Mortensen Moments

Happy Birthday Boy

2012-02-12T17:17:00.000-08:00

Today is Daniel's 23rd birthday. We had him home for the weekend. It was nice having him here. He enjoyed the run of the computer and two TVs downstairs. He had a blast.

This is a present that my mom had sent to him. He was so happy to get this. It was hard to get a picture of him because he was laughing so hard.

This is his birthday cake that Daddy bought for him. Red Velvet. Very yummy.

Here is Daniel on his 23rd birthday. I can't believe our baby is all grown up. He is such a sweetheart and a joy.

A Bunch Of Family Came To Dinner

2012-01-22T18:18:00.000-08:00

Over the Christmas Holidays, Tom and I had some family over for dinner. It was a very fun and nice evening. Tom's parents were in town so we decided to have the local kids and grand kids over for dinner. (Wish Mary lived closer) It was like Mary was there because she gave us a recipe for some pasta. It was wonderful.

I don't know why these pictures are so close together. It is the new blogger thing I am just trying to figure it out. The first picture is the table. The 2nd picture is Bill and Rachael. The 3rd picture it Tony, Latonjya, Justin and Isaiah. The 4th picture is Tom with his parents, 2 of his 4 children, 2 of his 5 grandchildren.

Company's Comin'

2011-12-28T09:12:00.000-08:00

Tom's parents are on there way as we type/blog. We always have a good time when they are here.

On Friday we are having a family dinner. Tony, Latonjya, Justin, and Isaiah are coming. Also, Bill and Rachael. Should be a fabulous dinner. Too bad Mary, Jason and the kids can't be here. New Jersey is a little too far to come for dinner. (somebody should move)

Stay tuned for all the excitement.

The Mortensen Christmas Newsletter

2011-12-14T18:33:00.000-08:00

Well, we can't believe that another year has come and gone. Where does the time go? Following will be a quick and to the point recap of the year. Hope you all enjoy it. (and no the following picture is not an artist rendition of us.)
Tom continues to be the wonderful and thoughtful husband he has always been. I could go on for days about all the thoughtful things he has done for me. It is so nice having him around.

He continues to work hard at his insurance business. It has been hard during these hard economic times.

He is still enjoying golf at 6am on Saturday mornings. (crazy) However, the trumpet has moved ahead on his list of favorite things to do. In fact, he is at a practice as I type this letter. He is getting really good at it.

At church he is the secretary to the stake president. He seems to enjoy it but he seems to be gone more often. They have a meeting every Sunday morning at 7am. (he is so dedicated)

Karen continues to be the loving and supportive wife she has always been. (like my dad said, you might as well compliment yourself because no one else will)

This year has brought a lot of change and growth for me. At work I made a change and went down to teach 1st grade. I had been teaching 2nd for quite a while. I am really enjoying it.

Over the year I dug up an old talent. I started sewing again. It has been really fun.

In November, I took myself to the M.I.N.D Institute in Sacramento to be evaluated by someone who knows about Fragile X. It was a good experience and they said they would be able to help me. (oh, they told me that I do have it and am not a carrier like I was told before)

At church I am a counselor in the Relief Society presidency. It has been fun and has also given me many opportunities to grow. (with all this growing I should be about 6 feet but I am still only 5 foot 1)

Daniel continues to be as sweet and funny as ever. We just love him.

In June he graduated from his school program and is now in an adult day program. He seems to be enjoying it and doing well.

He loves the computer. He will go on YouTube for hours. I could kiss the person who came up with that. That is truly the best thing since sliced bread.

We had Daniel home for Thanksgiving and he was great. We even took him to Grandma's. He loves going there.

Well, that's about all I can remember that happened this year. If I think of anymore I will add it on. We wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Thanksgiving: 2011

2011-11-29T17:27:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving this year, Tom, Daniel and I drove to Clovis for the day. AKA my big brother's house. We are so glad we did because it was sooooo good.

The beautiful table. My SIL, Robin, always does a good job.

My darling neice, McKenzie, mashing the real mashed potatoes.

A wonderful brei cheese dish that my mom made. It was wonderful.

The guest of honor. He was really good.

My big brother, David, starting to carve the turkey. My nephew, Davey, watching and learning for the future.

We had a really good time. The food was great and so was the company.

We Had Another Guest

2011-11-07T18:10:00.001-08:00

However, he wasn't able to occupy our guest room and no I didn't decorate the bed for him. He was put into this plastic cup and shown the door. (Don't worry. No harm came to this lizard) We just thought he would be happier with his friends outside.

Our Guest Suite Got Occupied For A Night

2011-10-18T19:19:00.000-07:00

Remember that lovely post I made about our guest room? Well, someone finally took us up on our offer. My fabulous niece came to visit me along with her fabulous friend and former college roommate, Alli and Alli's adorable little boy. He was so sweet. (Click on guest room to go to post)Ashley told me not to decorate the bed, but I couldn't help myself. I didn't get too crazy though. I let Alli's baby have the moose blanket. He really liked it.

We went to Costco. It was fun. Look what I found on aisle 3.

Costco is know for its samples. I usually don't eat them because I get embarrassed but Ashley and Alli said they had no shame when it came to that so I gave in. I am eating corn bread with Stagg Chile. It was really good. I ended up buying some corn bread mix.

It was so fun having them here. I hated to see them leave. Who will our next visitor be???

Living The Good Life

2011-10-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

I came upstairs and saw Tom doing this. He is sitting in a chair watching the presidential debate on his lap top and watching Fox News on the TV at the same time. I am not making fun of him, I just thought it was funny. Thanks for the smile. Pretty clever if you ask me.

All Decked Out

2011-09-17T17:58:00.001-07:00

Our poor deck was showing its age, so we needed to get her repaired. Lots of the board had dry-rot so they needed to be replaced. Here is the job from start to finish.

Your Attention Please!

2011-09-10T18:24:00.001-07:00

The beautiful Mortensen Guest Suite is now available for immediate occupancy. This beautiful house is situated on the 11th hole of the spectacular Hiddenbrooke Golf Course. The bed is very comfortable and inviting. It has individual bed warmers for those winter nights.

It also has a beautiful view of the lovely patio and golf course just beyond.

The room also comes equipped with a gorgeous cabinet that has plenty of storage for all those clothes you packed and a TV, VCR and stereo system.

This guest suite also has its own private bath just two steps form the bedroom. It has a bath and shower combination and also a little space heater for those chilly fall and winter nights.

For your additional enjoyment there is a treadmill available to keep in shape even while you are on vaction.

As an added extra bonus, the bed can be decorated in the theme of your choice. Just call a day or two ahead of your visit, to let us know your preference.

Thank you for choosing the Mortensen Guest Suite for your next get away. We look forward to severing you.

And if all this wasn't enough, there is no cost to you to be a guest here. The only thing that is required is that you just get yourself here.

We look forward to seeing you.

The Great Performance

2011-09-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

This is a great video. I wish I could have been there to hear it. This is Tom and his kids singing a song and his granddaughter playing the trumpet. Elise just started playing. We are so proud of her. I think these guys should go on the road. They sounded great. Rachael was on the piano, Mary was singing(tan pants) and Tony was singing.

