max are going to love it!

DJ and I have started going out for breakfast on Friday mornings ~ we've really had fun doing this each week. I'm thankful to have such a great husband who I enjoy spending time with :)

Blessings,
JanMarie

A month later ~ Fitness

2012-02-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

This week makes a month that I've been going to the gym. Has it been worth it? Yes.
The last week or so I haven't put as much heart into it. That has to change this coming week! I've got to make myself get to the gym even when I can find every reason not to go!!
This week I did train with Ryan on Monday and snowshoed Wednesday with Erin and Laura (begrudgingly to be quite honest ~ I was tired).
I'm happy that I'm noticing a difference in my core compared to a month ago. The first time I met with Ryan I could plank maybe 10 seconds and I was shaking like an Aspen leaf in the wind!
This week I planked for 35 seconds with minimal shaking.
Planking is when you lay on your stomach and lift your body off the ground with your forearms and toes. Great way to strengthen your core!

On a different note I applied for a job this week. It's a full time position as the Activities Director at the assisted living facility where Heather works. I would love this job. I will know in a week or two if I get it. The Administrator was impressed with all the volunteer coordinating I've done or am doing. Hopefully...............

The kids are doing great ~ Ben is busy with practice for the upcoming high school musical "Fiddler on the Roof". We're excited that DJ's mom is coming out for a few days during the musical!
Dani is quickly closing in on graduation. She will be moving out June 1st. She's going to rent a room where Heather lives as one of Heather's roommates is getting married in April.
God's timing never ceases to amaze us!

Blessings,

JanMarie

Another Week of Fitness & Lemon Water :)

2012-01-25T18:55:00.001-07:00

I'm so happy there is finally enough snow to snowshoe in!
Even though it kicked me in the butt :) My legs were dying but it's all good. Overall I felt pretty good ~ better than last year thanks to being in the gym the last 3 weeks!
It was so beautiful ~ quiet and peaceful.

I went to the gym 4 times last week. Monday's workout with my trainer, Ryan, was the hardest one yet. I almost threw up in the shower afterwards. We did 25 minutes of nonstop cardio circuit. Well, almost nonstop. The idea is to keep your heart rate up the whole time.
I had to really push through some of the sets but I did it. Now I know you truly can feel really good and really horrible at the same time! Good because I finished everything ~ Horrible because my body was hating me.
Now's a good time to say wall squats are the enemy ~ ugh! You put your back on the wall and slide down like you're sitting in a chair. Then you hold that position. Your arms can be anywhere but on your legs.
On a positive note I drank alot of water this week! Yeah :)
Every morning I put the needed amount of water in my pitcher. I read somewhere women need 9 cups a day ~ add 2-3 cups if you do moderate exercise. Our water is nice and cold out of the tap. I squeeze half a lemon in it and drop the lemon in. I know I need to empty that pitcher by the end of the day.
It works for me.
I'm noticing a difference in my stomach. Shirts are loser :)

Blessings,

JanMarie

Fitness Update

2012-01-17T14:30:00.000-07:00

I needed a cheery picture today. Winter without much snow is a bit dreary so I found this picture to post :) It's a flower arrangement on our desk while living in Sicily. The flowers were so cheap to buy at the cemetery ~ so many varieties and colors! It was awesome.
The little dish holding the candle is one I found in a thrift store over there. I was sad when it didn't survive the trip back to the States.

Ok, so here's another fitness update.
I still didn't drink much water! That has to change. I'm going to try something different this week. I'll fill a pitcher each night with the water I need to drink the following day and put it in the fridge with lemons. That might work ~ hopefully!
I did eat better and went to the gym 3 days. No hiking. I've got to step it up and get to the gym more if I want to lose this weight.
My session with the trainer yesterday was great. Tough but great. I sweat like crazy. I do 30 minutes of weight training with him then I do 30 minutes of cardio on my own.
We are slowly moving towards eating 5 smaller meals a day rather than 3 big ones. It's much better for you. You eat smaller amounts with a mix of carbs and proteins. It keeps your metabolism working throughout the day ~ which is a good thing :)
My goal this week is to get to the gym 4-5 days and hike at least once. Also drink more water. Seems silly that water is such a struggle.

I hope you are having a wonderful day :) Here's hoping for some snow this week!

Blessings,

JanMarie

Fitness Update

2012-01-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick fitness update for this past week.
Yesterday I worked out with my trainer. I am sore today but it's a good sore :) It's interesting how some areas of your body are stronger than others. My shoulders and quads are 2 of my weakest areas. I did hike twice last week and went to the gym twice.
I didn't drink near enough water ~ I have to work on that this week!
This is a short post because I have a busy day. I'm looking forward to pushing myself more this week ~ reaching towards a better, stronger me :)

Blessings,

JanMarie

Beauty and Tragedy

2012-01-08T17:33:00.000-07:00

The day started so beautifully this past Wednesday, the 4th ~

My friend Laura and I went hiking about 10am. We headed up to the 29th St. trailhead and hiked up to the "boulder fields" as Ben calls them. It's an area that has massive boulders perched seemingly haphazardly on the side of the mountain.
We explored a little bit then found a boulder to sit on for awhile looking out over Ogden on a beautiful, clear morning. The world felt right in that moment. We prayed together and chatted about life.

Hiking along the Ogden bench ~ Regretfully I have to say that ribbon of pukey yellow in the distance is pollution. Gotta love Utah's air quality!

Looking up towards Taylors Canyon

These boulders are massive ~ Their color and texture is amazing!

Rugged Beauty

Later that night Heather and I went to see "Sherlock Holmes". Very good movie :)
We drove home about 8:30pm. 10 minutes later the first shots were fired a block away that would take the life of Officer Jared Francom.
The Weber Morgan Narcotics Strike Force did a knock n serve and were fired upon by a lone suspect. It resulted in 6 officers being shot. Officer Francom was killed, 2 are still in critical condition, 2 are in stable condition and one was released.
The lone suspect was shot and is in the hospital also.
Heather and I were in the computer room when we heard cars that were going at very fast speeds with sirens. We ran out to the living room and realized the flashing lights were stopped a block away. At that point there were cop cars from different surrounding cities screaming up and down our road. They did a road block in front of our house.
We couldn't imagine what was going on. We thought maybe there was a hostage situation. DJ came home from school a bit later and then Dani and Ben from youth group after that.
We watched out our living room window for the next 3 hours as the local news channels set up and did broadcasts by the road block outside our house. We went online and read what had happened.
It was sad and surreal that this was happening in our neighborhood.
Please pray for Officer Francom's young wife and 2 children, ages 3 & 5, as well as the other wounded officers and their families. We appreciate the sacrifices they make each and every day. They are truly HEROES.

Beauty and tragedy all in one day ~
Hold on to each moment you have been given! Purpose to live with gratitude the moments God has blessed you with!

Blessings,

JanMarie

The Journey Begins :)

2012-01-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year!

~The poster is made
~Goals are set
~First weigh in is come and gone
Our family Biggest Loser~ish contest is on a roll!

This is my portion of the poster we made. No one else is real excited about me blogging on their journey so you are just stuck with me :)
In case you can't read the inspirational quote here it is :
"The only one who can tell you that you can't is you. You don't have to listen!"

Heather and I decided to join a local gym. It's a smaller fitness center. Warm and inviting. Friendly staff.
I made the commitment to work with a trainer once a week for the next 6 months. It will help me be more accountable in getting to the gym 5 days a week. It will also be very helpful because I'm lost when it comes to weight training!
Yesterday was my 2nd session with my trainer ~ he's great! Very encouraging. I need that ~ alot :) This journey to losing 50 lbs. won't be easy. I won't always want to go workout. I won't always want to make better food choices.
BUT....I do want to feel better.....stronger! I don't want to sit around waiting for health problems to fall into my lap because of being overweight.
So. The journey begins :)
I'm hoping to blog each Monday about this journey. That's the day I meet with my trainer. I think it will be helpful to blog about this journey. Writing is a powerful tool. Maybe someone else will be inspired to take the first step towards their own journey!

