HAPPY NEW YEAR

We tried to spell out 2008....you'll have to look pretty hard. They cancelled the fireworks downtown because of terrorist threats. They captured 14 members of al-qaeda and some admitted to planning attacks on US military in Belgium. So we stayed home. Overdosed on home videos. Think we'll go outside at least and yell "happy new year". Tell us what you did!!

Computer genius

This kid has rhythm!!

What do YOU do the day after Christmas??/

SCRAP BOOK???


PLAY WITH THE COMPUTER/MUSIC???



Eat Cheese-its and watch your movies and playstation???

Or take pictures and movies of it all and put it on your blog???

A miracle for Nicole's 21st birthday!

OK, so it's a day late, but we were stressed on her actual birthday. She called from the Denver airport that she was able to get a flight out but would arrive late...Instead of coming at 7:15am she was delayed until 3:15pm. Keep in mind that this arrival date was for the 22nd and that is her birthday. At the same time Natalie and family were also in transit having similar difficulties. Ugh! I felt so helpless. That might be because I was!!!
Anyway, back to Nicole and her adventure on her birthday. She was told at least 15 times that "honey, sorry everything is full." So you know Nicole. She wasn't to be deterred! She would just hang up and call again and hope for a different agent. She did this so many times she figured out the whole system. Believe me, there IS a system. (Like use the red service phone, not your cell. The people on the service phones have more power than the people behind the desk, etc.) Finally, she was able to get the right words out...and the right lady on the red service phone, she fudged a few times about a made confirmation and luggage already on the plane, etc. but you need to hear the full story from her. So the MIRACLE is that she made it home on her birthday! That was the best present of all.
And just so you know. Natalie, Noel and Bryn landed just before Nicole and they walked into the waiting room within 5 minutes of each other. Remember that Natalie's family started their travels on Thursday, leaving their house at 1:00pm, arriving Brussels at 4:30pm..two full days! And Nicole and Natalie arrived within 10 minutes of each other? That is weird, weird!
Gotta go fix these guys some food! Bryn has now slept for 15 hours straight!!!!
Bottom line for this post. HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICOLE. GOD BLESSED YOU FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY!

Steve edited these clips for you...with explainations

They are stuck

Natalie just called from Tennessee. They missed their connection. They are in a hotel room and Bryn won't sleep. She and Noel are exhausted but Bryn has her second wind. Pray for them! Nicole starts today but has to go through Denver and Dulles before coming to Brussels. This can really be a horrible time to travel. Everyone be careful and safe travels!

They are on their way here!

We are totally psyched for Bryn to join us for Christmas! Oh, and Nicole and Natalie and Noel too! (just kidding about putting Bryn first. But she should prove to be the most fun to watch, don't you think??) We are equally thrilled for Dan/Lara and Seth/Heidi and Jake/Mel to have some time to spend together over the holidays as well. It should be a great Christmas for everyone I hope. Daphne, Zane and Scarlet...it's only a short wait for Christmas now...your waiting is almost over!!

160 pounds

Happy Anniversary to Natalie and Noel...Three Years!

December 18th, 2004....to December 18th, 2007! Have a great day! Congratulations! We love you! Mom and Dad

Chantilly Chateau

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So check out me and dad in our wellies. Kind of cute, huh? we had fun, but the pictures never do it justice.

Noel, help!

I can't access my event pictures...only my photo booth. Call me when you get a chance ok?

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Blast from the Past

Just wondering. Did I have to pay them to look so lovey, dovey? Can anyone remember the circumstances to the crew on Suzanne's porch. Why Jared? Mel? Was it before Jake's mission? Where's Tom? Or Nicole and Steve? Are Dan and Lara married or dating?
Dad and I are off for the week-end to France to stay in a Chateau! (Steve is in Alconbury wrestling)

Happy birthday Heidi

Heidi....hope your 24th is a fabulous year! Have a great day. Loads of love from all of us!

Goo Head

I hope to make more video slices of my Grammie Tour. You'll have to be patient with me. I'm not as fast as I should be and it takes me all night! This selection is THE RACH and her famous GOO Head! As you know, she is very difficult to catch on film. She would much rather look at the screen than be filmed. As soon as she would be doing what I wanted to film, I would turn on the camera, she would hear the 'ding' and immediately stop what she was doing. Luckily she was so enthralled with Steve that she was distracted. I couldn't get too many straight on shots of her or our filming would abruptly end. For those not in the know: Goo Head I think means that someone is about to tickle her. Is that right Jake/Mel?
Oh and Moghli (sp?) is her special treasure! Was it a gift from Brittany or Brooke? I love how she talks to him and kisses him. What a lucky dog!

Grandma Grape

>

This is a dedication to my 84 year old mom. She is so good with kids. Still has her 'knack'. We had a blast with Daphne, Zane, and Scarlet. Thanks Lara and Dan for letting us have them all to ourselves. We loved it!

Nice couple I met in Austin

Lots more pictures, but Noel is helping me to be more efficient, so this is our trial picture

photo booth fun

Tom, bet you were glad to miss this! Noel is being very, very patient with us!

Papers are in, do we guess?

Nicole is waiting for her mission call. It's all official. Natalie, do you think we should all guess? I wonder if that's bad luck or anything? If not, I'll guess.....