Where The Cats Went

2011-09-08T17:38:00.000-07:00

I sent my video camera to the family reunion. Tony recorded this for me. It is a tour of the camp ground where the reunion was. Looks like a nice place. Thanks to Tony for doing this for me.

What The Mice Did While The Cat(Tom) Was Away

2011-09-06T21:01:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, my mom, my niece Mckenzie and I drove up to Sacramento to go to a wonderful thrift store called Deseret Industries. It was wonderful. Can't believe I didn't take any pictures. My other niece, Ashley, lives up there now and she went with us. After all that shopping we had to eat. We stopped at Chipotle's (?) in Fairfield and had the most wonderful meal.

These are some big burritos. It was hard to eat but worth it.

Andrew, Ashley and Mckenzie apperently didn't want to be seen with Mom and I.

After that, Ashley and Andrew (the future lawyer) came to our house and Ashley made us dinner. It was soooo good. She made pita pockets for us. I could get use to having her live so close.
Well, that was a fun day. More to come. I also sent my video camera to the Family Reunion with the cat. One of these days I will post them. They do take a while to upload.

When The Cat's Away.......

2011-08-31T18:35:00.000-07:00

Well, Tom and Tony are leaving tomorrow for a family reunion in Idaho. (Rachael and Mary are meeting them there.) So while they are gone...... I am going to have my own party. My mom and my niece, McKenzie are coming to see me. We should have fun.

I will post pictures because I know McKenzie will take a lot. I am sending my video camera with Tony to take the video of Tom playing the trumpet with granddaughter Elise and I think Mary and Rachael are going to be singing and playing the piano for them. Should be wonderful.

Hopefully we will have some great things to post next week. Hope all of you will have a great Labor Day Weekend.

The Solo That Got Away

2011-07-29T15:01:00.001-07:00

This is one of the bands that Tom is in. They played the other night in downtown Vallejo. It was wonderful. They did an awesome job. However, they ran out of time and Tom wasn't able to play his solo part that he had. (sad face) He has been doing really well on his trumpet. He is excited because our granddaughter, Elise, has started playing the trumpet. They are going to play together at the family reunion in September.Here is the song that he was suppose to have the solo on. Enjoy.

Walking The Bridge

2011-07-20T09:54:00.001-07:00

Living in the Bay Area, there are many bridges one can drive across and of course pay for. Some of the bridges have walking paths on the side. This is the Carquinez(?) Bridge that is not too far from our house. We cross it daily. The part you can walk on is the newer bridge. It was built just before Gray Davis left the governor's office. The walking path is wonderful. Here are some pictures.

The path that leads you up to the bridge.

Almost to the bridge. The bridge on the left is what the old side looked like. It reminds me of an erector set.

On the bridge.

A view of the town of Crockett that is just at the end of the bridge.

A restaurant at the end of the bridge. It is called the Waterfront. There is another on up to the right that is called The Dead Fish.

Lunch and New Clothes

2011-07-16T18:54:00.001-07:00

Sorry for delays in posts. I hadn't realized it had been so long. Today Tom and I drove over to Daniel's for lunch. It was yummy. We had the place all to ourselves. We also had entertainment. A soccer game was on on an all Spanish station.

Mom and Daniel enjoying lunch.

A new outfit I bought for Daniel.

Another new outfit for him.

This type of thing is normally not a big deal for some but it was amazing that Daniel cooperated and tried on the clothes. I think he looks handsome.

Daniel's Graduation- June 16, 2011

2011-06-17T12:35:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Tom and I attended Daniel's graduation. It was a special time. We are so proud of him. I can't remember when he started here but he has been at this school a long time. This school has been good for Daniel and we will miss him going there. But we are also looking forward to many more good things for him.

The Diploma

Decorations they had in the window.

The graduate. Those are $1 bills in the lei.

Daniel receiving his diploma from the director.

The cake they had for him.

The cake, the graduate, the mom and the dad.

We love you Daniel and are so proud of you. We are also truly grateful to all the people who have worked with Daniel over the years.

Some Backyard Beauty

2011-05-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

I was out in the backyard the other morning and all this took my breath away. It was all so beautiful and peaceful out there. Here are a few examples of what is out there. Enjoy.

Farmer Tom Returns

2011-05-07T17:40:00.001-07:00

After being gone off the farm for a season, Ole Farmer Tom has returned to plant the tomato crop again. Yahoo!!

Here are tomato plants l and 2.

Farmer Tom told the Mrs. that he plans on planting two more. Yee Haw! Can't wait.

The Relatives Came To Visit Us

2011-04-23T08:02:00.000-07:00

The first group came on Sunday night. We had a really nice dinner. Sorry there are no pictures but we were just busy enjoying the moment. We had spaghetti and fish for dinner. It was wonderful. The relatives were, Tom and I, 3 grown children, their 3 spouses, and 5 really cute grandchildren. (3 boys and 2 girls) That was a total of 13 people.

The next set of relatives that came were my mother and my niece McKenzie. They stayed for a couple of days. Their visit included a trip over to San Francisco of course.
We went and saw Daniel. (that is a must) We ate Burger King in a little park by his house.

McKenzie and I on the boat/ferry to San Francisco.

Mom and I at Ghirardelli Square eating the most wonderful ice cream sundaes. McKenzie was better and ate two chocolate covered strawberries.

Coming into the port at the Ferry Building.

And of course the wonderful chocolate at Ghirardelli Square.

Tom and I had the most wonderful time when the relatives came. We hope they will come and visit again. Also, other relatives not mentioned here could come also.

Our New Arrival

2011-04-10T15:35:00.000-07:00

Well, Tom and I decided that we have had too many milkshakes to the hips, so we did something about it. We finally made the right choice and bought this:It is really wonderful. I have walked 6 miles on it so far. I would have done more but I was out of town for a couple of days. Starting back up tomorrow.

Grandparents, Daniel and Pizza

2011-03-12T17:27:00.000-08:00

Tom's parents are in town for a few days so we thought we would go get Daniel for lunch. We had a nice visit.

Tom didn't tell anybody he was going to take the picture.

This was taken at Daniel's house.

Daniel had enough of picture taking for one day.

**Photogenic has left the building.**

What Would You Choose?

2011-03-05T18:27:00.000-08:00

Tonight I went up to Tom and asked him if we could do something. He said,"What do you want to do?" I told him that we could go somewhere and buy a treadmill or make milkshakes. He remarked about how those two choices were at opposite ends of the spectrum and I pointed out that you have to have balance.

WE CHOOSE...

They were very, very good.

We Had A Date

2011-02-19T20:40:00.000-08:00

Today I was feeling a little blue(see my post at I Made It Through The Rain) and I mentioned to Tom that I would like to go somewhere or do something but didn't know what. He suggested that we go get a pizza at Napoli Pizza. This is the best place in town. Doesn't the pizza look great. It was good too. They have an old Pac Man machine in the front. I should have taken a picture but I didn't have the nerve. Maybe next time.

Valentine's Date

2011-02-14T20:48:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day Tom and I went to dinner at Wendy's. It was fun and it was good too. I love their new french fries. Yummy!