DJ and I took the dogs hiking along the bench Sunday morning. It was so beautiful. Not to cold. So quiet and the air was clean :)

Persevering With Purpose,
JanMarie

Christmas Week

2011-12-31T22:40:00.002-07:00

Only 2 hours left of 2011 ~ Where on earth did this year go?
Hello 2012! I'm excited about this coming year :)

Christmas week was fun and eventful. My mom and dad came for a week and we had a wonderful time with them :)

We took the FrontRunner train down to Salt Lake City. We ate dinner at the Blue Lemon ~ great food :) We also walked around Temple Square and looked at the lights. Amazing. I think every twig on every tree was covered in lights!
We went to the 11pm Christmas Eve service at our church and opened stockings.
Christmas day was relaxing. We got up and opened presents. Then we had our traditional Christmas breakfast ~ sausage gravy and biscuits. Both made from scratch. Yum!
The girls both had to work after breakfast. We had a simple Christmas dinner of ham, baked sweet potatoes, raspberry applesauce jello, olives, pickles and homemade rolls, steamed broccoli and corn. Delicious!

DJ and I saw this at TJMaxx and had to buy it for Ben. It's a traditional Italian cake.
We had these at Christmastime when we lived in Sicily. Ben especially loved them.

These next pictures are Ben snowboarding last Monday. He was so happy to be on the slopes again!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our church, Alpine Church, did Missions Week again this year. Not everyone can go on a missions trip so Alpine Church decided to give people the opportunity to "go" on a missions trip right here in our hometown.

This past Monday we packed boxes for pastors in Mexico. There are 298 indigenous groups in Mexico. They each have their own language ~ some of them also know Spanish.......some not. The pastors in these areas have next to nothing to work with as they reach out to their own indigenous group. The boxes we packed have a variety of items in them such as toiletries, school supplies, food items, etc. The pastors are so grateful to receive these boxes.

Tuesday morning found a semi truck from Feed My Starving Children pulling into the church parking lot! Exciting!
We did this last year and it is FUN!!
FMSC is based in Minnesota and is a non-profit Christian organization.
Basically how it works is this:
~ Our church paid for 200,000 meals
~ A truck brings all the supplies needed to set up stations so we can package those meals
~The meals consist of 4 components:
1.   Rice, the most widely accepted grain around the world.
   2.   Extruded soy nuggets, providing maximum protein at lowest cost.
   3.   Vitamins, minerals and a vegetarian flavoring to give growing children the critical nutritional elements they need.
   4.   Dehydrated vegetables for flavor and nutrition.
~Tables are set up and it runs like an assembly line. Scooping the food into bags, weighing it, sealing it and boxing it up.
~People sign up for 2 hour shifts.

You know that you are being a blessing by doing this but believe me...you will leave feeling blessed and grateful to have played a small part in FMSC's outreach!
For more information on Feed My Starving Children go here: http://www.fmsc.org

The truck is here!

Time to unload

soy and rice

Tables ready for stations to be set up

This was at the end of our shift but you can see how the stations are set up

32 bags in a box ~ this is life saving food for so many children. This food is shipped to nearly 70 countries around the world.

~~~~~~~~~~

There's no better way to spend Christmas vacation than reaching out to others sharing the love of Christ! I'm so grateful my husband and kids enjoy doing this as much as I do. It was wonderful that mom and dad were here to help too. They loved it.

I hope you are excited about this coming year.

Happy New Year!

~JanMarie

Dreaming of a White Christmas..... & Pinterest :)

2011-12-14T14:43:00.002-07:00

It gently snowed all day yesterday ~
It gave us a couple inches or so. I'm hoping it hangs on stubbornly because our 10 day forecast is pretty clear with highs in the upper 30's. Hopefully the mountains got dumped on!!

I'm sharing my new obsession with you :) It's a good one I promise!
The name of my new obsession is Pinterest www.pinterest.com It's an online community version of what I've been doing since I was a senior in high school (1989). It's a wonderful place to get inspiration and ideas on just about any topic!

I took my first interior design class in high school and have been infatuated with it ever since! I started tearing pages out of magazines of things that inspired me. Several years ago I organized those pictures in 3 ring binders. I have one for each room of the house. I slipped the pictures into clear protective sleeves.

Pinterest is the same idea. You can create different boards ~ for example I have a board for each room of my house. As you come across pictures while surfing the web you can pin them to your boards.
Maybe you aren't interested in decorating but maybe you love travel. You can create boards for all the places you've been or want to go.
You have to be invited to join Pinterest. If you are interested let me know ~ I'll invite you :)
You can follow other peoples boards and repin their ideas and pictures to your own boards. It's amazing!!

Dani will be home soon and we're going to make Scottish Shortbread. Melt in your mouth Yum :)

dreaming of a white Christmas.........
JanMarie

Happenings....

2011-12-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

DJ and I had a chance this week to get away for a couple of days. Friends offered us the use of their condo up in Eden. Gratefully we accepted :)
It was nice and relaxing. One of the days we drove down to Draper to explore IKEA. It was DJ's first time there. He was really impressed with what they had to offer. So many options and ideas!
Cabelas was only a few more miles south so we went there also just to browse ~ seriously! no purchases were made :) One can dream though, right?

Today I took Ben and Heather down to Union Station to take their yearly pictures since we don't buy school pictures anymore (they are too pricey and predictable). I like how Heather's turned out ~ I need to take Ben out again though.

I'm working on a project in the kitchen. As much as I want it done I dawdle and procrastinate as always! I'm going to go work on it now so hopefully in a week or so I can show you the end result.

I've been encouraged lately in my morning devotions. I'm reading Colossians 3 every morning. It's amazing what you start gleaning as you reread the same passage everyday. Along with that I'm reading through Jeremiah ~ one chapter a day.

God so desires to shower us with His mercy, grace and love. To often we forget that He is also a Holy and Just God! He will allow us to bear the consequences of our choices yet continue to love us through it all. His heart cries as we flop around like fish out of water determined to make it on our own. No matter how we flop and fail it never changes who God is. He is constant. He IS.

Redeemer

Savior

I AM

Counselor

Faithful

Just

Holy

Cornerstone

King of Kings

Emmanuel

Lord of Lords

& so much more.

Have a beautiful day :)

~JanMarie

Biggest Loser...ish

2011-12-08T13:32:00.000-07:00

Christmas cards are in the mail!
I'm so glad I won't be rushing around at the last minute trying to get those done :)

Last night we as a family decided to create our own version of the Biggest Loser. We are going to make a poster with all our names on it and our goals whether it's losing weight or for Ben it will probably be a running goal or something. Starting January 1st we will weigh in and then continue to do so on the 1st of each month. June 1st will be the final weigh in. If everyone has met their goal we will take a trip ~ nothing to extravagant but somewhere we haven't been. The destination is still undecided.
We are all pretty competitive ~ no one will want to be the one who let the family down so to speak!
I have to be honest and say I'm a bit nervous. I was 123 lbs. when DJ and I started dating in '90. 4 pregnancies later and not exercising led to quite a bit of weight gain. Almost 100 lbs. Not cool! My goal for now is to lose 35 lbs.
I'm very undisciplined and that's what makes me nervous. I can do this though ~ with lots of prayer and hard work. It will have to be in His strength not mine.

We will all approach this differently.

DJ hates working out so he'll probably ride his bike to work ~ about 24 miles round trip. Heather's been going to the gym with a friend and has her Zumba dvds.
I will mostly exercise by walking, hiking and snowshoeing (if it ever snows!). I know I need to do some strength training too. I'm not sure yet what Dani and Ben will be doing.

Today Bing Crosby is filling the house with sounds of Christmas while we bake Cinnamon Nut Biscotti :)

Have a beautiful day!

~JanMarie

Let It Snow!

2011-12-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

I finally have my blog looking the way I wanted! Simple :)

Computers and I aren't the best of friends so it took a little doing.

So, are you decorated for Christmas? I'm about 90% done. Christmas cards are ready to mail ~ A very stubborn, bloody nose kept me home today instead of going to the Post Office. Hoping tomorrow is a more productive day!

Last night was the annual Christmas Concert put on by several area high schools. The choir Danielle is in did a wonderful job as always. The evening ended with all the choirs (500+ students) singing "Still, Still, Still" ~ a beautiful Austrian Christmas lullaby dating from 1819. Words can't describe the full, rich sound of so many voices harmonizing together. Awesome :)

We are still waiting for snow! Oh Please, Oh Please, Oh Please!!! We love wintertime ~ with snow that is :)

I hope you are taking in the sights, smells and sounds of this special time of year wherever you are!

~JanMarie

Remembering With Gratitude

2011-11-16T17:48:00.001-07:00

This past Friday was Veterans Day. It brought to mind our second trip to Rome while we were living in Sicily. We decided to visit the World War II Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial site. It is located 38 miles south of Rome on the northern edge of Nettuno.

Dan & Vivian (DJ's mom and dad), Dani, Ben, Heather and DJ at the entrance

It was an incredible experience. We were the only ones there ~ 77 acres of a somber yet peaceful atmosphere. The quiet compelled me to think of all the brave, young men and women who sacrificed everything. The majority of these lives were lost during the liberation of Sicily, at the landings in the Salerno Area and Anzio Beach or those involved with air and naval support in those regions.

The Star of David was seen randomly among the beautiful rows of white crosses.

There are 7,861 buried here

The chapel dedicated to the 3,095 missing military members in that region

The dedication plaque outside the chapel in English and Italian

Jobs & home states of MIA's ~ I cried as I ran my hand over these etchings

I'm really glad we were able to visit this cemetery and memorial site. I'm grateful for all our veterans ~ those who are currently serving, have served in the past and especially those who gave the greatest sacrifice ~ their life.

