How lame is it that I haven't made an entry in this already pencil-thin blog. This won't be a Pulitzer Prize winner either, but at least it's a start and I hope to do better than every two years. We're looking forward to a fun Thanksgiving.

Southern Utah Adventure

Hearken, all ye skeptics and doubters in my continued existence: I do live, and despite my prolonged neglect of this blog site I haven't entirely forgotten my legion of fans and admirers.

Eva & I, with our friends Tom & April Zane, recently (5-7 August) enjoyed a lovely 3-day excursion to spectacular Southern Utah. We visited Capitol Reef National Park, drove through some lovely Utah back country, took in a couple of plays at the Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, and drove a scenic-historical loop through Old Ironton, Mountain Meadow, Pine Valley, Snow Canyon, and Santa Clara/St. George.

Tom has posted a few photos from the trip on his Website. To see the scenic/historical part, check out http://www.pbase.com/thomaswzane/tzp_capitol_reef.

To see some shots of the Shakespeare Festival Green Show (including a few from a previous trip we made there) go to http://www.pbase.com/thomaswzane/friends_shakespeare.

We got home Friday and were able to spend one more day with Mike & Patty and their family before they returned to Rexburg. So, we have been very much alive and busy, despite what the dearth of posts to this blog might suggest.

Happy Holiday!

We enjoyed a wonderful "full house" at Thanksgiving this year. Everyone was here but Devin, Amber, & Kyle--in California anxiously awaiting the arrival of little Elizabeth (AKA Peanut)--and Justin & April who spent the holiday with her folks down in sunny La Verkin. Angelo & Gracy Mantoan also joined us with their beautiful little family. It was food, family, fellowship, and fun galore, with all the trimmings, to include the fabled apple turkeys. Of course, as the grandchildren get older, the apple turkey project takes on new meaning, as evidenced by this most intriguing entry--a gender-specific turkey. Hmmmmm!

Brave New World

"Cheer up!" says the donkey. "Remember, your loss is my gain!"
Well, the big election is over. It has been hailed as an historical result; it is indeed that. It now remains to be seen what this unknown quantity Barack Obama will do. Americans are both hopeful and uncertain. The stock market has plunged more than 5% today and Mr. Obama's fiscal and political philosophies, as far as we know them, don't bode well for business and taxpayers. His own vice president elect is certain the world will test him in some major way almost immediately. He has selected a Chicago machine politician with a reputation for political ruthlessness as his White House Chief of Staff. But he didn't get his veto-proof congress. That may help. Only time will tell. For the sake of the country, I hope he's not as radical as I suspect he is. May God bless America.

Happy Birthday to My Viking Maiden

Today is my Sweetheart's birthday--the how-manyeth is, of course, classified. She doesn't like to count them, but the amazing thing is she just keeps getting better with each one. It's unfair, but I surely do like it.

What? Summer Has Passed Me By!

School has started. The weather has started to cool off. The Olympic Games and political conventions are over. All the signs of summer's end are there. How quickly it flew by.

Eva, McKennah, Caden, and I got most of Karin's stuff moved up to Utah State University in Logan at the end of August where she has started her graduate program in sociology. She came back a few days later and got the final load. So far she's doing well and we expect she will enjoy great success in this new endeavor.

Eva and I decided to do something a little different for a Friday night date yesterday. There weren't any movies we were really excited to see, so we took in the Utah State Fair for the first time in our 20+ years here. In addition to the good food, the arts & crafts, and kitsch-laden booths, the highlights were the reptile show and the guy carving jumping bass out of 3-foot stumps with a chain saw. We also found the pigeons quite interesting. It's amazing how many varieties there are. Eva drew the line at trying any of the high-flying, whirling-twirling, spinning rides, however.

Fun Summer So Far

Just to keep the wolves at bay and to assure you, dear readers, that I haven't lost interest, I want to start this brief report of the summer's activities.

We just got news yesterday that Amber & Devin are expecting a GIRL! (She looks very cute in the ultrasound, but that should come as no surprise to anyone who has seen our other grandchildren.) Boys, it looks like you're destined to be outnumbered, so you'll just have to make the best of it. Just keep in mind that some day you may appreciate having enormously talented, smart, good looking sisters who will be friends with the sharpest girls around.

During the last week in July, while Michael the Younger was woolgathering down in Peru, his family spent some time here with us and with the Dewar grandparents down in California. It was like the good old days, with the house full of fun, laughter, noise, and wonder. Grandma and I even did a turn with them down at Thanksgiving Point, taking in the Museum of Ancient Life and the little farm animal exhibit with pony ride.

And, by the way, I just finished reading book 4 (Breaking Dawn) in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series. I enjoyed the story; it has some interesting twists, but I won't give anything away and spoil it for those still reading. I think you'll enjoy it. It's been harder slogging my way through Barack Obama's Audacity of Hope. It's not nearly as much fun as a first-class vampire romance novel!

It doesn't seem possible that August is nearly half gone.

All right, already!

I know, I know. Not a single post in 6 months! Of course, the fact that I have a life doesn't get me very far with the critics. Like so many ventures, I started off with great intentions, only to let it get away from me. Well, enough excuses.

Eva & I just returned from a great visit with Mike & Patty's family up in Rexburg, Idaho. It was an opportunity to celebrate Mike's birthday (5 May), his completion of his PhD (23 May), and Patty's birthday (6 June), as well as to just romp with the grandchildren. Kirsten had come up earlier in the week with Sylvia & Dave's three children, so it was a full house.

Patty had one of her best times ever for a half marathon (the Teton Dam Marathon on Saturday, to be specific) and Craig finished in the top 10 in the Family Fun Run. There was an airshow going on at the same time and we could watch the show sitting in Mike's back yard.

At church on Sunday, I had the opportunity to chat at some length with Richard Jardine, a fellow alumnus of the Central German mission. He now lives in Mike & Patty's ward. On the way home, we stopped in to visit Kevin & Chris Branch at their new home in Richmond, Utah, just north of Logan. Kevin recently joined Western Governors University as a progress mentor after a brief respite as a retired Jordan School District Educator.

So, the weekend was a pleasant blend of past and present, great weather, beautiful scenery, and family fun.

There. I hope that keeps the impatient critics satisfied for at least a little while.

All grown up...

All grown up, but a handsome lot.

Never Too Late

They say it's never too late to teach an old dog new tricks. Having fallen well behind some of our children in using the Internet as a family resource, we now toss our hat into the Blogosphere ring. It will likely be a gradual process, but give us some time and we'll make this worth at least a passing glance.