End of Phase I

It's Friday night. Scarlet is tucked into bed, and the rest of the crew are at a neighbor block party. I hate to go. It's been a blast. Dan played me in tennis today. We played 30 games. Bet you want to know who is better? Unfortunately, Dan is the undisputed tennis pro. He even had the sun in his eyes and a wobbly raquet. I only won 4 games! GAG. Noel, you are next....
I had a great week with my Mom as well. It was super to have her here for the whole week. She helped me babysit and was a fabulous help. She is a true gardener...wanted to rake leaves....she needs to go to Charlotte, right Jake? When I took Nicole to the airport, I came back to find her dancing with the kids. She still hasn't lost her touch.
Also I wanted to say that we went to the SLC temple on Wed. Seth was the lone man. He was accompanied by 5 women! Me and mom and Suzanne and Heidi and Kathleen Bluth. I loved the session. That celestial room is a jaw dropper. He and Heidi are celebrating their ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY tomorrow. Hope you guys have a super time! Their 'pad' is really cute. Great location.
So next stop is Austin....I hope Noel is prepared for the Mom, Natalie, Nicole trio. Throw in Bryn and he is seriously out-numbered. Poor guy. Good thing he was raised between 2 sisters. See you at 11:00pm Portugals!

Safely at the Herway Hilton

I arrived safely...and it's now 4:15 am and I just can't force myself to go back to sleep. Jetlag is such a funny thing. I was pooped when I went to bed at 11:30, and now I'm wide awake. Of course I think it's 12:30pm and time for lunch!
My flight was lovely and uneventful. Everything went like clockwork. (No weird seatmates, etc) When I was in Houston though I thought about how close I was to Austin....all in good time!
So it has been a year since I've been here. Lots of changes. Lara and Dan look the same, but their kids have CHANGED!!! We snuck into the bedrooms. Scarlet didn't wake, just rolled over with a smile on her face as her daddy put her covers over her. But Zane and Daphne weren't quite zonked and as I stood over them they came to realize it was me, and I got the best hugs of my life. Zane popped on the lights and off we go...chatting and playing and laughing. They are amazingly accepting of someone they haven't seen in a year! Yep, it was 10:00pm. It was nothing short of pure heaven. And I owe it all to TOM! Thanks Tom for such a great birthday present. And this is only the beginning!
I also think they have done a smashing job on all their remodeling and upgrades. My own bedroom and bathroom. Wow! It does have the Hilton feel! I can't even offer that to my houseguests....
I'm popping in on Colie this morning to see her apartment and meet her roommates. Then this afternoon we all get together for dinner at Dan/Lara's...Seth and Heidi come over, and Colie and Grant are driving up. My Mom should have arrived at Suzanne's as well so I'll call them tomorrow and we will get together on Monday. Tom, you may be right, Utah will always have the most family members living here. It sure seems that way for now!
Well it's 4:50am. I'm sure if I read my scrips I'll konk out! (Oh, and it's great to have my own laptop! Or is it Tom's laptop? I have forgotten! I sure married the right guy!)

Mission Calls

Family update:
Suzanne and Jerry have their mission call to Kirtland Ohio! They report to the MTC on March 17th.
Jordan Packer has been called to the Hiroshima Japan Mission and reports in January.
Jaron Packer got engaged and will be married around December 27 or 28.
We wait for the next call.....Nicole Herway!!!
Lastly, Steve as ALL his paperwork in for admission to BYU. Now we wait and see where he will go as well!

Here I come! Ready or not!

Ok, all of my children, spouses, and grandchildren. I'm coming tomorrow. I'm sure I have forgotten to pack something. I hate to leave my guys unsupervised here on the homefront, but they will survive, barely!
I should tell you that I had a near miss accident in yoga on Wed. I was doing a 'scorpion' against the mirror in the gym when all of a sudden, Deb pulls on me, and I instinctively roll away from the mirror and it crashed onto the gym floor! SMASH! I would have been covered in glass shards I'm sure, if not more damage because it is huge and heavy! But not a scratch. Definitely, my protective angel was working for me on that one.
Oh, and if you want to go from Brussels to London for New Year's , Ryan-air is offering FREE flights. I'm not kidding. No taxes, no handling fees. I could literally book the flight and it would say. .06 euro cent for 6 people! Of course once you get into London then it would cost you BIG time, so it really isn't worth going, BUT how does Ryanair do it????

REAL pictures of Steve and football

Steve was able to get these pictures off the web. They are fabulous. The first one shows a great fall/tackle but he does have the ball. The second is him running in for a touchdown. The 3rd and 4th are his interception and return. Coach Hutch has his hand in the air, "Bingo!" (these are my personal favorites) and the last is an open field tackle on a punt return.
Anyway, I'm glad somebody else had their camera going because of course I didn't get all this good stuff! Oh and notice they have on their new beautiful jersey!
Oh, Lara and Heidi and Mel, be sure Dan and Seth and Jake see these, ok....These are really posted for the former BAS football players I guess.

Pasta dishes by a real Italian

So Deb is married to a Sicilian! The first tip: when heating up left over pasta dishes, the microwave is NO GOOD! You should put a bit of olive oil in the frying pan and fry it up! Just as tasty as the first go around!

The one she cooked for me:
Peel two eggplant and then dice. Fry in olive oil (don't stir very often or it goes mushy, try to make it more crunchy by stirring only occasionally). Then set this aside.
garlic and onion diced and saute in olive oil, then add 5 diced tomatoes.
mozerella cheese, diced and continue heating till they start to melt.
Mix all ingredients with cooked penne pasta. Serve topped with parmesean cheese.