~~~~~~~

We went to the Veterans Day Parade here in Ogden Saturday morning and to a small ceremony they had afterwards.

Today I'm grateful for:

~the priviledge of living in such a wonderful country because of so many dedicated and courageous men and women
~the love of a Savior who is ever faithful
~winter slowly making its presence known :)

~JanMarie

College Trip to Oregon :)

2011-11-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

This past week DJ, Danielle and I took a 4 day road trip to Oregon. Our purpose was to visit a college Dani is looking into.
It was a wonderful trip ~ We were able to stay with my brother and sister-in-law, the college has alot to offer and we got a dose of the incredible Pacific Northwest! I grew up in the greater Portland area and really miss certain things. Like: endless forests of evergreens, moss, Mt. Hood, wispy fog and so many places to drink coffee :)
DJ helped my brother, Dave, put in a new dishwasher and kitchen faucet. It was an enjoyable 4 days.

Driving through the Columbia Gorge ~ one of my favorite places.
Sorry for the specks on the picture. I seem to be having a hard time keeping my lens clean even using a lens cover.

We stopped at this vineyard ~ the people there were so friendly.

~~~~~~~

The following pictures were taken as we drove around the greater Yamhill area. They were taken as we were driving so they aren't high quality. It gives you an idea of the area though.

One of the things I really miss about living in Oregon is the logging trucks. I've loved them since I was a kid.
Why do I love them? Hmmm...I don't know. I love to stack firewood. Maybe there's a connection. Maybe I need therapy!?

Me and my brother, Dave. He's fun to spend time with :) Great cook too!

~~~~~~

Saturday we went to McMinnville for breakfast and to go to Lowes. What a beautiful town! Of course I have to share pictures with you! These following pictures are taken on 3rd St.

Where we ate breakfast ~ It was such a cozy, inviting atmosphere. The omelettes were amazing!
Jack cheese, onions sauteed in balsamic vinegar and hmmm I can't remember what else.

I love that little alcove with a table and chairs ~ Oh, that moss is so pretty :)

David and Kristijana's "new" old house ~ 1901 and it's full of charm

We hit this bit of snow on the way home ~ This is not far from Emigrant Springs State Park in Oregon.
It was a fun road trip ~ just DJ & I sharing this time with Dani. She drove all the way home! 14 hours. She had to prove to herself that she could do it.

Counting My Blessings,
JanMarie

Our Own Secret Stash :)

2011-11-01T07:19:00.001-06:00

Last year we fell in love.......

With Jalapeno Jelly!
We blame our friends, Steve & Cathy. They made some and gave us a jar. All very innocent I'm sure but that one jar left us wanting more :)
This year I told Steve we wanted to help them make jalapeno jelly so we could have our own secret stash!
Steve and Cathy have a great outdoor area that we worked in.

The outdoor kitchen we used ~ Ben is washing jars

What a great space to have in your yard!

Getting things lined up and ready to go :)

Much better than canning inside!

Great view while working.......

Jalapenos ~ The star of the recipe! These were picked at a local farm.

These peppers were also grown locally ~ We added them to the jalapeno jelly for color.

DJ didn't use gloves when he cut up jalapenos but I had to. Even with gloves my hands got red and were irritated so DJ took that job over.

Jalapenos & vinegar

Jalapeno mixture, sugar, pectin and more vinegar cooked on the stove ~ Then DJ ladled it into jars

Canning takes a little patience but it's so worth it!

I don't have a picture of the end result but we were happy to bring 60 pint jars of jalapeno jelly home :) Altogether I think we made around 200 jars that day.
Jalapeno jelly is so good with cream cheese and crackers.
~~~~~~
Can you believe it's November 1st?
Today I'm grateful for:
*beautiful, lingering fall colors
*a husband who is faithful and hardworking
*blackberry jam
*coffee in early morning hours
*a Savior who is my hope

Blessings,
JanMarie

The City Library

2011-10-27T14:39:00.000-06:00

Fascinating ~ Interesting ~ Worth Seeing. ~ The City Library down in Salt Lake City.

Heather and I took Dan & Vivian down to SLC last week when they were here. There was just enough clouds that I was able to get some decent pictures.

Isn't it beautiful with the sunlight gently making its presence known?
There are several little shops down on the main floor ~ a deli, gift store, book store, etc.
Each level on the left side of this picture is a study area with tables and chairs.
The library is on the right side.

Each level has this oddly unique set of fireplaces ~ hmmm

This mobile made of little books and butterflies hangs from the ceiling

Outside the library. There are stairs on that curved part of the building so we decided to check out the views.

Looking back to where we came out of the library.

The view as we started up the stairs ~ looking east.

At the top! Looking west at the City Hall building.

Looking southwest.

Looking back at the stairs we came up.

Instead of taking the stairs back down we went inside and took the glass elevator.

What an artsy bike rack outside the library!

Dan, Vivian and Heather leaving the library.

The City Library is definitely worth visiting if you live in the area or happen to be passing through!

Have a beautiful day!
~JanMarie

Salt Lake City

2011-10-26T22:36:00.000-06:00

I love going down to Salt Lake City ~ it sits along the Wasatch Mountains and has a great variety of unique restaurants.
DJ's mom and dad were here last week. We took them to SLC on the FrontRunner ( train ) twice and had a wonderful time!

We all went down together on the Friday night that Dan and Vivian were here. We walked by the Salt Palace Convention Center. It was later evening and the lighting was so soft and pretty.

~~~~~

We ate at Seigfrieds Delicatessen ( 200 S. next to Capitol Theatre ). German food ~Delicious!