Here is me with our Frostys (?) I don't know how to spell.

Here is Tom with out dinner. We had those chicken sandwiches. They were really good.

I thought this quote was perfect for the evening. Our evening together wasn't elaborate or expensive. It was just nice because we were together. Hope everyone had a good day today.

Daniel's 22nd Birthday

2011-02-12T21:15:00.001-08:00

Today is Daniel's 22nd birthday. Tom and I went to pick him up and take him to lunch. We had a fun time.

Here is Daniel in his kitchen with his goodie basket and balloon from us. The people he lives with put the badge on him.

Father and Son.

We took a little detour before lunch. Tom had to have a tire changed out. Here we are waiting in their 1970's waiting room. There was paneling on the wall.

Daniel and I at Applebees. For some reason he thought it was funny that Tom was taking our picture.

We Had Some Excitement

2011-02-06T09:39:00.001-08:00

My fabulous and wonderful niece, Ashley, came to visit us with her equally fabulous and wonderful husband, Andrew. He is wonderful because he wanted to marry Ashley and because his father is from the same town as Tom. Anyway, we had a wonderful time with them.

Here is a picture of how I fixed the bed for them. Pretty good huh? Praises to the Dollar Tree.

Here is a picture of the basket of goodies I left for them.

Here they are at breakfast one morning. Tom makes the best eggs.

They made us lunch. It was soooooo good.

Here we are at Wendy's. We had Frostys(?) and their new fries. They were sooooo good. Andrew was impressed with the place. He said if they dimmed the lights it would be like a really nice restaurant.

Anyway, they left this morning carrying a bunch of stuff I gave them to sell on Ebay. Hope they can sell it for lots of money. (I told them to keep the money)

We Are Borrrrring

2011-02-02T17:08:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted anything lately but nothing has really been happening. We are pretty boring around here. But have no fear, we will be posting some exciting things soon. My niece and her husband are coming this weekend and Daniel's birthday is on the 12th. So stay tuned for not boring.

Help Needed To Find Something

2011-01-19T20:09:00.000-08:00

Could someone please find a blog background to go with this picture? Pretty please with a cherry on top. Thank you so much.PS. Not to add any pressure, but I would like it by the end of January, 1st of February.

Lunch With Daniel And Daniel's New House

2011-01-17T19:22:00.001-08:00

Today I had off of work and Daniel was off of school so Tom and I took Daniel out to lunch. We went to Round Table Pizza. It was very good. We got the all you can eat pizza and salad bar lunch. Here is a sample of the pizza.

Daniel and I enjoying our salads.

A few months ago Daniel moved. Here he is in his bedroom. He shares it with another guy.

They have their own on suite bathroom.

This is the great room where all his roommates hang out in. There are some couches and a big screen TV. Daniel likes his computer the best.

No Room At The Inn ???

2011-01-04T19:29:00.000-08:00

**Disclaimer-- This was all done by choice. I am just trying to be funny.**

For Christmas, Tom, Daniel and I traveled to Clovis to spend Christmas with my mother and my brother and his family. They told us not to get a hotel(like we have in the past) and that we could sleep at their house. We thought that was very nice, so we took them up on it.

Daniel slept here in my mom's bed.

Tom slept here in my niece Brooke's room. Notice the towel, water and candy cane.

I slept here. This is a tent trailer that is parked in their garage. I slept out here with my 11 year old niece, McKenzie.

A Very Happy One-One-One One To You

2011-01-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are at the beginning of a new year. Who knows what it will hold for everyone, but I do hope and pray that it will hold many wonderful things for you as well as for us.

Here are a few highlights from our year.

TOM= He was released as the Bishop of our ward in early January. He didn't get much of a rest because he went right to the High Council. He is a lea son (?) of sorts to another congregation and has to speak at different churches once a month.
He is still selling insurance(want some) and playing the trumpet. He is getting really good at that. He really does enjoy it a lot.
He is still golfing but playing the trumpet has seemed to trump the gold. LOL

ME= I work in the Primary at church. It has been nice although I don't seem to know what I am doing to well. It doesn't just come to me. But, I am working with some wonderful ladies.
I am still teaching 2nd grade. I do enjoy it even though it wipes me out at times. I love the kids and the people I get to work with. Due to money, we might not have small classes again in the next school year. I hope something can be worked out.
Of course, I am still blogging. I really do enjoy this and it has been a great outlet for me. I have met some wonderful people and have learned so much from all of them. It is good to see that people aren't afraid to talk about God and Jesus out there.

DANIEL= He is still the sweetest person on earth. He is doing very well. He spends hours on the computer looking at video clips on You Tube.
He goes to a special school during the day. This will be his last year there because of his age. He will turn 22 in Feb. and will go to an adult day program. Which means we have to start looking at some.
Also, because of his age, he had to move into a home that was classified as an "Adult Home." So by a great miracle , the lady who owns the group homes graciously opened here home to Daniel and 3 other people. They will save money and buy another house that they can all move in. Tom and I were so very happy about this. God really was involved in this one.

Well, that's all the news and excitement we had. It was a pretty good year and we pray that this next year will be too. Also, that many wonderful blessings will come everybody's way. Happy 2011!!

Tom's Christmas Concert

2010-12-27T20:39:00.000-08:00

While Mom and McKenzie were here, we attended a Christmas Concert that Tom was in. It was really good. They all need a good job. They even played Kazoos on the first song. It was so cute. Sorry I didn't take any video.

Here is Tom in action.

Here they are getting ready.

Pre-Christmas Visitors

2010-12-27T20:20:00.001-08:00

My mom and my niece McKenzie came up on the train for a visit. We had a good time.
Highlights included in this slide show are 2 trips to the nail salon and a trip to the Jelly Belly Factory. We had a blast.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Backtracking

2010-12-04T17:32:00.000-08:00

Several weeks ago, Tom and I had a couple of fun dates. Here they are in random order. Not sure which came first, the trumpet of the IHOP. LOL

This is our dentist, Eric Eidbo, playing a trumpet solo. He is part of the Contra Costa Wind Symphony. They were really good.

This is Daniel and I. Tom and I went and picked him up and took him out to lunch. We went to IHOP. It was pretty good. I got lots of nice hugs from Daniel during lunch. That made it all worth it.

Thanksgiving: Very Little Evidence

2010-11-28T18:21:00.000-08:00

This year Thanksgiving was a bit unconventional to some people but not really for us. We were so grateful for so many things, that we had to have Thanksgiving in two places.

TOM WENT TO ARIZONA

DANIEL AND I WENT TO CLOVIS.

HERE ARE TWO PICTURES OF TOM'S TABLE. ONE OF TOM'S NIECES TOOK THESE. HE DIDN'T TAKE HIS CAMERA.

I DON'T HAVE ANY PICTURES OF WHERE I WENT BECAUSE I FORGOT TO BRING MY CAMERAS. THAT IS RIGHT--CAMERAS. I FORGOT THE REGULAR CAMERA AND THE VIDEO CAMERA TOO. SO--I WENT TO THE STORE AND BOUGHT A VERY CHEAP CAMERA. I TOOK LOTS OF GREAT PICTURES. THE TABLE, THE FOOD, SOME PEOPLE, MY NIECE DYING MY HAIR, THE CAMPING TRAILER I SLEPT IN AND DANIEL ON THE COMPUTER. WHEN I GOT HOME TO UPLOAD THEM, ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL PICTURES HAD DISAPPEARED.