Second Pasta Dish
Brown lardon (or bacon pieces). Saute onion and garlic. Then add sliced mushrooms. Add tomatoes for a red dish, OR a small cream for a white pasta dish. Add to cooked pasta with parmeasean

Third Pasta Dish
Dice chicken breast and brown with onion, garlic and mushroom.(she says to try the funky mushrooms if you can find them) Throw in fresh baby spinach and a little cream. Add to cooked pasta with parmeasean

Fourth Pasta Dish
Brown mild Italion sausage, sliced thin. Add red pepper and garlic and onions, all sauteed. Add to cooked pasta with parmeasean.

Obiously she cooks like I do. No measurements. Just eyeballs it and puts it all together.

Lastly she gave me these two websites:
Tvlinks.co.uk and radioblogclub.org for watching old tv shows and movies, etc.

So that's what she shared with me and I thought I would pass it on if you are interested.

Bikes!

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A couple of shots of some of the amazing bikes in Amsterdam. Special note: Not a bike helmet in the country! The very first picture of the bike has how many seats? Yep, Three! Also, the one where I am at the bottom of the stairs? Well, we were on the 3rd floor of an apartment building and the stairs were really that steep. You didn't have to bend over to put your hands on the next step...they were in front of your face! So now I need to stop blogging and go write a term paper. Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've done that??? GAG!!! Oh Tom and Steve are babysitting for their home teaching family tonight. Three little kids, all quite rambuncious (Heidi, the spell checker doesn't help me with this one, so I agree with your past comment about Stupid Checker!). I'm sure they will come home quite pooped.

Steve and Homecoming

I have neglected to post a couple of pictures of Steve that I thought you all would enjoy. The football ones were of homecoming and he is #24... He's the first one through the paper "shield". They won their game and were so thrilled they hoisted up their quarterback! I have to admit that the whole game I was thinking to myself, "I have had kids on these sports teams for a long, long time, and this is the very last football game where I will have a child on the team. I sure hope it ends on a high note." And it did! It was a beautiful day and a perfect ending to the season...to the entire season of Herway participation in BAS football!!!
Now may I just say that for wacky day he did NOT win. And I was told several times by some of the mothers who have kids at the school that Steve "was robbed". He was defenitely the most wacky. With the cheese head, the flippers, the boxing gloves, and those fabulous dance costumes, he was a shoo-in. Oh well, since it was teachers who made the judgement, then we can assume they were just out of it.

How's your faith?

I really like my friend, roommate and yoga teacher Deb. Great sense of humor, very low-key, open minded, flexible, clean, helpful (sounds like a scout motto or something). Anyway, one night at the restaurant, she says, "We haven't argued about anything. Pick a topic we can have a good discussion about." Well, that's easy. I started with the first article of faith. What Christian in the world won't argue about that??? I even drew the plan of salvation on my notebook for added discussion. She didn't buy any of it. But it sure did ease my conscience!
And last night we took another classmate to dinner with us, Melissa. All the usual questions women ask each other, "how many children, where did you meet your husband, where have you lived, do you have siblings, etc..." Turns out she is a twin and one of eight children and lived in Ogden, Utah till she was 12 and then moved to California. "Oh really, are you a Mormon?" "Well I was raised a Mormon and my family is still practicing that religion but I personally am not a practicing Mormon." That broke my heart. Her brothers have served missions. Parents active.
Made me stop in my tracks, so to speak. It's so easy to take your testimony for granted. And to be quite honest, easy to feel your testimony wobble ever so imperceptively when your beliefs are questioned and you can only answer, "I don't really know why or how, but I do know!"
All I want to say, is that we have answers that seem so clear, but it doesn't seem clear if you aren't ready to hear it. And to keep it all clear in your own brain you certainly need prayer, SCRIPTURES and conference talks to stay grounded. So everyone, keep up with your prayers and scriptures....and don't ever break your parents' hearts! (That of course means earthly and heavenly parents)

FYI

So just to clear up any misunderstandings about this class. It is a college class, AND it will earn me 3 full credits...that is if I pass! So no, it won't get me a degree in one week, darn. But hey, 3 credits in one week isn't too bad of a deal. I do have to write up a paper when I get home...but otherwise, all the work here for the week is contained within this week.
More of the same to report today. Just one added tidbit. They have every bike in the world imaginable. From a limo bike (one that carries 2 baby seats in the back and is actually extended to handle the extra child!) to a pick-up truck bike (one that has a huge crate in the front and carries dogs and babies and tons of stuff) to a camper bike (one that pulls a covered trailor behind) to a u-haul bike (an open bed trailor pulled behind). Impressive the ingenuity. When I get home I'll post a couple of the pictures.