The sauerkraut was extra good :)

~~~~~

Monday morning Heather and I took Dan and Vivian back down to SLC.
We went to The City Library ~ A very unique library (pictures on that tomorrow).
We also went to the Blue Lemon for lunch ~ Always a treat!
I snapped this picture on the way to SLC ~ beautiful morning!

We hopped on the FrontRunner at the Woods Cross station.

Vivian, Heather & Dan

Arriving in SLC

We were going to ride Trax from the library to the Blue Lemon but there were delays. Heather said according to her phone it was less than a mile to walk so that's what we did.
It took longer than what we anticipated but it made lunch taste extra good!
We passed this building on our little walk :)

Trax ~ the red, white and blue is so patriotic and makes it easy to see

Oh the famous Artichoke-Spinach Cheese Dip ~ My taste buds dance everytime :)

Dan and Vivian both got the Raspberry Chicken Salad

There was a little breeze when we stepped outside after eating ~ Nothing like a grandma & grandpa huddle to keep you warm :)

Vivian, Heather & Dan outside the Blue Lemon

One last glance back as we were leaving

Vivian, Heather, Danielle & Dan ~ Before taking Grandpa and Grandma back to the airport
( Ben was in school & DJ was at work )

We enjoyed their visit as always.........tomorrow I'll share pictures of the amazing library!

~JanMarie

Ben Turns 15 :)

2011-10-23T16:23:00.000-06:00

Friday was Ben's birthday. His 15th.
Our last kid to drive ~ he passed his test the first time and now has his permit. He's actually a very good driver.
DJ deals with the kids so much better those first couple of weeks when they are learning to drive! I'll be the first to admit it wigs me out a bit ~ ok, it wigs me out alot!

We went to the Burger Bar for Ben's birthday ~ the burgers, fries & shakes are SO good!

Ben took DJ's truck around the block after he got his permit :)

In true Ben fashion he helped sing "Happy Birthday" to himself! It was entertaining as always :)

Our Little Man is becoming quite the young man.
p.s. This All American Chocolate Cake was made at Costco. It was a 7 lb. cake! No joke. We all laughed but it sure is yummy!

~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday I took the girls to a local park and took some pictures. Dani wants me to take her senior pictures so we'll be working on those over the next couple of months.

This pose is so similar to the poses Heather did as a toddler :)

Hard to believe a year from now Danielle will be away from home & in college!
I love this picture of her :)

My sweet girls ~ They've brought such joy to me over the years! Each in her own way. I'm blessed to be their mom :)

Love this!

Funny & Sassy~

Sisters by birth ~ Best friends by choice :)

We've had an incredible Autumn! The colors have lingered......

Have a beautiful day!
~JanMarie

Autumn Colors

2011-10-16T11:07:00.000-06:00

Autumn is my VERY favorite time of year! The colors, textures and smells warm my heart like no other season can even pretend to :)

A couple of Fridays ago found DJ and I heading to some of our favorite places to take in the beauty of this season.

DJ is sweet in this way. He was so patient all day as I took pictures everywhere we stopped!

We had a wonderful day together :)

Sunlit Tree Tops

North Ogden Divide ~ I wanted to hike out to the edge to see what kind of view there was of the valley (Ogden Valley).

DJ heading down

A view to the left as we were hiking down

Looking back up the hill

We couldn't get out to the edge as much as I'd hoped so we walked back up along the road.
What a beautiful day!!

We drove up to Powder Mountain ~ The aspens mixed in with the evergreens are one of my favorite sights in the fall :)

This is where Ben took his snowboarding lessons last year

Our next stop was Monte Cristo ~ One of our favorite areas here in Northern Utah.
DJ's walking along the road in the campground. We camped here quite a bit when the kids were younger.

So peaceful ~ a stroll through this campground is like a mini vacation for my heart!

Next we headed to the dirt road that goes over Wasatch Ridge ~ still in the Monte Cristo area

The skies were that incredible blue we get in the fall. The most amazing thing was the color of the aspens. I've only seen them in yellow but look how they are decked out in red/orange!

Snowbasin is way off in the distance

This tree caught my eye

This tree begged me to take its picture :)

These trees were growing out at an angle

We followed this dirt road (Wasatch Ridge) for awhile in awe of the view.
God is an INCREDIBLE artist! We are blessed to live in such a ruggedly beautiful part of this world!

~~~~~

Ben's football team lost pretty badly to Morgan this past week. They have one more game this coming week. We love watching him play!

Ben ~ #45

I hope you are enjoying fall colors in your area of the world!

~JanMarie

Ben ~ Football

2011-10-10T16:38:00.000-06:00

Well, once again I got off track with blogging! So now I have alot of catching up to do :)
Here are a few pictures from Ben's football season ~ only 2 games left.

Ben ~ #45

I wasn't sure what Ben was doing but thought it would make a neat picture ~ He later told me he was praying.

It's so hard to believe he will be 15 in less than 2 weeks!

Balloons being released at a home game! Go Rams!!

My camera wasn't working very well earlier in the season so I don't have alot of pictures. These next two games I hope to get some good action shots.

Life has been very busy around here lately~ I will do an update post soon!

Count Your Blessings!

~JanMarie

9/11

2011-09-11T08:17:00.000-06:00

Today I'm praying for our country as we remember 9/11.
So much sorrow...........
So much courage..........

Many lives were lost that day and many more in the last 10 years as the fight against terrorism has lingered on.
I'm grateful to the soldiers who have paid the ultimate price and to those who continue to serve our country.

I'm humbled by a Savior who died on a rugged cross to give us true and lasting freedom.

~JanMarie

The Story Behind "Blessings" - Laura Story at WGTS Gateway

2011-09-08T10:33:00.000-06:00

This song is so encouraging! This journey through life is not always easy.......But......when we look at everything we go through as an opportunity to draw closer to God & look to see how He's working in whatever it is we are going through.......therein lies the blessing.
I am sharing 3 videos. The first two share the story behind the song ~ I'm sharing both because I couldn't decide. I really enjoyed the perspective she shared in both of them.

One of the phrases in this song that really speaks to me is: "What if my disappointments or the aching(s) of this life is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy?"

I know in my life I too often get disappointed over people not being who I think I need them to be.

Jesus is the only one who satisfies completely, the only one who brings a perfect peace.We need to encourage one another and lift one another up but we are human and we will disappoint one another in all our relationships......marriage, family & friendships. Jesus is the Completer ~ the One who makes us whole :)

Be blessed today!

~JanMarie

A Quick Note

2011-08-27T22:32:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to check in real quick to say I'm sorry I didn't post football pictures yesterday!

It was so hot at Ben's game Thursday! For here anyway ~ 100* & it was almost a 3 hour game. We were sun screened and under umbrellas and sat drenched in our sweat. Taking pictures went to the wayside.
Oh, the things we do for our children :)

Ben played really well but they got their behinds kicked ~ 57 - 6. Here's hoping this weeks game goes better!

~ My thoughts and prayers go out to all those on the East Coast who are battling Irene as I type!

~JanMarie

Here We Go!

2011-08-25T09:42:00.002-06:00

And here we go again ~

Another school year has started! It's always fun to go school supply shopping :) Creating a fresh start with things like new paper, pens and pencils is somehow exciting!

Heather is continuing her path towards getting her RN. She's going to school and working full time as a CNA. She has a compassionate heart and loves her job. She's so darn cute in her scrubs too :)

Danielle is a senior ~ Even as I write that I find it hard to swallow......should she be that old already? She is one hard worker! She worked full time all summer cleaning condos. She was able to pay her car off and put a chunk in savings. She will continue to work weekends during the school year.
She gave herself a pretty heavy schedule this year ~ several AP classes which count towards college. She loves learning and wants to be an elementary teacher.

Ben is in 9th grade ~ He trained with the high school cross country team all summer for the exercise. He loved it but is now playing football :) His first game is today! It's supposed to be 98* today ~ yuck :( I will post pictures tomorrow.
He's taking Publications this year which means he'll help put the yearbook together. I love that he's always wanting to try new things!

Can I just say I love my kids!
My prayer has always been that God would fill in the gaps where we mess up in our parenting. As I look at our kids I am so grateful that God is faithful!
I am proud of each one of them ~

~JanMarie

Check These Quilts Out!