I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE REALLY GOOD IMAGINATIONS.

Daniel's Visit

2010-10-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

Daniel came to visit us on the weekend of October 1. Daniel loves music and loves to sing. So--I filmed him rocking out and singing to a Disney song.

Tom's Uncle Bruce

2010-09-26T15:34:00.001-07:00

Last week, Tom and I traveled to Idaho for the funeral of Tom's uncle Bruce. It was a nice trip and it was good to see family that we don't get to see too often. I didn't take many pictures but here are some I took of Tom and his brothers.

Rocky, Paul, Tom Rodger, Bruce and Jon.

All the boys with their beautiful mother. By the way, there are also 5 girls.

All the boys with their father.

All the boys with Mom and Dad.

San Francicso Memories

2010-09-08T22:56:00.000-07:00

All of these pictures were taken by my fabulous niece McKenzie. She also shot the video clip. Enjoy.

We're Seeing Red

2010-08-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

We are so happy around here. We have tons of tomatoes coming on. This is a picture of our very first tomato. It was sooooo good.

Here is a picture of some that are starting to turn !!!!

Here is another one that is getting ready. Can't wait.

We're Turning Over....A New Leaf, That Is

2010-08-19T16:43:00.000-07:00

Meaning: Start to do something again in a better way, forgetting past errors.

For longer than we care to remember or admit, we have not made our many on a consistent bases for a long time. It has got to be in the years. Anyway, we have decided to turn over a new leaf and start making our bed every morning.(Mom would be so proud) So, we started today. Let's hope we can keep it going. Wish us luck.
This is our bed. It is so pretty. It really is ashame we don't make it more often.

Playing In Wonderland

2010-08-07T20:57:00.001-07:00

Today Tom's jazz band played in Children's Wonderland in Vallejo. It is a cute playground type place based on Alice in Wonderland.I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of it so I had to steal this one from Google Images. This is a picture of Tom warming up. I know his trumpet is on the stand. They just warm up the mouth piece first.

This is Tom playing some song. I didn't do a video today because it takes a long time to upload and I just did one. Take my word for it, they were really good today.

Here he is again. This is just a little closer.

We had a great time. I think they will be playing there again in a week or so. Maybe I will have a video of that.

Playing In The Street In Downtown Vallejo

2010-07-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

Tom has been playing the trumpet for over a year. He has joined a couple of community bands. He is really enjoying it. Wednesday night they performed on a street corner in downtown Vallejo. Here is one of their songs called The Chicken. Tom is in the back row, on the right, wearing a white baseball cap. Enjoy.

Lunch With Daniel

2010-07-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

Today Tom and I went over to Daniel's house and picked him up for lunch. First we had to go to Daddy's office. Of course Daniel went right to the computer and got on Youtube. He loves to get on there and watch clips of game shows. Then we went to lunch at a place called Country Waffles. It was pretty good. We all had Oriental Chicken Salads. They were so good. Daniel and Tom ate all of theirs but I had to take some home with me. Daniel was very good.

Here is the sign in front of the restaurant. I love all the pretty trees around it.

While we were by Tom's office we saw Lori and her husband Corey. They were over there taking a CPR class. Lori is the lady who owns the home that Daniel lives in. It was so good to see her. Pretty soon Daniel and 3 other people are going to move into Lori and Corey's house for a while and then Lori is going to buy another group home for them. This is because when they turn 22 they have to go to an adult home. So instead of finding another home, Daniel gets to stay with them and she is just going to make her home an adult home. Tom and I are so grateful to Lori for doing this. It is a miracle.

Front Yard Beauty

2010-07-10T19:57:00.001-07:00

I was looking at our front yard today and was impressed with its beauty. Here are a few pictures. However, the pictures don't do the plants justice. We have these two flower pots on our front porch. Tom always has them filled with flowers.

These are some tress that Tom planted years ago to hide the ugly cement. They have really grown. The tips of the branches are a very pretty blue.

This is a pretty flowering plant that I haven't really noticed until today. I think it is so pretty.

For the beauty of the earth,

For the beauty of the skies,

For the love which from our birth,

Over and around us lies,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

Folliott S. Pierpoint

Update- Bookcase and Tomatoes

2010-07-05T16:43:00.001-07:00

Today, Victor, our friend who made this bookcase, came back with the repaired bookcase and put it back in. We are so happy that it is all fixed and back up. Victor said if we hear a crash again, to call the cops. The picture frames are new. The other ones perished in the fall. Yes, Vallejo, we have tomatoes.
However, these are not from the plants that were posted about the other day. These are from some other plants that we have. But, we are glad we are getting some. We can't wait for them to ripen.

Homegrown Tomatoes- Yummy

2010-07-01T10:37:00.001-07:00

Tom and I, well mostly Tom, decided to grow some tomatoes. I was all for it. Here are 3 of our plants. There are no tomatoes yet, but we are still holding out hope. We love them.

Here is a great video for you to enjoy about homegrown tomatoes. Money can't buy true love or homegrown tomatoes.

The Trip That Almost Wasn't

2010-06-22T19:22:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day weekend Tom and I decided to go to Idaho to visit his parents. I took a few days off of work to make the trip. We left on a Thursday afternoon. We had quite the time getting there but we made it and had a great time.

First we encountered snow going over the pass. It was lovely.

Then Tom noticed something wasn't right with the car. He pulled over and we had a flat tire.

The tire was really bad and couldn't be fixed. Because of various reasons we had to stay the night in Reno and get a rental car to continue our journey.
While we were in Idaho, Tom turned 60. His mom made him a lemon meringue pie to celebrate the occasion. I was surprise Tom let us have any.

The next day we went to his brother Jon's house for dinner. It was wonderful. Jon and Marilyn know how to feed people. This is the cake his mom bought for him.

While we were there we went to Shoshone Falls. It was beautiful.

Then we went to Rupert where Tom's 3 babies are buried.

When we got back to Reno on Tuesday, our car was ready and as good as new.

The BIG BANG Theory

2010-06-14T20:14:00.001-07:00

Tonight I helped Tom open the garage door. His hands were full because he was carrying an ice chest. He was going to meet his friend to go see a baseball game. As the door opened and Tom went into the garage we heard this BANG. I asked what that noise was. Tom left and I began to look around. I couldn't see anything upstairs. I thought all was well---WRONG. I started to come down the stairs and this is what I found. Note: The top of this bookcase is suppose to be at the top of the ceiling.

Hope somebody can fix this.

23 Years Ago Today

2010-06-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Today is our 23rd wedding anniversary. Here is a trip down memory lane for you. This is a picture of us on our first date. We had met the night before at a singles dance and Tom wanted to take me out the next day. We are at Pier 39 in San Francisco.

We were engaged only about a month later. This is the picture we put in our wedding announcements. My SIL, Robin took this picture of us. I think this was taken at her parents house.

Here we are on our wedding day. We got married in Oakland, CA at the LDS Temple. Are we just the greatest looking couple?