Tuesday morning in Amsterdam

Yesterday after class, Deb and I and Melissa, another classmate took our materials to a cafe and hoped to be able to tackle some of our assignments. We found a typical Indian restaurant, ordered our food and settled in for the long haul. One of the beauties of Europe, the restaurants don't care how long you occupy one of their tables! Oh, AND we had an outside terrace table because the sun was intensely shining. It was glorious. We had a view of a plaza so there was a lot to observe, and keep us entertained. We had out our tablets, or daily journal where we are supposed to explore different styles of art....impressionism, expressionism, cubism, etc. We had an old guy come up to comment on our drawings....Deb made the mistake of saying she was from Brussels. Off he goes in Dutch...we just nodded and smiled.
After studying Van Gogh and his attack on Gauguin with the knife, Deb thought it quite funny that last night about midnight she walks over to me with just her laptop light on and a butter knife in her hand. I think she makes a better yoga teacher than a Van Gogh impersonator.
I like to go to the museum just a hour before closing and roam the rooms by myself. The crowds are down and I can enjoy the paintings at my leisure. Seth liked one with the fruit, all in golden toned colors, in the original frame, during his Japanese period. (during Van Gogh's Japanese period that is!) It is amazing Seth. I'm still debating if I have a favorite. For sure it's a thrill to see his actual strokes on his paintings!
Lastly. I love all the bikes. Some of the classmates are from Naples. They mention how quiet it is here with bicylces instead of cars and motorcyles. It really is nice. We have been lucky with sunny, mild weather. I took a long walk in the park, it is much like Tervuren Park, where there are lots of trails and canals....and loads of bikers and runners.
Hey Colie, I heard you had an adventure yourself....unplanned, but an adventure nonetheless. We all want to hear the details...give us an update on your blog! Love to all
PS. Dad tells me he fixed cream of wheat and Esso sandwiches. AND he slept with hs guitar. So I guess he really doesn't need me as much as I thought he did!

Contact me in Amsterdam

Hey, my apartment has internet, and I brought the laptop....so I'm connected. If you need to get in touch you can either email or put a comment on the blog. I'll check it every day.
So I've been in class for one day. It could be a challenge because the teacher is really "touchy, feely" and not real clear on expectations. I should be right in my element after taking modern dance classes at BYU....now that was really into "what are you feeling, what does this express, etc. etc. Like today we discussed shadows, what they are made of, the color in them, the absence of color....and on and on for at least 4 hours. She claims she appreciates all opinions, but after all is said and done, she really does want you to have HER opinion on the whole matter. Otherwise I guess she wouldn't be the teacher, right?
My roommate, Deb, who is also my yoga teacher, had me up this morning for sun salutations and some yoga. That's good. And she is easy to live with and very flexible in her expectations. I'm sure we'll be fine this week. I need to go in and help with dinner. We have an apartment with a kitchen and she was willing to cook in tonight (it being Sunday). I'll keep you posted.

The Lone Men

I leave for Amsterdam tomorrow after the homecoming game. Why am I worried about the 'boys' at home? Could it be they don't know how to wash their clothes, fix vegetables, turn on the oven, vaccumm, make their own lunch, get out the door on time? Oh well, a steady diet of ice cream and cereal never killed anyone did it? Did it???

Rockin' Rachel

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TWO YEAR OLD!!! Hope you have a terrific day and that mom and dad let you have your way the entire day! We sure do love and miss you! Grammie,Pop,Uncle Steve

Kite Runner

So who has read this book, "Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini? I just finished it. Loved this line: "I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night."
I would say this was the meat of the book. Tell me your thoughts if you have read the book.

BAS Football

Steve had a hard week-end in Rota Spain. He was the starting quarterback. Yep, the 3rd string quarterback was starting! The other two were hurt. He didn't like it at all. Came home all beat up because there was no one to block for him. It was their homecoming and they were big and not nice. They quit at the half. Everyone had had it. In addition, Mr Mcvicker went on the trip and he yelled at the kids when their alarms didn't go off, among other infractions of such magnitude.... Oh well, next week-end is Alconbury and OUR homecoming so we'll hope for success. The picture is just a random one from last week's game with Menwith Hill. Good news on the sports end: Indians beat the Red Sox. And BYU won their game. Just those poor Brigands.

madrid

We had a great time with the Simmons in Madrid. We loved spending the day at the temple, and then went to a Flamenco club (Tablao) for dinner. Mind you our reservations were for 10:00pm and the show started at 11:00pm. We were home by 1:00am. We were really living the Spanish lifestyle. Believe me, we entered our hotel and the streets were still packed with people. When we caught our taxi to the airport at 5am they were just thinking about going home. Talk about a party country!
The Flamenco is described as a forceful artistic expression of the sorrows and joys of life. The dancers improvise from basic movements, following the rhythm of the guitar and their feelings. It's fascinating. It's incredible. The flamenco guitar developed from the modern classical guitar. They have a lighter, shallower construction and a thickened plate below the soundhole, used to tap rhythms. The guitarists were amazing. Never looking at their guitars, and putting forth beautiful rhythms and music. The flamenco rhythm is created by the guitar, the hand-clapping, and the dancer's feet in high-heeled shoes.
We talked to the owner of the restaurant, and he said that the clubs hire out different groups and they perform twice a day on the week-ends and once every week night. They are in the clubs about 2 weeks and then they bring in a different group. Our performers were 3 women and one male dancer (The bailaor) Two vocalists and two guitarists. My favorite was the male dancer and the female dancer in red. I guess the poka-dot dress is the traditional style. Tom of course loved the guitarists and the vocalists.
Our table was right next to the stage. We could see the dancers expressions and watch each movement of the guitarist. It really was fabulous.
Sorry the temple shot is sideways.

Tough Situation

So I just finished a lesson in Seminary. How do you make a very immature 9th grader fit in with very mature 12th graders??? You would think I would have this down to a fine art. Just thought I'd see if you guys had a suggestion. You guys haven't been gone from the HS years as long as I have!