2011-08-14T10:58:00.000-06:00

One day I would love to make at least one quilt ~ My lack of patience is a bit of a hindrance! I so admire others who create beautiful quilts :)

While I was in Klamath Falls I had the chance to see some extraordinary quilts. My dad has a good friend who is an outstanding photographer! His name is Jeremy Franklin and he and his wife are a bit like family now :)

Twenty quilters got permission to use 3 of Jeremys pictures and made a slice quilt out of each picture. Amazing! It took them about a year and now the quilts travel around and have been on display in different states.

If you want more information on what a slice quilt is and this project in general I'll direct you to Jeremy's website ~ www.wildernessperspectives.com (copy &paste). Click on Basin Vistas to find out more on the quilting project.
While at his website take a minute and check out Jeremy's photography! He's that good! Extraordinary really....

What I thought was so amazing is that different quilters worked on each slice independently. They got together periodically to make sure they were all on track but otherwise worked on their own. Also the texture that is sewn into the quilts is really fascinating. Things like raffia, embroidery thread, etc.
Truly a work of art!

Maybe this winter I'll attempt a quilt........hmmm........maybe.......

~JanMarie

New Family Pictures

2011-08-11T15:06:00.000-06:00

Earlier this summer we had the chance to have our family pictures taken as a fundraiser. A lady at our church is a photographer and for $50.00 we got a 30 minute photo session and she sent us a cd with the pictures. The money went to the youth going to the Phillipines on a mission trip.

We got each picture in both color and black & white. One of the family pictures will be used for our Christmas card this year. Yeah for no last minute panic trying to get a current photo!!

So here are some of the pictures......

~JanMarie

Howard Prairie & My 41st Birthday :)

2011-08-10T08:44:00.000-06:00

Ok, let's finish up with Howard Prairie :)

Our time there was like a dose of good medicine! To be in the very midst of Gods beautiful creation away from everyday craziness (phones, tvs, computers, schedules, etc) was WONDERFUL!

Mikayla & Danielle

Captain Dani :)

Danielle & Maxine ~ They are exactly 7 months apart

I love this picture of Mom & Dad :)

Mikayla & Danielle ~ Some of the group took a boat ride later in the day. The water was really choppy and they came back wet!

Mom, Mary & Dad ( my brother in law, Michael, in the background)

All the kids floating around

Ben

Kids again ~ They spent so much time in the water.

Ben was laying down in the raft with his head propped just enough to see where he was going

Danielle, Me, Mikayla, Mary, Maxine, Ben & Heather

Just before we left we walked down to the pier one last time

************

My birthday was the day before we went camping. Heather baked me a cake and Dani decorated it. It was beautiful just like my girls :) They have such giving hearts ~ I'm proud to be their Mom!

This picture wasn't sideways when I downloaded it but it is now and I can't figure out how to rotate it !

This pretty much wraps up our Oregon trip ~

Have a beautiful day!
~JanMarie

Howard Prarie Lake Resort ~ Boat Rentals :)

2011-08-05T23:44:00.000-06:00

Our second day at Howard Prarie we decided to rent a canoe and a 15' fiberglass boat. It was $60.00 for both of them for the day. 6am - 7:30 pm and you could go in and get gas refills as often as needed ~ no extra charge! We thought that was a great deal and had a wonderful day out on the water.

DJ and I set our alarm for 5:30 am so we could start a pot of coffee and get the boat early ~ There's nothing like being on the water as morning dawns or at dusk!

Waiting for the coffee......the view made the wait so worthwhile :)

Good Morning!

Let's get going!

Heading to the campsite with the boats

Dani, DJ behind her, Me, and Mikayla ~ I can't even describe how beautiful it was that morning out on the water :)

DJ & Mikayla ~ She had fun navigating!

DJ & Dani in the back ~ Heather, Mikayla & I up front

~
After breakfast some of us went out again and found a pretty little cove......

Heather & Maxine

DJ, Me & my sister Mary

We found this pretty cove and explored a bit

Ben

DJ chilling out :)

Me & Mary

Bald Eagle

Stopping to get more gas

DJ pushing Mikayla & Dani off

They were off to a great start! ~ Then the wind picked up so we took the other boat out to where they were and pulled them back in!

Mom & Dad canoeing later in the day

Heather & Mary (Aunt Mimi)

What a fun and relaxing day! It was a great way to get out and enjoy God's awesome Creation.

~JanMarie

Howard Prarie Lake Resort :)

2011-08-04T14:13:00.000-06:00

Last week we camped at Howard Prarie Lake Resort with my sisters family along with mom and dad. We stayed for 3 days. It was so relaxing! What a beautiful area. It was 19 miles out of Ashland, OR.
Today I'm just sharing a few pictures of the general area........

Entrance to Howard Prarie Lake Resort

Marina ~ I love the color of the boats!

Marina

Lots of Sailboats

I like the atmosphere of marinas ~ I'm not sure what it is but I felt the same way over in Sicily. The fishing boats were so fascinating!

Looking towards our campsite from the pier ~ The tree in the middle of the picture that the trunk is most noticeable was where we camped.

Taken from the end of the pier

Seagull resting at the marina

Store/Restaurant (Do you see the working pay phone out front? You don't see those very much anymore!)

We all decided we should rent a pontoon next year! This one was set up really nice :)

Campfire ~ Definitely one of the best parts of camping!!

We camped just off the shoreline ~ Wonderful :) ~ We had Bald Eagles, Osprey, Pelicans and Seagulls that flew along the shoreline.

What's camping without roasting hotdogs? Ben also roasted an apple ~

Tomorrows post will probably have an obnoxious amount of pictures...but that's ok.....this is my way of documenting our life :) I'll be posting pictures of the day we rented a boat and a canoe :)

Have a beautiful day!
~JanMarie

Sherwood & The Girls Hit Medford :)

2011-08-02T22:34:00.002-06:00

Road trips can be so much fun! The road trip to Portland with my mom and sister was relaxing and full of little side trips :)
We stopped in Sherwood to see how much it has grown and changed over the years. In some ways it's like a whole new town but tucked here and there are sweet reminders of the town we grew up with.

I did not go to school here but my friend Erin did! She is one of my friends here in Utah. Several years ago we were talking about what towns we grew up in as we knew we were both Oregonians. She said "I grew up in a little town you've probably never heard of." When she told me it was Sherwood I just laughed. We grew up a few miles apart and never knew it!

Street corner in Sherwood

Tea House in Sherwood

This building is the most memorable for me ~ The library! So many hours were spent in the basement where all the wonderful childrens books lived :) The librarian was older with dark hair and glasses. She had a deep, raspy voice and long, slightly yellow nails. She was nice but not overly friendly. None of that really mattered because I just loved the books! Her name is at the tip of my tongue....hmmmmm

Here's the library from the front ~ It's still the same color :) I love that.

Mary and I stopped in to see the barber, Dale, where my Dad and brothers got their hair cut for so many years (in that chair in the above photo). He's 82 now and had to retire 5 months ago because he let his license expire. After picking Mom up from visiting a friend we stopped and got flowers for Dale. We visited him in the next town over and had a wonderful time looking at all the pieces he's china painted over the years. He even let each of us pick a piece out. Mom chose a little pitcher with blackberries on it, Mary chose a plate with prunes and I chose a plate with grapes. It's hard to believe I forgot to take my camera in his house!

These next pictures are after we got back to Klamath Falls.......

My niece Maxine and Ben sitting on Mom and Dad's patio :)

My Dad, niece Mikayla & my dad's sister Ann :)

Ben intently reading while he was waiting his turn at a photo shoot. A lady at my mom and dad's church is trying to get her photography business up and running. She borrowed my 2 nieces and Ben so she could have sample pictures on her website.

The day before we came home to Utah the 4 girls headed to Medford (about an hour & a half drive) for a day of shopping. Maxine and Mikayla were especially excited because Klamath Falls has a WalMart and Fred Meyers but no Target, big mall, Kohls, Old Navy, etc.

Heather took her camera and captured these memorable moments.......