Here we are now(well sort of). This was taken at a family reunion a couple of years ago. Have we changed any? Do we look better, worse or the same? We are very happy together and are glad we found each other. Speaking for myself, Tom is the best thing that has ever happened to me besides Daniel.

Warden Threw A Party At the County Jail

2010-05-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Baby Face Mortensen and 2 of his cell mates, help celebrate his birthday at the Minidoka County Jail. A swell time was had by all. An Elvis sighting was believed to have taken place.

Happy Birthday Tom!!! We love you very much!!!!

Helping Hands Day-Dan Foley Park

2010-05-08T18:30:00.000-07:00

Today, May 8, 2010, the Napa Ca. Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints held a Mormon Helping Hands Day at Dan Foley Park in Vallejo. It was fun and the park is so beautiful. Tom and I got the assignment to paint this railing. Doesn't it look great? I DID help but someone had to take the picture for the blog!

Here is Tom lending a hand(no pun intended) to paint the lines on the basketball court. I just supervised on the painting but I did help pull off the tape.

Here is the beautifully painted basketball court.

This is Tom with two of the missionaries that were there. Elder Millet on the left and Elder Abbott on the right. Elder Millet served in our ward for a while.

This is our "we were there" picture. Don't we look just lovely?

*It was a really fun day and we are glad we went. I hope they have another one some day.*

Who Says Golfing Doesn't Pay?

2010-05-01T14:24:00.000-07:00

This Saturday morning stated like any other Saturday morning. Tom gets up before daylight and leaves the house to go golfing without me knowing. Anyway, when he came home he was carrying a little box. He said,"I have a treat for you." I looked in the box and found all these little bottles of mustard. There were about 63 of them. One of his golf buddies gave them to him.

I am excited that he brought these home. I love mustard like some women like chocolate. So now all of you know the whole story. I am weird. But I will be happy enjoying my mustard. Yum! Yum!

Donating Part 2

2010-04-19T19:54:00.001-07:00

Well, Tom donates live saving blood and I donated things to D.I. Last Sunday when I was at church, I saw the donation truck was back in the parking lot. Needless to say I was excited. So, this Sunday Tom was able to go to church with me(a rare thing anymore). We(I) loaded up the backseat and we headed for the donation truck. A view from one side of the car.

The view from the other side of the car. That is a "dead' doll in the gray bag.

Here is Tom putting the last bag in the truck. And NO all that stuff in there is not ours. But the Casual Corner bag, the plant and the boxes of videos are ours. By the way, I made Tom pose for that picture. Not bad huh? After I took it he said,"Why did you do that?" I told him it was for the sake of the blog.

We Was Productive

2010-04-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

While I was on Spring/Easter Break, I decided that I needed to do something productive. So, I decided to really clean the kitchen. First, I took everything off of the counters and wiped everything off. I also, cleaned off all the appliances. Then, I put everything back and... it ended up looking like this. Doesn't everything look pretty?

Tom also helped out. He went and bought these pretty new rugs for out kitchen and....

these new place mats. There are also 4 on the table.

So, how does everything look?

Meet Nellie

2010-03-22T18:47:00.001-07:00

The other day Tom said,"Karen, would you like to come and help me bury this garbage in the backyard?" "Okay", I said. Then he added,"And bring Nellie with you." Nellie, who is Nellie? Mom is not here I said to myself. Then I found out that he meant the compost pot that is pictured below. He said he named it Nellie because my mother, Nellie, gave it to us for Christmas. Isn't he clever? He has also named all of the roosters we have in our kitchen.

So, anyway, meet Nellie.I have some other Nellie's in my life that I would like to share with you. They are two very special women.
This one is a picture of my mother Nellie. I think this was her senior picture from 1955.

This is a picture of my great grandmother Nellie. I think she is about the same age as my mother is in this picture. Wasn't she something? My grandmother told me that this was a picture taken when she went to the ceremony when Utah became a state.

I am truly grateful for all of these Nellies in my life.

Donating

2010-03-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Tom went to donate blood. I went along to document the event. I only have given blood once when I was 18 and I almost passed out. The man at the blood bank brought over smelling salts to me. Here is Tom ready to go in and surrender his blood to the blood bank. How brave.

Would you enter and sign in please. He had to fill out a questionnaire about all sorts of things.

Here he is in the chair getting his blood "sucked" out of him. LOL What a trooper.

TADA! All done. 3 cheers for my brave man. What a guy.

Tony and Tina's Wedding

2010-03-07T09:29:00.001-08:00

Saturday night, Tom and I and 4 of our friends, Leo, Karen, Sue, and Yolanda, went on this boat to San Francisco to see Tony and Tina's Wedding. It was a blast.

Here is Yolanda with the Best Man. Yolanda just turned 70 and we were celebrating it. She is Italian so we knew she would fit right in.

Here is Tom and his "new girlfriend" Mandy. She was actually the girlfriend of the Father of the Groom.

Here is the lovely wedding party. They were really something.

Here is a picture of Tom and I. It is sort of a "we were there" picture.

Daniel's 21st Birthday

2010-02-17T12:40:00.001-08:00

On Friday, February 12th was Daniel's 21st birthday. After work I went over to his house to see him. I had a very nice visit with him. He is so sweet. Here is a basket of goodies that Grandma Nellie sent him. What would we do without grandmas?
Here is a picture of the basket with the balloon that came with it.

Here is my sweet Daniel standing by his basket.

Here is Daniel listening to me sing Happy Birthday to him. He thought it was funny. At least he didn't cry like he used to when he was a kid.

Hey Everybody......

2010-02-16T21:46:00.000-08:00

Be sure to start checking out my new blog. It is called It's All Elementary. I will post things there about my class and all the exciting things we do and some of the funny or sweet things they do or say. Hope you all enjoy it.

It is on my blog list as My Other Blog. Also the address is http://mrsmortensensclass.blogspot.com

My Baby Turns 21 Today

2010-02-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

Today my son Daniel turns 21. I am finding I have many emotions that are going along with this special birthday. I keep thinking of how things could have been. He should be out serving the Lord on a mission and due to come home with in the next few months but he isn't. Daniel can't go on a mission or to college because he is disabled. But, very often I have to remind myself that what could be doesn't matter and I need to focus on the good I have and what the eternal perspective with Daniel is. That really makes me feel better. I hope I have explained this right. This is all so hard to put into words. Here is a picture that was taken at the hospital on Feb. 15th the day he came home from the hospital. Below is a little talk I wrote that a lady asked me to do as part of her Relief Society Lesson many years ago. This explains a lot of how I feet about Daniel then and really how I still feel about him now. I love him soooo much.

I am so grateful that I have Daniel in my life. He is so cute, loving and sweet. We are truly blessed to have him in our family. Tom and I are honored to be his parents.

Wordless Wednesday Two

2010-01-20T07:08:00.001-08:00

Catching up on the latest news.

Ashley and Andrew's Wedding and Reception

2010-01-16T20:14:00.001-08:00

All of these pictures were taken by my wonderful nephew, Davey Shepard.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Ashley & Andrew's Family Dinner 1-8-10

2010-01-16T16:28:00.001-08:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Climbing The "Armoir" Of Success

2010-01-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

This is my 1st attempt at participating in Wordless Wednesday.