Beautiful Belgian Day

It's soooo gorgeous today. I'm sitting outside with my laptop feeling very happy. I'm at the front of the house because that's where the sun is, so I watch people walk by. The whole country is outside I think. You sure don't waste a day like today. It smells and feels like Fall, yet it's an Indian Summer Day. Glorious. And it's Dan's birthday. And it's General Conference. And we have a new apostle and a new counselor in the First Presidency. Just all kinds of good news and exciting happenings. I hope you all are having a great week-end. Steve gets a 2-day break from school, but Tom has to work. I know Jake and Mel are babysitting 5 kids (one being Rachel) for 10 days. What is everyone else doing for the holiday?

The Mom Song

For Trevor Hall and Jeff Packer, (and Lara of course) The only two boys I know personally who serve in Iraq

Last week, while traveling to Chicago on business, I noticed a Marine sergeant traveling with a folded flag, but did not put two and two together. After we boarded our flight, I turned to the sergeant, who'd been invited to sit in First Class (across from me), and inquired if he was heading home.

No, he responded.

Heading out I asked?

No. I'm escorting a soldier home.

Going to pic! k him u p?

No. He is with me right now. He was killed in Iraq. I'm taking him home to his family.

The realization of what he had been asked to do hit me like a punch to the gut. It was an honor for him. He told me that, although he didn't know the soldier, he had delivered the news of his passing to the soldier's family and felt as if he knew them after many conversations in so few days. I turned back to him, extended my hand, and said, Thank you . Thank you for doing what you do so my family and I can do what we do.

Upon landing in Chicago the pilot stopped short of the gate and made the following announcement over the intercom.

'Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to note that we have had the honor of having Sergeant Steeley of the United States Marine Corps join us on this fligh! t . He is escorting a fallen comrade back home to his family. I ask that you please remain in your seats when we open the forward door to allow Sergeant Steeley to deplane and receive his fellow soldier. We will then turn off the seat belt sign.'

Without a sound, all went as requested. I noticed the sergeant saluting the casket as it was brought off the plane, and his action made me realize that I am proud to be an American.

So here's a public Thank You to our military Men and Women for what you do so we can live the way we do.

signed: Stuart Margel -- Washington, D.C.

Also, here are two very touching photos honored at this years International Picture of the Year.

&n! bsp; &n bsp; First Place



Todd Heisler The Rocky Mountain News
When 2nd Lt. James Cathey's body arrived at the Reno Airport, Marines climbed into the cargo hold of the plane and draped the flag over his casket as passengers watched the family gather on the tarmac.
During the arrival of another Marine's casket last year at Denver International Airport, Major Steve Beck described the scene as so powerful: 'See the people in the windows? They sat right there in the plane, watching those Marines. You gotta wonder what's going through their minds, knowing that they're on the plane that brought him home,' he said. 'Th! ey will remember being on that plane for the rest of their lives. They're going to remember bringing that Marine home. And they should.'


Second Place




Todd Heisler The Rocky Mountain News
The night before the burial of her husband's body, Katherine Cathey refused to leave the casket, asking to sleep next to his body for the last time. The Marines made a bed for her, tucking in the sheets below the flag Before she fell asleep, she opened her laptop computer and played songs that reminded her of 'Cat,' and one of the Marines asked if she wanted them to continue standing watch as she sle! pt. 'I think it would be kind of nice if you kept doing it,' she said. 'I think that's what he would have wanted.' -

Red Fridays.

Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing
Red every Friday The reason? Americans who support
our troops used to be called the 'silent majority.' We
are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for
God, country and home in record breaking numbers. We
are not organized, boisterous or overbearing.
Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends,
simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America
supports our troops. Our idea of showing
soli! darity and support for our troops with dignity and
respect starts this Friday -- and continues each and
every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a
deafening message that .... every red-blooded American
who supports our men and women afar, will wear
something red.
By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United
States on every Friday a sea of red much like a
homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every
one of us who loves this country will share this with
acquaintances, coworkers, friends, and family, it will
not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it
will let our troops know the once 'silent' majority is
on their side more than ever, certainly more than the
media lets on.
The first thing a soldier says when asked 'What can
we do to make things better for you?' is ...'We need
your support and your prayers.' Let's get the word out
and lead with class and dignity, by example and wear
something red every Friday.

The Big 30...yep, that would be Dan!

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OK, so it's not till Sunday. Who cares??? I had so much fun going through all the old photos. Lara, you'll have to take over b/c I left off with a photo of you and Daphne....so you can add the photos from that point, ok?
Anyway, Dan, we all hope that your birthday is fantastic. It's on General Conference Sunday!!!
And my I also add what I think are Dan's real strengths. He's a hard worker. He is VERY responsible, and always has been. He's very organized. He's a very neat person, everything is in order. He doesn't complain about doing 'woman's work'...dishes, laundry, cleaning. You name it, he'll do it without a word of complaint. And do a very thorough job to boot. He was always my right hand man, maybe that's why he is so good a doing 'my jobs'!!! I have nothing but praise for his abilities as a Dad and Husband. I stand in awe. He's fun. He takes after his Dad and is romantic (I see how he treats Lara!) I love ya tons Dan!
HAVE A SUPER 30th!!!

I am SO not interesting

I just want everyone to know how much I enjoy your blogs. They are creative, and interesting, and pretty much keep me up to date with your lives. So I feel like I should reciprocate in some way but I really have nothing to report. I love my life, but right now it's very routine. Mind you I keep busy with tennis and yoga and walking with friends and studying for Seminary and cooking and cleaning and travelling to football games and cooking for football teams....just run of the mill stuff.
Tom is no better. Church, work, pay bills. An occasional Andy Griffiths. Steve is a tad better, but only a tad. After school and football and Seminary, he eats junk food and talks to his friends and SLEEPS, alot!
Oh, everyone likes to mention the latest book they read. Darci by far has the best answer: The Book of Mormons...a book she heard was interesting and she's giving it a try.