Danielle, Mikayla & Maxine ~ I love these dresses but it was window shopping only

4 Girls Being..........Well, Girls :)

Mikayla & Heather

And with every beautiful dress must come some.......dowdy clothing?........Oh My!

Maxine & Heather ~ oh what a pair!
You have to have a certain amount of ~~craziness~~ confidence to flaunt these outfits. They tucked their regular shirts in the pants to give a frumpy look.

Mikayla & Danielle ~ Layers upon Layers ~ Silly Girls!

I think it is safe to say they had a wonderful time!

Well, you are probably wondering if I will ever be done blogging this trip! In the next couple posts I will share pictures from our 3 day trip to Howard Prarie Lake Resort. Definitely a highlight of our vacation!

Have a beautiful day :)
~JanMarie

Where I Grew Up........

2011-07-31T09:52:00.000-06:00

Mom, Mary and I had the chance to stop and see the house we kids call our childhood home. Mom and Dad lived there for 27 years. We moved there in 1980, the summer I turned 10.

What a great place to grow up! 5 miles from town in a valley surrounded by forests of evergreens and orchards full of hazelnut & prune trees :) The railroad tracks ran along the backside of our property.
We spent endless hours climbing trees, running through the 60ish acres of hazelnuts and prunes rubbing dirt on our faces while playing army. The railroad tracks and trestle were also part of our extended playground. When we got thirsty we just grabbed a drink out of the garden hose!

In high school I spent alot of time down by the trestle writing poetry and working on creative essays for school.

Driving down 99 from Sherwood towards Newberg ~ We lived half way between the 2 towns. We had a Sherwood address and a Newberg phone number.

I just love all the trees!

Here's the turn off to our old house

Standing on the train tracks looking down the road we shared with 2 neighbors. Our driveway is down on the left.

Looking towards Sherwood ~ I cried a couple tears as I stood here.......bittersweet :)

Looking towards Newberg

This is above our house ~ This is where the hazelnut & prune trees used to be. The new owners are establishing a vineyard up there. Portland & Mt. Hood are off in the distance.

The vineyards new road goes through the old orchard which is very overgrown with blackberries,etc.
That little forest of fir trees in the middle of the picture was the inspiration for one of my creative essays in high school.

This is the road that was used when we were growing up to get to the orchard owners house. He actually lived in Portland and rented out the big house.

Here's the 2 garages, main house and cabin ~ The vineyard people lived here while building their new house and now these poor buildings are very neglected. I love this place and would love to fix everything up inside and out. There's so much potential ~ it's very quiet up there except the soothing sound of the wind as it blows through the trees

Workshop

So many wonderful elements in this picture :)

The right side of the main house

Front of the main house ~ so much potential! Window boxes, pretty front door with glass, landscaping ( nothing to formal ), and create a more protected entry way plus something more appealing to the eye :)

Garage

The group of overgrown brush and trees on the left side of the picture sits next to the train tracks. In the summertime we would carve out rooms in there and play house using boxes, scrap wood and whatever dishes Momma would let us bring outside. It was so much fun!

Dad's Shop

Momma & Mary looking at the backyard ~ Momma & Dad planted most of those trees over the years. The walnut tree is in the middle of the back of the picture. The tall evergreen to the right of it is the tree we used to climb.

We spent many hours playing in this culvert under the tracks ~ You could get to our carved out summer playhouse by crawling through it.

Looking down at the back of the house from the train tracks

Over the years a variety of animals shared that property with us ~ A burro named Sugar, a horse named Maggie, a goat we called Buster, our pet rooster we called Bard, Thumper our beautiful, red rabbit and a whole list of dogs and cats that filled our lives with mostly happiness. We raised chickens and rabbits to butcher ~ what a dreaded job! Smelly and getting all the pin feathers out of the chickens was such a chore!! The best part of butchering day was when we 5 kids would each chop a chickens head off and line them up at the top of the backyard. It was always fun to see whose chicken would run the furthest!

We grew up in a wonderful place :) I feel blessed to have grown up with so much land to roam!

Portland Trip: Part 3

2011-07-21T17:47:00.001-06:00

Ikea......what a store!
Mary and I didn't have time to see everything but we fell in love with so many rooms and ideas!!
I absolutely love contrasting light and dark furniture :) It makes my heart happy.......matchy-matchy is to predictable and tends to leave my eyes a little bored!

p.s. That's not to say there aren't some beautiful rooms with matching furniture ~

So here goes ~ This is what caught our attention :)

This room could just move into my house anytime and I'd be ever so happy!

The contrast is beautiful ~ Love the couch and mirror! Oh, who am I kidding? I love it all :)

"My" Kitchen :)

The beadboard is great ~ Love the upper cabinet especially

This little corner is sweet :) Love the hanging baskets and buckets!

There's that contrast in furniture again ~

These cornered bookcases with lights are great! The shelf with baskets over the door is attractive and a good use of space.

The wall was a very nice yellow not pukey green like it looks. Look at all the contasts in this room!

Awesome use of space! You don't have to have a lot of square footage to create roomy and organized space!

Mary's Kitchen ~ Very Pretty :) Great space to work in!

We both fell in love with this room! Very attractive and functional.

This stole my heart.......It even comes with a ladder! Now, that's awesome!

What little kid wouldn't love these chairs?

My brother, David, stopped by the hospital before my aunts surgery and had a cup of coffee with us :)

Isn't this pretty? It was in the hospital.

This unique lamp caught my eye as we walked by the Learning Center for cancer patients. She's made of jewelry. Very striking.

Well, I will be back soon with more photos of the town we grew up in and our childhood home.

Have a beautiful day!
~JanMarie

Portland Trip: Part 2

2011-07-20T13:42:00.002-06:00

Mom, Mary & I spent 3 days up in the Portland area last week. It was an unexpected trip but what a treat to see "home" again :)We got up there late Monday evening. We stopped by the hospital to see my aunt then went and got settled in our hotel room.
Tuesday we got up and took Momma over to the hospital then Mary and I went shopping at Ikea. We have an Ikea in Salt Lake City but I've never been. I now see why people rant and rave about that store! Oh my goodness....words cannot express the awesomeness of it! We fell in love with so many rooms and we each picked out "our" kitchen :) Needless to say we had SO much fun.
After shopping we went back to the hospital and sat with Momma and 2 of our cousins during my aunts surgery. She came through the surgery very well and is now home :)
That evening we met my brothers at Sharis for dinner. My brother David lives in the greater Portland area and my brother John lives in the Stevenson, WA area.
We had a wonderful 2+ hrs. with them!

The following pictures are random pictures around Portland.............

Ikea! I will post pictures from our trip here later.

Blackberries grow everywhere in Western Oregon......I miss them SO much. It's my favorite berry. I bought 2 jars of this blackberry jam at Sharis.

The waitress was very friendly and took a picture of us :)
~Lisa (John's girlfriend), John, Mary, Momma, Me, David and his wife Kristijana

I snapped this as we were driving across Burnside Bridge ~Steel Bridge is the next bridge over. It was built in 1912 and is the only double deck bridge with independant lifts in the world. It is the second oldest vertical lift bridge in the world. The bridge in the background is Fremont Bridge. It was built in 1973.

This sign was put up in 1940 and has had various messages and advertising over the years. The longest running advertisement was for White Stag Sportswear. It ran from 1959 - 1997. In 1977 it became a historic landmark. The sign was acquired by the City of Portland in 2010 and it now reads Portland, Oregon. Every Christmas (since 1959) the stags nose is red in imitation of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

Henry's Tavern has over 100 beers and hard ciders on tap, mostly from local breweries. It's located where Blitz-Weinhard Brewery brewed on site for more than 140 years.

Henry Taverns courtyard entrance.

Inside the courtyard is the smokestack that Blitz-Weinhard Brewery used.

Powells City of Books.......one of my moms favorite stores :) It is one of the worlds largest new and used bookstores. It takes up a whole city block!

