We Have Had Visitors

Our neighbors have four turtles. We found that out by accident. A couple of days ago one was on our back lawn and our dog was attacking it. I'm not sure what Cuddles (our dog) wants with it. I wonder if she is just curious because it moves and hides or if she really wants to eat it.
Doug caught her in a small plastic garbage can and he wasn't sure what to do with it. Our neighbors have quite a few pets and Doug thought that was a good place to start. Yup, it was their daughter's girl turtle. I think the other three are boys.
Today after church I kept on hearing this squeaky sound. I wondered if Cuddles had gotten stuck somewhere. Instead I looked out and found Cuddles moving another one of their turtles around like crazy. She didn't appreciate me bringing her into the house. She has decided that turtles are a lot of fun.
I could have swore that the turtle was flat. I thought Cuddles had sat on it or something. I waited until Doug came home from church and let him return the bigger turtle to our neighbor. They aren't at home so he returned him to a pond they have made in the backyard.
I would think that this turtle and the last one would be smart enough to stay away from our yard for fear of any more trauma. There are two more that have not made the journey. We'll have to see if any more are brave enough to come visit. We can't find where they are getting in.
They have added a little excitement around our house.

This Article is Worth Reading even though it is LONG

Subject: Comments from CBS evening news
Ben should be a carpenter-he sure hits the nail on this one. I like this and so I'm sharing it...The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS SundayMorning Commentary. My confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestorswas Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when peoplecall those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don'tfeel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what theyare: Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'MerryChristmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting readyto put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it It shows that we areall brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn'tbother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a keyintersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a crïeche,it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away. I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew,and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for beingChristians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired ofgetting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept camefrom that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it inthe Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat. Or maybe I can put it another way: where did theidea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowedto worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'mgetting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering wherethese celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to. In light of the many jokes we send to one anotherfor a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be ajoke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking. Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on theEarly Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something likethis happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profoundand insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened bythis, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out ofour schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. Howcan we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if wedemand He leave us alone?' In light of recent events... terrorists attack,school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare(she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn'twant prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said youbetter not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt notkill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And wesaid OK. Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank ourchildren when they misbehave because their little personalities would bewarped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committedsuicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. Andwe said OK. Now we're asking ourselves why our children have noconscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn'tbother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hardenough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.' Funny how simple it is for people to trash God andthen wonder why the world's going to hell Funny how we believe what thenewspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you cansend 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when youstart sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice aboutsharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freelythrough cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in theschool and workplace. Are you laughing yet? Funny how when you forward this message, you willnot send it to many on your address list because you're not sure whatthey believe, or what they will think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what otherpeople think of us than what God thinks of us. Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not thenjust discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard thisthought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape theworld is in.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein

hungry-girl.com

I was told about a wonderful free website that is very helpful for those of us who are trying to beat the battle of the bulge.
I haven't had a lot of time to check it out but what I have seen is very helpful. It is hungry-girl.com

The Next Michael Phelps

Our Birthday girl

My posts are mixed up but today is Hailey's 4th birthday. I decided I would start with her birthday and post some of my special memories with her and then continue with all of our other grandchildren on their special day.

Adam had a very special bond with you. In January he will be excited to renew that special relationship.

Hailey kicking back and enjoying a relaxing moment.

Hailey and her buddy Tavis. They love spending time together.

Hailey our Birthday Girl

On each of our grandchildren's birthday I wanted to make a slideshow of fun times spent with them. I have not mastered that trick yet. Instead here are pictures of a sweet little Hailey.
Happy Birthday from Grandpa and Grandma Adamson

Hailey being held by her sweet sister Ashley

You came into this world receiving a great deal of love and attention.

This was a very special day. Your baby blessing was in Corcoran Branch and your Great-Grandma Couch is holding you afterwards.

Grandpa taking care of you at the beach.

Favorite Pictures of our Birthday Girl

She does love her Mother and stays pretty close by.

Hailey in a tree at Silver Falls, Oregon

Hailey with most of her girl cousins.

Hailey with her cousins closest to her age.

Article mentioned in my last post

The article I mentioned in my last post was from Elder Dallin H. Oaks printed in the Ensign, October 1994. The name of it is "Our Strengths Can Become our Downfalls". Another article is found in the January 2001 Ensign, "Weightier Matters". These are found at lds.org

It is Time to Stop Being the Silent Majority

Doug and I took the first step to being a working force for good concerning the "Proposition 8 Marriage Initiative". We started our first walk knocking on doors and making voters aware of it's importance.
Last Sunday we had a wonderful talk on this subject. Knowing we were going out today and not having any materials until we met to get our routes, I felt uneasy and unprepared. So yesterday I went to the internet and found great talks from the Apostles on this subject.
There was in writing what I feel in my heart but could not put into words.
Today I was ready and it felt good to be working for our Heavenly Father's cause. My favorite article was by Elder Dallin H. Oaks on "Tolerance".

Congratulations Mark on your acceptance to University of La Verne College of Law

Many good changes are in the works for Mark and Lilly. This summer Mark was accepted to the University of La Verne College of Law with a very good scholarship. He has been accepted before but this is year he is ready to go for what he is passionate about.
They have moved to Diamond Bar and Mark will start orientation this week. We wish him the very best. We know he has what it takes to make a wonderful lawyer.
Lilly has been to orientation for her new job working as a Speech/Language Pathologist in a school district near their new home. She will start there in September. Until then she will be finishing up her Private Practice in the Bay Area. She has been busy with the move and flying back and forth. We hope that she enjoys working in the schools as much as we do.
They are really excited about the area they will be living in and making new friends and renewing friendships from when they lived in the L.A. area.
We are very excited for their new opportunities.

