April in Utah

The weather started getting rough (name that tune and TV show) last night with rain and snow. This morning we awoke to a good 4" of snow covering everything.

Mom's Car Under a Blanket of White

Kayla and Ian went out to play in it and Kayla did her best to build a snow man. I think she did a pretty good job.

Kayla's Snowman;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;Ian and the Snowman
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With the sun coming out, it does make for a pretty Winter Landscape picture, but this is Spring - and this is why I live in California.

Backyard Mountains Covered with Snow

Post Conference Activities

After spending most of the past two days indoors watching conference, we all needed to get outside for a while. Chris and Lorna's property backs up against some fields where someone grazes their cows. We walked down to the end of the road and out to the fields. Kind of cold and breezy, but we had fun. Kayla and Ian LOVED the cows!

Cows with Snow Capped Mountains;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;David, Mom, and Ian Walking
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Chris, Lorna, Kayla, Ian and Mom;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;Kayla and Ian Mooing to the cows
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Easter Egg Hunts at Chris and Lorna's

On an extremely cold, windy Saturday morning, we got to the community Easter Egg hunt in Kaysville 1 minute late - and missed the whole thing. By the time Kayla and Ian made it to the ball fields everything was gone! (There probably weren't quite enough eggs to go around anyway. Some of the kids who were there on time didn't have anything in their buckets either.) But even though a very nice lady convinced her very giving children to share a few eggs with Kayla and Ian - they were understandably disappointed, as seen below.

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So later that day (when it had warmed slightly) Chris did a masterful "daddy job" of hiding eggs in the back yard. Kayla and Ian were ecstatic about the Easter Bunny funding their house (which he did the next morning too), as seen below.

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A very happy Grandma with a very cuddly Emmett

Later that evening, Chris, David and I attended the Priesthood broadcast. It was one of the best I've ever been to (even Pres. Monson mentioned it). Afterward, we had a hard time finding a place to eat that wasn't completely overrun by fathers and sons with the same intent we had on eating out together. We finally settled on Dairy Queen and had a good meal - a good conversation too.

Uncle Charlie

My dad's only brother (only sibling of any kind) passed away today after a long battle with Alzheimers disease. The funeral is Friday, and as much as I'd like to, I won't be able to get to Utah to attend it.

I liked Uncle Charlie. A lot. Most of us in this family have joked about his laugh or his funny ideas or his love for the Esperanto language. But then we joked even more about the funny and odd things our own father said and did, so there's nothing to be offended by there. We all liked Uncle Charlie.

At first glance, he was nothing like my Dad. Charlie was tall and slender, mostly bald, highly intelligent (not that Dad was dumb by any means), and he seemed to like to take risks - or at least he was not bothered by things that would keep more conservative thinkers at bay.

But in fact there were many, more important, ways in which they were alike. Both had great love and devotion for their parents and children. Both had strong, secure testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Both went out of their way to serve their fellow men according to their abilities. Both left a legacy among their offspring and acquaintances that will long out either.

I liked Uncle Charlie (especially that he was always "Charlie" and not "Charles" to me). In many ways he gave me the courage to think outside the box, and try for some things that maybe I didn't think were within my grasp. I'm a better person for having him be part of my life. I'm sure his reunion with Dad, Grandpa Vern and both of his mothers was a sweet one. I know it will be for me when I see him again. We'll miss you Uncle Charlie. Huhh, huhh, huhh. : )

Men's Brains - Women's Brains

This video is hilarious. Partly because the guy is funny -but mostly because it's true. It's a long one, but worth the time. Even Melody laughed when she watched it.

Band Saw

This is something I would own. . .

San Francisco revisited

Several years ago (before Pam & Rob were married) we took them to San Francisco for a fun time. Rob was there again this past week for a conference, and Pam joined him on Friday. Melody and I drove down Saturday and played with them. We toured Alcatraz, ate at Boudin's Bread Factory, and walked down Lombard Street. Below, and over the next few days, you can see some photos of the trip.

At the top of Lombard, with Coit Tower in the background

The excercise yard at Alcatraz;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;A cell at Alcatraz
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The cell of one of the "successful" escapees

In the last photo you can see the hole the inmate made in the wall and the fake head he made to fool the guards. He and his buddies are the ones they made the movie "Escape from Alcatraz" about. They were never found.