I snapped this picture in passing.....I don't remember what the building was but the window caught my eye :)

One of Portlands Theatres

Portland ~ "City of Roses"......they grow everywhere

The road up by OHSU ~ Oregon Health & Science University (established in 1887)

This speaks home to me.......moss & thick forests of trees everywhere.

Well, tomorrow I will share more of our trip :)

Have a beautiful day!
~JanMarie

Portland Trip ~Part 1

2011-07-19T11:25:00.001-06:00

Ben and I have been in Oregon for almost 2 weeks and will be here until the end of the month. Last week Monday my mom, sister (Mary) and I took a road trip to Portland to see my moms sister who was having surgery.

A 5 hour trip turned into 7 1/2 hrs because we made random stops along the way :) One stop was at Salt Creek Falls. What a beautiful place!

I'm really glad we made the trip up there because the greater Portland area is where we grew up and it will always be home. It was SO nice to be among the land of trees again. I miss the towering evergreens ( mostly fir ).

Heading out of Klamath Falls on 97 ~ Mount McLoughlin

Beautiful sky

Heading off road in search of a place to go to the bathroom

Hmmm........not exactly what we had in mind! ~ the mosquitos were horrible

This picture is dark and theres a bug splattered on the windshield ~ BUT I was so happy to be driving through these towering trees!

Diamond Peak

Rhododendron

Salt Creek Falls

Salt Creek is a tributary of the Middle Fork of the Willametter River
Salt Creek Falls is about 286 ft. high.

Bottom of the Falls

So pretty!

Tomorrow I will do more of our trip......lots of pictures :)

~JanMarie

Celebrating Freedom

2011-07-06T09:05:00.000-06:00

The 4th of July is just about my favorite holiday! I love our country, flag & the principles America was founded on. I appreciate the sacrifice of what it has taken and continues to take to make America the wonderful nation that it is.

On the 4th DJ and I got up early to get all the watering done for the day. It was overcast a bit but still a beautiful morning to hang the flag........

We headed up to Huntsville about 7:45 for Breakfast in the Park. It was yummy.....pancakes, sausage and eggs. (Have I mentioned before that I could just pack my bags and move to that town!)

Snowbasin through the trees

Beautiful! ~ from Huntsville Park

Chairs are all lined up ready for the parade

The flag raising ceremony was touching ~ Old Glory pulls at my heartstrings whenever I see her

The parade is officially starting ~ small town parades are the best!

We went home after the parade and got some things done around the house then we headed back up to Huntsville at dinnertime. We ate at Huntsville Barbecue Company with our friends, the Schorrs.
This was our 9th year of going up to Huntsville Park for fireworks. I love fireworks! The kids had a great time as always running around with friends. I didn't take my camera up in the evening.
Three other families from church came up also and I got to walk a baby to sleep and then hold him throughout the fireworks! Really? Life just can't get much sweeter than that! :)
It was a wonderful day celebrating our country's birth and the freedoms we enjoy.

There is only one freedom that is truly lasting though.......freedom in Christ. Ephesians 2:8 & 9. Through faith in Him alone can we find a lasting peace ~ While we fight valiantly for our country's freedom there is nothing we can do to earn our spiritual freedom. Christ's blood on the Cross is the only thing that will wash away our sins and give us spiritual freedom.

Statue of Liberty
I'm proud to be an American,
God bless the USA!

In New York harbor stands a lady,
With a torch raised to the sky;
And all who see her know,
She stands for liberty for you and me.

I'm so proud to be called an American,
To be named with the brave and the free;
I will honor our flag and our trust in God,
And the Statue of Liberty.

On lonely Golgotha stood a cross,
With our Lord raised to the sky;
And all who kneel there live forever,
As all the saved can testify.

I'm so proud to be called a Christian,
To be named with the ransomed and whole;
As the statue liberates the citizen,
So the cross liberates the soul.

Oh, the cross is my Statue of Liberty,
It was there that my soul was set free;
Unashamed, I'll proclaim that a rugged cross,
Is my Statue of Liberty.

(words & music by Neil Enloe )

~JanMarie

Summer

2011-06-30T12:54:00.001-06:00

Summertime in Snapshots:

Max sprawled out in the garden

Picnic table & benches DJ & I made last week out of wood that someone else was going to throw away!

Our dinner last night :) Don's Meats (Layton) has the best marinated chicken! It grills up so moist and delicious!

Rhubarb! This is the second batch I've harvested from my plants this year. I'm making rhubarb pie again tonight! No strawberries ( though that's good too).

This morning Heather, Ben, myself, our friend Erin and her daughter Hannah hiked up Pond Trail. It's along the Ogden bench. We hiked from the 29th St. trailhead. It's a fairly short hike but it takes you to a nice shady area where someone has created a water landscape of sorts. The water is crystal clear and cold....snow melt off.

Hannah, Heather & Ben

I hope you are enjoying your summer!
It's nice to have a more relaxed schedule :)

Have a beautiful day!
~JanMarie

Sweet Summertime :)

2011-06-27T13:51:00.002-06:00

Summertime :) Love it!
Saturday night we went up to Cemetary Point (there's a cemetary right across from the day use area) which is located at Pineview Reservoir in Huntsville.
We grilled steaks, played cards and then DJ and the kids played in the water. We had so much fun!
The weather was perfect. It's been anywhere from 75* - 85* the last few days. The day use area is pretty and has lots of trees.

If I seem to mention Pineview Reservoir and Ogden Valley alot in my blogposts it's because we love it up there!! We hope to move up there after Ben graduates in 4 years.
Family time is a gift and I am mentally tucking away these times for future moments when we are empty nesters and I'm missing my kids :)
One of the biggest reasons I'm trying to blog more lately is because I just don't seem to get around to scrapbooking. Blogging is my way of sharing these moments with the grandparents and of recording different things we do.

New York Steaks ( they were on sale for a really good price:)

Looking towards Liberty from our picnic table

Ben walking down to check the water temperature....it was cold because of the continuing snow meltoff

Dani, DJ & Heather looking to see if there was a beach on that side

Ben & DJ checking out the Sea - Doos

Our sweet Loo

I love these guys SO much!

Love this picture!

Why is it that brothers love to pester their sister? Ha!

Priceless :)

Playing tag ~ Ben's doing some kind of catch me if you can dance!

Looking towards Trappers Loop

Looking towards Snowbasin and Ogden Canyon

California Gull ~ Utah state bird

Dani's sandcastle :)

It was an evening enjoyed by all full of laughter, good food and amazing scenery :)
I love my family!

p.s. If you live in the area then you might want to know this is a nice swim beach ( Cemetary Point Marina ) and you can also rent canoes, paddle boats, Sea-Doos and kayaks on site.

Blessings ~ JanMarie

Geo Caching & Great Food w/ Friends :)

2011-06-20T13:37:00.003-06:00

We had our first geo cache adventure of the summer this past Friday. We were joined by our friends Bill, Erin and their kids. We've known them for 9ish years and enjoy their friendship.

We headed to Ogden Valley......there are alot of caches up there. We hunted for 4 of them but only found 3. We couldn't have asked for a more gorgeous day! 69*, sunny and the beauty of the Valley that I just never get tired of! It's hard to fathom the drought going on in so much of our country because we are on the other end of the spectrum! We've had such a wet spring (rain & snow) and the result (besides flooding & mudslides) is how incredibly green everything is!

We searched for caches in the Middle Fork Wildlife Management Area.
DJ is checking the GPS out while Bill hams it up for the camera!

One of the little creeks we had to cross

We girls went a little out of the way trying to find one of the caches but the view was beautiful :)

Danielle, Sarah & Hannah ~ where do the years go?

Danielle, Ben, Heather, Hannah & Sarah ~ our first cache! Each cache has a title and this one was called "7 Peeps at Middle Fork". It was quite an adventure getting back into this one.