Happy 2000 and 10 To You!

2010-01-01T15:19:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are at that time of year again. You know the time when we sit and contemplate the passing year and what we are going to do with the upcoming, new one? Well, I must confess ,that I have been doing a little bit of that. I have come up with a short list of things I would really like to focus on this year. I am putting it here so it will remind and motivate me to do them. You know, it takes a village. (Ha Ha)

So here are my "Top" five things I want to do.
1. Every morning I want to say,"Thank you God for this day and help me to use this day in a pleasing manner to Thee. " In other words , help me to make the most of this day.
2. Read in the scriptures daily. (I have done this for the past 2 years and would like to continue.)
3. Do some sort of exercise at least 3 times a week. Such as run around my upstairs 5 times or do my Walk Away the Pounds-the 1 mile walk.
4. Be smart with what I eat and no eating after 8pm.
5. When on Facebook and a suggestion comes up about write on a friend's wall ect, do it.

Well, wish me luck and I wish you luck also with your endeavors. Here is to a great 2010.

Well, Here It Is

2009-12-29T17:46:00.000-08:00

I don't know why I fretted so much about this post. I really wanted it to be special. Well, a couple of weeks ago, one of my students wrote this paragraph for a class assignment. I give them this paper and the opening sentence. They do the rest. I really loved this one.(you can click it to read) It says, "I like Christmas. I like Christmas because you get lots of presents. You also get to spend a lot of time with your family. And it is not all about presents. There is another thing. Can you guess? It's Jesus' birthday too!!! I love Christmas a lot because there are so many things you can do.

So, this is my 100th post. I hope you have enjoyed them. I enjoy this a lot. Here is to another 100 posts!!!

Ghost of Christmas Past

2009-12-14T17:55:00.000-08:00

Here are some cute and funny pictures I found of Christmas long ago. Hope you enjoy them. They brought a smile to my face and made me laugh out loud! David and I decorating some Christmas tree some where. Aren't we just adorable and doing a good job? David is doing the work and I am supervising. This is still the way it is with Tom and I and trees. He does it and I supervise.

This is just an adorable picture isn't it. I don't know what was wrong with all of us that day. This was taken in about 1967 I think. It was in Okinawa. That is why we are dressed like summer time. Is what is worse than this picture is what Mom wrote on the back. She sent this to her parents and asked them if they had ever seen a sorrier bunch of kids.

My little sweetheart, Daniel. Isn't he so cute? He did much better by himself than he did with Santa as you will see.

Here is another picture of my sweetie.

Daniel wouldn't stay there by himself. He wanted out of there. Isn't he cute? Seems like history repeats itself.

Daniel wasn't too happy here. I don't know why. I have another one with his teacher and it wasn't much better.

He doesn't look too happy here and he doesn't seem to know what to do. Mommy come and get me.

Ward Christmas Party

2009-12-12T08:13:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from our ward Christmas party that was held on December 5th. It was a really nice party. Good food, good company and great entertainment. Tom got some of his friends together and put on a great show. Here is a group of people doing Pretty Paper. It is a Willie Nelson song. They did a great job.
Here are Tom and Ruffy singing and playing a song. Sorry I can't remember what it was. It might have been Silent Night.
Here is Tom playing The Holy City. It was really nice because the audience was singing along with him. It is such a pretty song.
Here is a scene from the Primary. They did such a good job. We got to sing songs throughout the play.
Here is a picture of some of the decorations they had up. They were all so pretty.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-07T20:16:00.000-08:00

I know this is a little late, but better late than never. For Thanksgiving, Tom, Daniel and I went to Clovis to have dinner at my brother David's and my mom's house. It was a wonderful dinner with wonderful company. David, Robin, Lauren, Brooke, Davey, McKenzie, Mom, Dick, Susan, and Heidi. The wonderful table that Robin and the girls set up for us. Great job.

Here is more of the wonderful table. There were so many people we needed two tables.

Our place settings. Aren't those Pilgrim hats cute? They were good too.

My big brother and my mom getting the final touches on dinner.

Before dinner, we got a concert with Tom and McKenzie on their trumpets. They were both great.

Sorry I didn't get more people pictures. I am not sure what happened. I guess I was too excited about all the food. It was very good.

Please Advice

2009-12-05T10:41:00.000-08:00

I would like the readers of my blog help. I would like to know what you would be interested in reading about here. Sometimes I am not sure what to post. I have ideas but sometimes don't do them because I will think the readers wouldn't like them etc. Anyway, PLEASE COMMENT on what you would like to see me post here. I would really appreciate your input. Thank you so much for your help. I will try and honor what you request. I now have a scanner so the sky is the limit. LOL

Amazing Ashley Turns 23 Today

2009-12-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

This cute, little, amazing girl is turning 23 today. She has brought a lot of joy to my life. I am very proud of her. She has made good choices and has lived her life well.

She grew into this wonderful young lady. She will be getting married in January to a wonderful man.

We love you Ashley and are grateful to have you in our family.

2 Boys and a Girl or David, Karen and Billy

2009-11-29T17:26:00.000-08:00

We finally have our scanner hooked up thanks to Tony. I thought I would test it out with some real "blasts from the past" . Hope you enjoy them. Me, David and Billy in about 1966. I think this was taken at our grandparents's house in Salt Lake. Don't you just love Karen's hair?

Billy, Me, and David with our two cousins, Stephanie(standing ) and Michelle. We are in front of our grandparents house in Salt Lake.

Ira (Dad), Nellie (Mom), Karen, David, Billy. This was in about 1978 just before David left on his mission to South Dakota.

David, Billy and I at Billy's graduation from Clovis High in 1983.

Barbara Nellie, Mom, Grandma Nellie

2009-11-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Today, November 17, 2009, is the 73rd birthday of this adorable girl. This is a picture of her when she was around 10 years old. Isn't she cute? I think she still looks the same.

Here is Mom and Dad on their wedding day. March 24, 1958. Don't they make a cute couple?Not sure when this picture was taken. Probably in Germany in the early 60's. Aren't those 2 kids with her adorable? (David and Karen) This is a picture taken in about 1978 before David left on his mission to South Dakota. Aren't we all just lovely. Ira(Dad) and David in the back row. Nellie(Mom), Billy, Karen in the front row.

Mom in the backyard of our home on Swift in Clovis. She grew all of those things in front of her. The dog is the next-door -neighbor's dog.

**Five Fun Fascinating Facts About Mom**

1. She was in the July 1947 issue of the Children's Friend magazine.

2. She was baptized in the Salt Lake Tabernacle.

3. She is the same age as the San Francisco Bay Bridge.

4. She got her drivers licence in Okinawa.

5. She claims that she has never had a labor pain. She has given birth to 3 children.

Mom /Grandma Nellie is a wonderful lady. She has the best attitude of anyone I know. She is very wise about life. She has helped me a lot. She always thinks of others before herself. She is a great cook. She is the words greatest grandma. She has always wanted to be a grandma. When she was little and they played house, she was always the grandmother. She is a very strong woman. She is a breast cancer survivor of about 20 years!!!