Questions for Natalie

Picture #1...What was I thinking? (glad you are not running your child ragged like I obviously did). Picture #2 What were YOU thinking??? Picture #3 What was Jake saying?

Went to the Temple today

Monday after yoga class I told my instructor that I wouldn't be able to come on Wed because I was going to Den Haag. "Oh really, are you just going with friends to have a fun day?" I could have kept it simple and said, "yes" but it was a perfect opportunity to bring up exactly why I was going to Den Haag. "Well actually, I'm a mormon, and we have a temple there" We had a nice discussion about why temples and how they are different from our chapels. Evenutally we got around to talking about THE CREATION of the world! "Do you literally believe in the Creation as found in the Bible???"
She and I are going to be roommates while we both take the Van Gogh class in Amsterdam. So it could be a good thing, or awkward. I hope it will be a good experience. As a roommate she'll be exposed to a lot of Mormonism....scripture study and prayer. What I wear, etc. Should be interesting.
But the temple trip was a great experience. I had two sisters in the car that really gave me a great perspective on Sister Missionaries. One sister had served a mission, the other was newly married but never had served. It was SO GOOD for me to hear their perspectives. The one who served said, "I've been trying to get back the feeling I had on my mission ever since I returned! It's an opportunity to grow close to the Savior and it's not to be missed." I have to admit that my ideas about girls serving a mission were tainted. No more. It was a great day.

Can you still do this Jake?

Picture Natalie AND Lara requested

Here's the one you wanted Natalie and Lara, plus a few extras that I thought were quite funny!

Officially Seventeen!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Here's a few pictures from today. (I added his first day of school as well, thus the one of Colie hugging 'good-bye'). He was measured first thing this morning. The official 17 year old height is 5'9". Even with Dad. Wonder if he has another spurt?? He has loved all of you calling to talk to JUST him! Good thing we all get to have a day in the year when it's OUR day.

"THE KID"

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I realize I am a day or so early, but I had time today. Steve will be 17 years old on Wednedsday. I'll report his height after we measure him on Wed....but I think he has passed Jake. Sorry Jake. I think he may have passed Dad. Sorry Dad. But I'll give you the Official status later. We plan to take him out for Thai food, which is his choice for his b-day meal. Oh yes, he has come a long way from a few years ago, which was only cereal or pasta!

This is for Dad

You know that Dad checks all of the blogs regularly, right? So he asked me to put this up on "our" blog. Why? "I just like to look at the picture". Maybe he is dreaming about the day when he will actually, really, retire and these pictures symbolize that day. So this is for you Tom!
Oh AND may I just add that he is going to stop paying his tithing. Yep, BYU lost yesterday. Steve slept in his BYU t-shirt. None of it helped. In fact Utah beat UCLA 44 to 6. What???? It might interest you that 44 to 6 was the EXACT score of the BAS Brigands vs. Hanau Germany yesterday. Sadly, the Brigands had 6. Steve had a very good game though, despite the poor score. I got a kick out of the fact that he was always helping the other guy stand up, or patting another player on the back. He was the "nice" guy out there. I was proud of him!

The Grand Tour

I was about to give my flight info to Natalie and I realized that everyone would need the info. Ta!Da! the Blog. We really do owe Lara a big "thanks" for getting us all connected. She started this whole thing and it's really great!
THANK YOU LARA!
So you only have to read what is applicable to you....
SALT LAKE CITY: 10 Nov to 17 Nov. Arrival at 8:18pm from Houston on flight Continental 752. I have to go to Newark then Houston, then SLC! I depart SLC at 7:15pm on Nov 17th. My plan is to rent a car from the aiport, so I won't need to be picked up. I need to coordinate with Nicole, Seth & Heidi, Suzanne & Jerry & my Mom to get together with them. Otherwise I'll be at Dan/Lara's.
AUSTIN: 17 Nov arrive at 10:55pm on Delta #4453 (operated by Atlantic Southeast) It's direct from SLC. Nicole arrives the day prior on Friday, Nov 16th. (Depart 9:45am to Denver arriving in Austin at 4:29pm on United 7560) Sorry for the late arrival Natalie and Noel. I hope the airport isn't too far from your house. It will definitely be a late night! Depart Nov 23 at 6:00am (man, Natalie you won't want me to visit ever again)
CHARLOTTE: 23 Nov arrive at 11:29am via Atlanta on Delta #1708. Tom and Steve arrive 21 Nov at 8:08pm on US Airways#751. Mel gets stuck doing Thanksgiving dinner. Put those boys to work I say!!! If you don't trust them cooking in the kitchen, they are super at clean-up. They depart 25 Nov at 4:20pm and arrive back to Brussels the next day at 10:50am. Ugh, off to work and school. I will continue my visit and depart 29 Nov at 12:15pm arrival Brussels at 8:00am on 30 Nov.
Just so you know, I was able to get all my flights on skymiles. That's why the dates aren't exactly perfect, but hey, it was close enough.
Now, it's here for whenever you need the info! Love to all!