DJ, Jan, Dani, Ben, Caleb, Hannah, Erin, Heather & Sarah

Sarah & Bill......geo caching takes you off the beaten path

Danielle did not want to go geo caching at all! She doesn't like hiking anymore and so Erin had to let her know how much she appreciated Dani coming anyway!

The second cache we found was called "ogdencaver1". It was hidden in a Folgers coffee can.

Ben is signing the notebook. Most caches have a little logbook to keep record of who's found the cache.

The setting got changed on my camera w/o me knowing it until this picture was already taken but thought I'd share it anyway.
Erin is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet! I appreciate her friendship :)

Ben and Caleb climbed up to the big rock......Rumor has it they decided to moon everyone......I'm pretty sure I'm glad I missed it! Ha!!

Caleb & Ben

Erin, Heather, Dani & I found the last cache. It was called "The Killer Rabbit Returns". It was found in a military container as many caches are.

This is what was inside......generally you just look at the contents and sign the logbook then return everything as found so the next person can find it.

The very scary "killer rabbit"...ha ha

We ended our day with lunch at the "Huntsville Barbecue Company" ~ One word.......Yummy!
The decor was great!

A wooden birdhouse wrapped in a lisence plate & a wine cork for a chimney

Hannah, Heather, Sarah & Danielle ~ behind "Huntsville Barbecue Company"

Hannah, Sarah & Heather ~ words can't describe how silly these girls can be :) I love 'em all!
Notice the cool fence made out of skis!

After lunch the kids wandered over to the park and we adults wandered down the street a bit. We walked by these neat old parking meters and signs.......

We came across this pretty and very old house (1872).

It's a B & B these days.

Fresh country air and great food = tired kids!

What a great day! I'm counting our blessings one by one :)

Have a beautiful day!
~JanMarie

Country Drive

2011-06-12T14:57:00.001-06:00

Friday Ben, DJ and I decided to take a drive to some of our favorite places.....Avon Rd, Monte Cristo, Hardware Ranch and Logan Canyon. We wanted to see what the roads were like before we take the ATVs out.
We headed for Avon Rd which is up out of Liberty and takes you over to Cache Valley. It was closed so we went around Pineview Reservoir to Hwy. 39 and headed up towards Monte Cristo. We knew we probably wouldn't get all the way to Monte Cristo and sure enough the gate is still closed. They close it in the winter due to all the snow.
We headed towards Hardware Ranch on Ant Flat Rd. It was a beautiful, sunny day. The wet spring sure made for a wonderful, green landscape!

I just want to say real quick that these pictures aren't the greatest quality as most of them are taken through the windshield as we were driving!

Ant Flat Rd. heading towards Hardware Ranch

A burst of orange on the otherwise green landscape

Still Ant Flat Rd.

Hardware Ranch

Hardware Ranch is full of hills, canyons, open spaces and forests

Ben got tired of sitting in the car so he got out and ran.......

and ran...........

and ran!

We love getting out on these back country roads because it's so ruggedly beautiful and SO quiet

We were heading for Bear Lake Summit so we could check out Logan Canyon

We came across lots and lots of mud puddles :)

Entering a narrow canyon full of awesome rocks

Leaving that canyon

Oops.....the road has become a little river ~ we won't be getting to Logan Canyon that way! That means we have to turn around and go back through a little bit bigger river we had just crossed.

We stopped before going back through this looking to see if there was a shallower spot because it was a little unnerving the first time through! That first puddle was 2-3 ft. deep and the little river part was 3-4 ft. deep. The bad part is not knowing what the river bed is made up of......is it pretty rocky or soft mud?

Well, here goes...we had no choice but to go back the way we came. As I'm sure you know the best thing to do is just go and keep going. Don't slow down or stop.

Keep going!

The Man (that's what I call him :) is wonderful & we came through just fine

This poor guy didn't make it quite so good :( He was trying to skirt around the mud but slid in anyway. There were several people stopped to help him and then a big truck came and pulled him out backwards.

All in all it was an adventure as always to get out and explore Northern Utah! We are looking forward to taking the ATV's out soon!

"Be exalted , O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth."
~Psalm 108:5

~JanMarie

Summer...I think

2011-06-09T14:53:00.000-06:00

The kids have been out of school for 2 weeks & we've celebrated Memorial Day. That tells me it's summertime but weather wise I'm not sure I believe it! It's still mostly in the 60's and 70's. Today is cloudy with the mountaintops disappearing in and out of the clouds which is actually very pretty. As I write more and more blue sky is appearing :)

Yesterday Heather had the day off so her and Ben hiked up Waterfall Canyon (along the Ogden bench). It's roughly 3 miles roundtrip. Short but strenuous hiking. You gain 1500 feet in elevation. The waterfall is 200 feet tall and it's one of the more popular hikes in Ogden.

Ben's so fascinated with his muscles ~ it cracks me up!

I'm grateful that our kids enjoy each others company :) Ben & Heather

Heather took this picture ~ What a great capture of the view down into Ogden!

This morning some of the ladies from our outdoor group went walking/hiking. We met in the parking lot at the Rainbow Garden Restaurant and Gift Shop. It sits at the mouth of Ogden Canyon. We hiked the 2 mile round trip Birdsong Trail then we walked 2-3 miles of the Ogden River Pathway.

Don't you love the name Birdsong? It comes from all the birds you hear on that trail.

Rainbow Garden Restaurant

Looking down onto the parking lot and the mouth of Ogden Canyon

This picture and the next you can see the damage done by the snow and excessive rain we had this spring

Ogden River Pathway ~ I've never seen the river so full and wild! Here it had come up and over the path.

Not a good spot to sit and contemplate life at the moment! :)

It was nice to get out and exercise a bit......we live in a beautiful place. I am constantly reminded of what an incredible God we have!

"I lift up my eyes to the hills ~ where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip ~ he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you ~
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm ~
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forever. "

~Psalm 121

Have a beautiful day!
~JanMarie

Time With My Dad: Part 3

2011-06-05T09:36:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I left you in Temple Square surrounded by beautiful flowers :) After such a long, cold winter it was like eye candy seeing so many vivid colors!

After photographing endless amounts of flowers we decided to grab a bite to eat before the pipe organ concert at noon. Going out the south gate we didn't see much in the way of eateries until we spied the "Blue Lemon" right across from the south gate entrance to the Temple. We walked in and checked out their menu....yep, we definitely wanted to have a "Blue Lemon" experience. We didn't have time to really soak it all in without being rushed. So we decided to go back after the concert....it was SO worth the wait :)

The rest of the center opens next March

Dad and I taking pictures of each other.....love the water!

Yummy!

Our view in Temple Square waiting to go in the Tabernacle (right ) for the pipe organ concert

Waiting for the concert to start ~ The Tabernacle is home to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
A pin dropped on the floor at the pulpit can be clearly heard in the back - 170 feet away.......that's how awesome the acoustics are!

A few of the 11,623 pipes

Leaving Temple Square after the concert I caught a reflection of the Assembly Hall in these windows

Back to the "Blue Lemon" for lunch :)

What a cool light ~ love the color!

Inside.....you can grab some coffee and sit to the right or get in line to the left and order some wonderful food

We happened to be there on their one year anniversary

A peak at the kitchen from our table

Our view out the window

A spinach & artichoke dip ~ one of the best I've ever had

Spinach & Pear Salad ~ very good

Chicken Picatta

Fiery Fish Tacos ~ grilled salmon, mahi mahi & shrimp

Dad & Me ~ the waitress was sweet and offered to take our picture

They were passing out free sugar cookies to celebrate their one year anniversary ~ They were really good but so big!

One last look before we leave

We saw this billboard out the train window on the way home. It's very sad what people will believe ~ the Bible clearly states no one knows the day or hour of when Christ will return. (Matthew 24:36)

Dad and I had a wonderful day in SLC :) We only made it to the Family History Library for about 15 minutes but that's ok! We were spontaneous and enjoyed the time together. In the end that's what matters.

Have a beautiful day!
~JanMarie