Adam's Journey in Portugal

What an amazing journey Adam is having in Portugal. This picture is of a sister from Angola that Adam and his companion were able to teach. His area was split not to long before she was baptized and she was assigned to the Sister Missionaries but Adam was able to be at her baptism.
A mission teaches you so many things about your strengths and weaknesses. He has learned a great deal and became a much stronger person because of it. He is feeling confident with his Portuguese but not comfortable because he realizes there is so much more to learn.
He has been pretty adventurous in trying new foods and improving his cooking skills.
On P-Days he takes every opportunity to see the sights of Portugal and to enjoy the Cultural Experience.
He has gained a greater appreciation for the gospel and the atonement. It is such a wonderful blessing to enjoy the new spiritual insights he has.

The Best Smoothie!!!

For Young Women's I wanted to give the girls some healthy alternatives to always drinking sodas (pop in Utah). I searched the web for low fat smoothies and I fell in love with the

"Banana Mango Smoothie".

2 frozen, ripe bananas (the frozen bananas make it cold so refrigerate after if you don't have any frozen bananas or add some ice)
1 mango, peeled and sliced
10 ounces orange juice
1 cup low fat or fat free vanilla or mandarin orange yogurt (I used vanilla)

Cut bananas into chunks. In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. If the smoothie is too thick, thin with a little more orange juice or ice. Pour into 4 glasses.

per serving: 150 calories, Fat 0.8g, carbohydrate 32g, fiber 1.9g
3 Weight Watcher Points

I froze the extra and it is so good to eat frozen. Great for a 106 degree day.
Enjoy!

Double the fun!!

Parker and Carter are so much fun to watch.. They start school very soon and are really excited!

God Bless the USA

I love this song and and the great performers, Tanner & Johnathan.

Sara is really doing well with her fiddling

It is always fun to watch our neice Sara perform. She started out on a little tiny violin, each time we hear her the violin is bigger and so is her talent.

Zach is AMAZING!!!

This is a short clip of our nephew performing at an Assisted Living Center.
He is extremely talented.

Castle on a Cloud from Les Mes

The quality of this video is not the best but this song is so beautiful and it brought back special memories of Tricia playing this song on the piano many years ago. It was great to be able to hear Camille sing it. She has such a wonderful voice.
Camille performed along with Doug's brother Rob's 2 children and 4 of her brothers. They presented a program for our Aunt Dawna and many others at the Assisted Living Center. The elderly loved it.

Summer Snipits

Now that I can blog video, I have all kinds of fun things to share.

Elizabeth and Rachel are the performers in this video.

I Promise

Sorry, I promise this was the first family picture from the Reunion that I blogged. The problem is that I didn't realize, until yesterday, that if you try to blog more than three pictures at a time it knocks off the first one. I am learning a great deal.
I love this picture of the Mitchell Couch Family. You really aren't forgotten!

Mitchell & Doug at Silver Falls

Family Fun on the 4th of July!!! Yippee Jared taught me how to do a video

A Family History trip to the Ogden Cemetery

Beck Family in front of the Johnathan Browning Memorial Marker

Ashby family in front of the Browning Memorial marker and to the side you can see the actual headstone of where Johnathan Browning was buried.

This is a memorial stone for Martin Harris. I believe that he is actually buried in Clarkston, Utah. It is placed very close to the Browning Memorial.

Darley Family Reunion at Beus's Pond

Two of my sisters; Sherry, Cathy and one of my brothers; Larry

We missed having Denny (he had to work) and Annette's family with us.

We had a great time being together even though it was hot.

Larry's Family

We enjoyed cooling off in the water.

My sister Annette

We searched all over Ogden to find her. It was great to spend a few minutes together.

Heritage Park is AWESOME!!!

Mary Fielding Smith is a woman that I really look upto. She had faith, courage, and would do whatever was necessary to care for her family. Reading about her makes me realize my trials are so minor and I have nothing to complain about.

We had fun on this train ride.

Doug is getting ready to pull his share.

We had a great time at Heritage Park

Doug and I spent a day at Heritage Park. We learned so many new things about Pioneer Life. We had planned to go with Heather's family to Lagoon but the weather man said it was really going to ran very heavily, so we decided to go to Heritage Park instead. We had a great time.

When the rain never came we felt bad that we had missed the time we could have spent
with the Jamison's. We are glad that they had a lot of fun at Lagoon.

A Gristmill, I imagine it looks a lot like the one Abraham Hunsaker had near Nauvoo.

I had to take of picture of how they use to turn on and off electricity. We had buttons like this in the church building that I grew up in before they remodled it.

BBQ at the Beck's

Doug had a captive audience when he taught the Beck children how to play pick-up sticks a game we enjoyed growing up and so did the Pioneer children.

Myles, Bradley and Joshua enjoying their delicious food.

Our chef Byron, he made delicious chicken.

Learning a great deal at Heritage Park

Beck Children in front of an Oxen.

Tanner & Carter are pounding designs into leather. Tricia is helping.

Also Parker, Camille and Johnathan had a great time designing their leather.