So Happy Birthday Mom/Grandma Nellie. We love you and are so grateful to have you in our family.

My Amazing Discovery Made Me Feel Like a Kid Again

2009-11-14T15:44:00.001-08:00

Today I went out to do some shopping. I needed some shoes. Anybody who knows me, knows I hate to shop for shoes. My feet are short, flat, wide and have bumps where there shouldn't be. I am also very picky and like practical and simple shoes. Well, try and find those. Usually I have good luck with Payless Shoe Source. I went in and right away I found some black pumps I have been looking for. Good start. I then hear familiar voices on the other side of the shoe rack. Sure enough, it was my friend Elaine and her granddaughter. While talking she told me that certain sizes in Woman's shoes will be a certain size in children's. I went over there and it was true!! I found two pairs of wonderful and comfortable shoes. Payless rocks. I thought these shoes would be perfect for Ashley's wedding in January.

I have been looking all over for these. These shoes are perfect for work.

She Is Legal Today

2009-11-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

This cute little girl grew up and...............turned into this beautiful young lady who is......................
turning 21 today!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAUREN!!
WE LOVE YOU!!

Big, Wonderful, News!!!

2009-11-02T17:42:00.001-08:00

Today at 5:21pm my cell phone rang. I took it out of my pocket to see who it was. It was a 801 area code. Must be Ashley, I thought. It was Ashley. She had some good news for me. She told me that I am getting a new nephew-in-law on January 8th. I am so happy for her and Andrew. Welcome to the family, Andrew.

This is a picture of Ashley and Andrew at her graduation from BYU in May.

My Little Monsters

2009-10-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

Well, another Halloween has come and gone and I survived. It wasn't too bad. The kids were pretty calm for how excited they were. I was proud of them. Here I am in my Halloween costume. I dressed up as a lady golfer. Pretty unique , huh?

The scary girl is my student and the other 2 kids are her sister and brother. Aren't they cute?

This are two "future" students. The little girl is the sister of one of my girls and the little boy is the little brother of one of my boys. The little girl is Dorthy and the little boy was a lion but he got too hot.

All of my cute girls plus one little sister. They all looked so pretty today.

Here are all my scary looking boys. They are all really sweet though.

A Most Wonderful Day 26 Years Ago

2009-10-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

26 years ago today, I entered the Mesa Temple to receive my own endowments. It was a most wonderful day. My former roommate, Cherie Lines Dickson and her husband, came all the way from Salt Lake to be with me. I will be forever grateful to her for doing that.

My 50th Birthday (At Last)

2009-10-23T18:15:00.000-07:00

The dress I am wearing is the same dress I wore to work on my 40th birthday.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I LOVE The Fall

2009-10-20T20:47:00.001-07:00

I just love the season of Fall. It is so pretty and peaceful. The beautiful colors and the crisp, cool air. Here are some things that I like about the Fall.This is the beautiful tree in our front yard. This red color is my favorite fall color. Some decorations that I put up in my living room.

More decorations in the living room.

This is a sign I have in the guest bathroom. It says,"Give with a grateful heart."

Have a wonderful fall and enjoy!

Daniel Came To Visit!!!!!

2009-10-18T18:11:00.001-07:00

This weekend was great. I had Friday off of work and Daniel came to visit us. Here is a little bit of what we did.

Daniel had his favorite meal of noodles, apples and cheese.He played on the computer for hours. He loves watching video clips on You Tube.

He also likes a little food with his video viewing. He can't just take one or two of something, he has to take the whole container.

He he is eating some of the stolen goods.

Of course, every time he comes over, Daddy gives him a hair cut.

Daniel went back home today. It was great having him here. He is pleasant to have around but nobody gets much sleep. He gets up early so he can get all of his You Tube viewing in for the day.

What Do You Think.........

2009-10-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

about the new blog set-up? Instead of correcting papers tonight, I messed around with my blog. I found this background site by going to Hot Bliggity Blogs and clicked on someone in their list of sponsors. Someone had a background from this place on it. Be nice in your comments because I absolutely love this background and header. I really like the header the best of all. Happy Halloween.

Birthday Cards One Oh One

2009-10-09T20:06:00.001-07:00

Well, sorry for the delay but here are the results of the Birthday Cards Request. Tom and I went out of town the day after my birthday and I have been trying to get caught up at work.This is a picture of 2 kids from my friend Kim's class. She also teaches 2nd grade. Her kids all have the best handwriting!This is the other 2nd grade class that my friend Diane teaches. They all came over and sang Happy Birthday to me. It was so cute.These are the 3 cards that I am giving the most ingenious award to. The first one from the left is from my friend Jill. This card was intended to go to a 5 year old girl but she turned it into a card for a 50 year old girl. The middle one is from my friend Susan. She turned a Thank-you note into a birthday card. And the last one is from my dear husband. He also made this one from paper in his office. The white paper at the bottom of the card is paper towel from the bathroom. Last, but not least, here are all 101 cards that I received. This really touched my heart and I am so grateful to all of you who sent them. It meant so much to me.
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Here are some interesting Birthday Card Statistics......
*Total Cards=101
*1st Card Received= Connie, Linda, Denise (all came on the same day)
*52 Were Handmade
*3 Contained Money(Mom, Tom and Cousin Linda)
*10 Cards from my friend Jill and 9 Cards from my friend Susan
*Got Cards from 5 Different States=Ca, Utah, Idaho, Alabama, and New Jersey
*1 Card Came from a Man(my dear, sweet , wonderful husband) 2 wives signed their husband's name to the card, all the rest came from women, girls and boys

50 Big Ones

2009-09-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

This darling little girl is turning 50 today!!!

50 Birthday Cards Request

2009-09-23T16:26:00.001-07:00

Turning the BIG 5 0 on Wednesday, Sept. 30th. I have a small request. This is a picture of my friend Susan's door. She turned 70 a few months ago. Her daughter arranged for people to send her a birthday card. She wanted to get 70. I thought it would be fun to try and get 50. So, if you would like to, please send me a birthday card for my 50th birthday. They can be homemade, store bought, recycled, bought at thrift stores, garage sales etc. I don't care, just send one if you can. Thanks so much!
Please send them to 2610 Ashden Lane, Vallejo, CA 94591

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Karen L. Mortensen

2009-09-19T18:43:00.001-07:00

Well, you know how sometimes kids get the words mixed-up on something and say the wrong thing like in the song Come, Come Ye Saints they say "No toilet paper here." I have for you a collect of mixed up things from some kids I know.
The Mixed-Up Card Game
When I was a little girl I remember my grandmother, Nannie, playing Solitaire or Solitary as we sometimes called it, in her room. This always intrigued me. So one day I asked her if she would teach me how to play "cemetery" She told me that she would and that all I needed to do was get a shovel and go into the backyard and start digging.

The Mixed Up Basket
In my classroom I have a basket that I have labeled the "Done Basket". I tell the children that when they are done with their papers to put them in that basket. One day at a parent teacher conference a father asked me what the "Dumb Basket" was. He said his son told him that I told him to put his papers there. I had to do some quick explaining after I got up off the floor. LOL

The Mixed-Up Homework
As part of my students homework for the week I give them a page with a picture on it and they are suppose to write a story to go with the picture. One time I gave a paper with the outline of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. A girl turned in a story about how maps were useful. Another time I gave a picture of a boy and girl reading a book. A little boy wrote that they were reading Jack and the Been Stop.