Painting

So Nicole and I finished our paintings. Mind you we had more fun than we had ability. Although Nicole's turned out quite well I thought, with lots of thought to detail. Her personality, right? Mine is more, "slap it up there and something will hopefully turn out!" It takes a lot of time to get there, set-up, mix your paints, etc. We were using community brushes, and they were in very poor shape, just for the record. I left two of them at the art center for them to use on their bare walls, and the others make a nice display in the laundry room! Hooray!

week-end in brussels

We had a fun Saturday. After pancake breakfast with all the toppings we did housework and yardwork and washed the cars....that wasn't the fun part in case you were wondering, BUT then we took a bike ride to Tervuren Lakes. Then we went downtown to see if there was anything happening. There was! It was the Summer Music Festival which means that there were bands all over the place, and everything was in the outdoors and FREE! We heard Jazz (the lady sang so smoothly you felt like you were melting) and Celtic (which Colie and I loved having just been to Ireland) and Funk/Pop. That was in the Grand Place and the band was called "Level 42" Anybody ever heard of them? Tom looked them up on the web and found out they are semi-famous. They were GREAT!!!
So in case you are reading this Seth, the music rock of Leuven is no longer a hit. It's Brussels #1....Yeah!

Update for Natalie

So Natalie thinks I should update my blog more often. Hmpfh! I just got back from taking Seth and Heidi to the Amsterdam airport....yep, I'm bummed. We stayed at a hotel the night before b/c their flight was 0400 (not really but it was early!) and when we said goodbye at the door, I was A-OK with it all, but then Seth popped back in the room to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything...and that's when I got teary. Why doesn't it get any easier??? You would think it was a piece of cake by now. Nope. Maybe it's b/c he was thinking it might be his last time to Europe, at least while we are residents of Belgium....and I was just feeling the "pain". Or maybe I just like the extra noise in the house and the extra action. Well, Nicole will be home from work in a couple of hours and her chatty self will surely help, don't you think??? Of course she is only here for one more week, but what a week....no more work, only play,play, play! Steve starts 2/days for football. Has to be at school by 6:30am, picked up at 8am, taken back at 3pm and picked up at 6pm. I think he should ride his bike TO school and I pick him up, but he said he'll just cry if that happens. Wonder if he would???
We did have fun in Amsterdam though. Went to the Van Gogh museum and the Anne Frank house. Great wind up if I say so myself. We stayed right at the airport and the metro into the city was only 6euros roundtrip and was only 15 min. The deal of the century. It was only a 2 hours drive home this morning and I listened to music and sucked tootsie pops to stay awake. But now if you don't mind, I think I'll have a little sulk!

Dad's Birthday!

Thanks to everyone for making Dad's birthday a great one. We took him to Domus on Tuesday night while Seth and Heidi were still in town. We had a little party when we got home as well. Then today he had a party at work that Nicole and Steve were able to attend, a special dinner at home, but then sadly he had to leave to go to the Hague for work. Dan and Jake called but he was already gone (they still get full credit!). Natalie called the day before and caught him!
We asked him what was one accomplishment he had when he was 55 that he was especially pleased about? It was making his CD!!! And he hopes to make another while he is 56.
When Nicole saw these photos of Dad she said, "He looks just like Dan!" I guess it would be more like Dan looks just like Dad! It's funny though, some people say some of the kids look like one parent or the other, or one sibling ressembles another sibling or NOT....it's a crack up!
One thing is for sure, Dad is sure proud of his family! Each one of you hold a special place in his heart (and mine too). We love our children, their spouses, their children. We couldn't feel more blessed. So all of these 56 years are worthwhile because all of you are a part of our lives. To love and to receive love. That's what it's all about. XOXO

Pretty cool

Hard not to put this photo on the blog. It's pretty magnificent. No wonder Steve felt this was one of his highlights....the hike in this area proved an eyefull in every direction. I hope to make a photobook of the trip but it will be hard to narrow it down to just a few pictures. I think Colie said she downloaded 260 photos all together. I would do more but it's a BEAUTI-FUL day today and I must make it to the veranda for some summer reading!!! Oh it's nice to be a retired mother. I sure as heck picked the right profession!!! AHHHH

Oh, I hope Heidi will put up one of her "disgusting" pictures. Demand it!

Photo shoot at the castle

Here is just one of the pictures I took of Nicole and Heidi at the castle. I took lots and had so much fun. But then I had two great models and fabulous backdrops. How could I not have fun!

Greece, the highs and lows

We had a great time in Greece, although we hit the heat wave of 40C and higher. We survived by staying near the pool, beach and taking our siesta in our A/C apartment and driving our cars with A/C. As with any trip, we had lots of "highs and lows". Last night for FHE I asked everyone to share what they thought of the trip...

Tom: "I didn't like having to put all your toilet paper in the waste basket and not be able to just drop it in the toilet" (we all hated that!) "I liked gettting ice cream every night and finding chocolate/chocolate magnum bars!

Anita: "The day I went to the grocery store to buy food, and of course there is no A/C in the shop. I finally get out of there and can't find Tom with the car, so I have to wait on the street, where it is ROASTING and I have a meltdown, literally. One of my favorite times was a 'photo shoot' that Nicole and Heidi and I had at the castle in Parga. (I'll post one of those pictures!) And the sunset over the beach on the last day before we flew home."

Seth. "I liked swimming in the pool and being able to see the sea while I was swimming. My low point was getting lost while trying to drive OUT of Athens."

Heidi. "I liked swimming and reading and having lots of time to do both. My low point was when we arrived back in Belgium at 1:30am Greece time and spending another hour trying to find our bags at the airport."

Nicole. "I liked not knowing what day it was, truly on vacation when you lose track of the days. I had time to read 4 novels! I hated the windy road we took to Meteora because it made me car sick!"

