Oh, Kirsten

Can you believe I have friend who has kids that look like this?

BJPD

Betty Jo, age 6 and sister, Margene age 3 - Pleasant Grove, UT. Strawberry days where Betty Jo was crowned "Queen Bee - 1937."

The power of a good up-do often is lost on today's younger generation of ladies. But no finer example beehive power can be found than one BJPD. That's my mother-in-law. I truly believe that a wise single woman is one that finds the perfect mother-in-law first and then sees what she has available. Lucky for me Betty Jo had seven sons and one daughter so my chances of being accepted into the DILOBJPD club were pretty good. Not that I am saying I only married Marco because he was the ONLY thing she had available, but he was the only thing available. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

While engaged to be married, several future sisters-in-laws made a point to tell me that I was going to love having Betty Jo as a mother-in-law. The truth is that she is so nice that it is very nearly embarrassing. Really, can I contribute to the conversation when my girl friends complain about her own mothers-in-law? (I won't name names here, friends. Wink,wink.) It is just so uncool to say, "I have no idea what your talking about. My own mother-in-law is just about perfect in every way." No one wants to hear this when they are down and out.

So, I am making this appeal ... Please, Betty Jo, could just bug me a little bit? My friends are starting to think I am really square. My only response to their misery and woe is, "Too bad you didn't get one of her other 6 sons?"


From left to right, Marco, Duane, BJPD holding Alan, Mikey in white, Steve, Anne and John. Marco and baby Alan are exactly 10 years apart. Jeff and Randy show up several years after this shot.

Here's a little Marco looking like Xan on the far right. You can click it to see it better.

Betty Jo in her BYU sweatshirt. Marco has told me on several occasions this is one of his all time favorite BJPD pictures. I just think this is one of my all time favorite mother-in-laws. Here's to beehive power.

Hey Mom ...

Just click HERE to see your new Christmas card.

ps. I love you.

No Word Wednesday

Thank, Whitney.

An oldie but a goody too ...

Just so you know, I had this totally-great-super-long-down-right-inspired post I had been planning to compose tonight. But, alas, I have to go talk to the bishop tonight about some uber-secret calling for me and my whole family that will forever CHANGE OUR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF ALL OF MANKIND. (Basically, our grace period is over and we have been back in town officially long enough to be employed.) All this means for YOU is that my computer time tonight is the Lord's time and you are stuck watching re-runs.

And now, I give you an oldie but a goody . . .
(This is something to remind you that your suffering tonight is not in vain.)

I think my favorite part is the misspelling at the the end. The poor wayward-in-heart can't even look up "The Mormans" when they are touched to repentance by this multi-media presentation.

Three is BIG!

This is dedicated to the one I love ...
boomp3.com
When Zina was born, it was on a day just like today when the weather was crisp and golden. If days could be onomatopoeic, then that November 4th would forever be "Sabine". And that is how she got the name.



When Zina saw the picture below she told me she wanted to be a baby again. Oh if it was just that easy. Happy Birthday, Sugar.

Sweet Pickle Pie

(Day 1)
Have you ever been to the Sunglow Cafe in Bicknell, UT? Did you know if you stop in for lunch you can get a piece of Sweet Pickle or Pinto Bean pie from a busty Wayne County waitress named Wanda? (Sorry, I didn't get a shot of Wanda ... or the pie.) This last week Marco and I escaped to Capitol Reef. I have to say that Marco and I have a Wayne County romance. Ever since our honeymoon here, we try to get down to the park once or twice a year. (Here's an interesting factoid: In almost seven years of marriage, we have only spent 24 days alone with out kids. Katie and Liz were 16 and 14 when we got married and Xan came along 15 months later. Thirty six hours alone is a definite novelty. It only happened with very special help from Auntie Kimmy. Hey Kim, how did Xanny get the black eye? So sorry you didn't get any sleep.)

I have to say if I could travel in time, my first stop in Utah would be the day the dam broke during the deposition of Lake Bonneville creating the Onieda Narrows. But my SECOND stop would be to see how life was lived in Fruita, Utah around 1910. This was a tiny Mormon colony, right in the middle of Capitol Reef, that luckily missed being sent to dreary Hanksville just 23 miles down the river. It had the perfect combination of geology, soil, water and climate to keep them isolated but perfectly self-sufficient. The park still maintains the orchards around the barn shown below. One of the trails is marked "Cohab Canyon". Any one have a guess as to how it got it's name? I will make a Sweet Pickle pie to who ever has the right answer.


Lower down past the park the Cottonwoods are still golden yellow. Capitol Reef is surprisingly high in elevation. Loa is just about 7,000 feet , about the same as Park City. In comparison ... our house in Orem is about 4,200 ft in elevation and Utah Lake is right at 4,000 ft. Spring City is 5,200 ft up. (Don't ask me why I know this -- I really like topo maps. Actually I have a thing for just about any type of map.) The sky was so blue next to the red cliffs and yellow stripe of trees. November is a beautiful time of year for southern Utah.

Thanks, Marco.