Steve. "My favorite day was the day we took a hike up to the monastery in Meteora. My least favorite times were all the time you waste in the airport."

So that's our trip in a nutshell. Now we are back home and we are doing laundry and getting up to date with our emails and phonecalls and bills and grocery shopping, etc. The real DRAG is that the WC is acting up AGAIN!!! What is the deal with this house? Whenever we go on vacation we always come home to a problem, whether the basement floods (did that too) or the WC has problems (that too). Heidi and Seth went to Iper today to visit Flander's field. We go to Paris tomorrow.

Ireland

Colie and I loved Ireland. If you can imagine the two of us in a stick shift car where you drive on the left side and you shift with the left hand...and the roads have ZERO shoulder, and you have hedges and rock walls on either side....then add me and Nicole and you get some idea of the adventure we had. CRAZY! We did have a flat tire, we got lost, we had our B&B cancel on us at the late hour of 9:30PM and finally found a bed around 11:00pm. I thought for sure we would be sleeping in the car. That wasn't even the 'low point'..it was getting charged an extra 100euros for car insurance because they wouldn't accept my VISA as insurance.
The hands-down highlights were the local band playing their fabulous Irish music in the pub...4 accordians, a flute, a guitar, and a violin. And driving through a "GAP" in the mountains that was stunningly beautiful and wild and rugged.
This little lake was on the Kilarnny National Park. The story here is that an Irish man who owned the 11,000 acres went broke. The place went up for sale, but no Irish person could afford it. Finally an Irish-American bought it and gave it to his daughter as a wedding present. The daughter and American husband lived on this land for 12 years, but the daughter died leaving behind 2 children. The American husband went back to America. What to do with the land and house? It was decided to give it back to the country and it's now a park.
So I would post more pictures, but I don't know how...but as soon as Heidi wakes up she promised to show me how to post a slideshow and/or a movie clip. Yep, Seth and Heidi made it just fine. They are down for a long nap....

A Wee Bit O' Ireland

Mom and I spent the weekend in Ireland and had such adventures! Besides getting a flat tire, lost in the mountains for nearly 2 hours, nearly spending a night in the car, and having countless mini-heart attacks everytime we drove on those tinie-tiny Irish roads, we enjoyed the breath-taking scenery, the ancient castles and abbeys, and the accent and kindness of the Irish. Now, we've met people from a wide variety of countries, but I have to say this for the Irish: they are THE most friendly people I have ever met in my life. No joke. There's nice people, uncommonly nice people, ridiculously nice people, and then there's the Irish. It's a whole different level. Have a flat tire? No problem. The guy behind you will stop and change it for you while his wife strikes up a conversation. (Note to the general population: If you are ever asked by an Irish lad or lassie, "How's the crack?" or "How about a bit o' crack?" respond positively because crack is actually spelt 'craic' and means either conversation or fun. Gaelic is a cool language.) Lost? No problem. Someone will not only tell you where to go but they will either walk or drive an unlimited distance to show you where you need to go. The B&B lady gave away your reservation to someone else because you were late (due to being lost and a flat tire, fyi)? This one was a bit of a problem but, after 2 hours of driving around at 11 pm looking for hotels or B&Bs that had vacancies and even debating sleeping in the car, someone was kind enough to call around for us so we didn't have to drive around, and we were able to get a room! Everybody always wanted to know (for authenticity, say with a very very thick Irish accent...thick on the 'r's), "Where are yer from?" "Where are yer headed?" and "Are ya enjoyin' yerself?". Needless to say, we joined in on the accents and had some good times!

I've posted some pictures that you will understand hardly say enough but will have to suffice: the one with the car is from our exploratory adventure in the mountains. This, by the way, is a 2-way road. Yes, indeed. Now you can see why we had heart-attacks everytime someone came from the other direction! Mum is a rockin' awesome driver! The next photo is of Mum and I at the Gallarus Oratory, a temple built between the 7th and 8th century that used no mortor and is still in amazing condition despite the winds and rain of Ireland. We also went to a pub and were amazed at how just regular people are amazing musicians. People would just whip out their flutes or guitars or fiddles and join in on the fun. We ran nearly 3 miles back to our B&B to get our cameras because we were unwisely camera-less at the time. The music was amazing and these guys just had a blast playin' and singin'. It took all of my self-control not to bust out some Irish dancing! We later bought some CDs so that we could rock out in the car as we drove through the sweeping hills. The last picture is of Mum walking down to an abbey by the Rock of Cashel. It seemed like every town, every bend in the road had ruins: castles, abbeys, towers, fortresses. You can see how lush and verdant the land is. We are in love with the green land and the dark skies and even wanted it to rain, but I'm glad we had beautiful weather because we were able to fit more in to our trip. Thanks Mom (and Dad indirectly) for such a glorious weekend. I love Ireland!

Feliz cumpleaños, cuñado!

Could we have a cooler brother-in-law?!? No way. Noel is the best! I love this picture because it shows how good Noel is to Natalie and how great his sense of humor is. Feliz cumpleaños, cuñado!

Look at Noel's great smile!

See Noel, you do have a great smile! We were at Dan & Lara's townhouse in Bountiful before you were married. It was even before you were engaged, right? Looks like Daphne is just a squirt. Have a super day today on all your adventures you have planned there in Mexico. You are a great husband and father and son-in-law and church member. We are lucky to know you and love you! Last year in your 20's...live it up!