The Mixed-Up Assistant
This year I have a little boy in my class that has Dysgraphia(trouble with writing). He goes to Occupational Therapy for help. Anyway, one day he went home and told his mother that he needed a maid. When she asked him what a maid was, he told her that it was some girl who comes to school and helps with your writing and all that. He also said that his OT was his maid on Tuesdays.

Robin Elizabeth Rozier Shepard

2009-09-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today is this wonderful woman's birthday. I am so grateful she is in my life because she is so awesome. She has been the "big sister" I never had. Thanks Robin for marrying my brother.

Here are some reasons why I love Robin.

*She is organized.

*She loves garage sales.

*She has let my mother live with them for over 12 years.

*She is so good to talk to and has helped me a lot.

*She isn't afraid of hard work. She reminds me of a pioneer woman. She mows and edges the lawn, works in the garden, cleans the house, cooks great . Not only did she have 5 kids, she took them home and took care of them. I am so grateful that she has taken such good care of "my kids".

*She is a strong woman in her convictions.

*I love all her family members and consider them my family too.

Thanks Robin for being such a wonderful person and example to me.

100 Years Ago Today(Well Not Exactly)

2009-09-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

On August 25, 2009 my grandmother, Iona Carlston Wells turned 100 in Heaven. She passed away on June 18, 1999. We called her Nannie, so that is how I will refer to her in this post. She was a very beautiful woman. Here she is when she was in her 20's. I am not sure why this picture was taken but it has always been my favorite of her. Once a local movie theater ran a Miss Legs Contest. She won. Her legs were closest to the measurments of some movie star of that day. She won a movie pass for a year.

Here she is as a young mother. This picture was taken in her house on 5th Ave in Salt Lake. The little baby in my uncle David, the girl kneeling on the floor is my mother, Nellie and the little girl in the red dress in my aunt Jean. People tell me that I am her twin. Of course the man is my grandpa Hod.

This is a picture of Nannie and Grandpa on one of their many visits to Clovis. They would come and stay the whole month of November with us. It was great. One year they came for Christmas instead and it upset all the grandkids. Nannie always said that she would never do that again. She didn't either.

So, in honor of her 100th birthday, Tom and I collected "wet" garbage. Nannie always was burying garbage in her garden. Way before it was "cool" to do it.

We dug a whole out in the backyard in one of our flower beds.

Then we put the wet garbage in the hole.

Then we covered it all up.

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*I still remember the plastic bucket in her kitchen fill with coffee grounds, egg shells etc that she would collect to put in the garden. She would bury anything back there. Once I pulled up a carrot and it had a piece of lace on it.

*Nannie was always there for us. Whenever my mom had a baby, she was there. For our graduations, weddings ,operations, she was there. She was even at our house when my father died.

*She had false teeth and she was always loosing them. Before we left the house she would always ask where her teeth were. Sometimes she would stick her teeth out and mess up her hair and run after us using a scary voice.

*She was the best cook. She made the BEST canned peaches, fried chicken, mustard pickles and peanut butter log(like fudge) I miss that stuff so much but Tom's mom makes some peaches and mustard pickles that are almost exactly like hers.

*Sometimes she didn't wear underwear . I thought that was awful.

*She could pass-gas better than anyone I know. It was as loud as a thunder storm. (sorry)

*She could not sing to save her soul. It was awful. Same note, no tune etc. That is one thing that I wish I had, a recording of her singing.

Well these are some of my memories of Nannie. She was quite the character.

Beautiful Door

2009-09-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we commissioned a friend of ours to make a fall wreath for our front door. This is the result. Isn't it beautiful? We almost didn't hang it on the door because it was so pretty. Good job Judi!

The "Reverend" Tom Mortensen

2009-09-05T20:46:00.001-07:00

As part of Tom's calling as a Bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, he is able to perform marriages from time to time. Elizabeth and John asked him to perform their wedding ceremony tonight in a beautiful backyard wedding.Here is Tom standing in the place where the ceremony will take place. Doesn't he look offical? Here is Tom taking care of some paper work.
Here he is performing the marriage ceremony.I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride!!

A Healthy, Balanced Meal???

2009-09-04T15:43:00.000-07:00

Last night I had this for dinner. A piece of Costco apple pie and a glass of Bloody Mary Mix. It was good. At first I thought that it wasn't a good meal but then I thought,"Hey, it is fruits and vegetables! Plus the spice cinnamon is suppose to be good for you too." So, because of this way of thinking and the fact that it was so good, I had it AGAIN tonight.

A Very Positive Outlook

2009-08-31T19:19:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, I ordered these cute shoes for work on line at zappos.com They came packed in this box.

This is the cool message I found on the flap of the box.

Now this is a great attitude to have. Way to go Zappos.com!

My First "Love" Note

2009-08-25T20:45:00.000-07:00

Today one of my little girls made this picture for me. The top line says,To my favorite teacher.

Bears a striking resemblance, don't you think? I thought it was kind of cute even if I am seemingly missing a head.

First Day of School

2009-08-25T16:58:00.001-07:00

Today was my first day of 2nd grade(again). I had Tom take my picture this morning. I always like to wear teacher themed clothes the first couple of days. The Adorable Girls. Yes, there are only 7. One girl's name is Heaven. She is heavenly too. She said she has a brother named Angel.
The Handsome Boys. Yes, there are 13! My little friend Elora wouldn't like that. She wants to be a 1st grade teacher when she grows up and she only wants 5 boys in her class.

The whole class doing an art project. They are making a picture of a school bus going to school.
So, this is my class for this year. They seemed pretty good today. They are all really sweet kids.

Warning, Warning

2009-08-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

The children are coming!!! The children are coming!!!

Hope I am ready.

Sorry to Mom about using this picture but it was perfect.

Just so all of you know, I didn't take this picture. McKenzie did.

A Very Cute Back-To-School Video

2009-08-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

I thought this was cute. I hope none of my kids are scared. I am a little nervous because I really don't know who any of my kids are. I heard from the other 2nd grade teacher that they are nice. Hope so. They will come on Tuesday.

Extra, Extra.....New Dollar Tree Store Opens

2009-08-19T20:42:00.001-07:00

Today this wonderful store opened up. It is close to my house and I will pass by it everyday on the way home from work. This store is a teacher's dream. I got there a few minutes before it opened. There were already a few people waiting to get in.This is my shopping basket filled with my wonderful , new found treasures. This is my receipt.

This is what I bought for the classroom. The food is in case I forget my lunch one day. I have been known to do that before.

This is the stuff I bought for the house. Not bad stuff for a dollar each.

By the way- While standing in line to get in, a lady asked me if I was there to apply for a job too. I just told her no. I was embarassed to tell her that I already had a job but that it would be my dream to work there and someday own one.

Walking Mckenzie To School

2009-08-16T10:43:00.001-07:00

Well, since I have to go back to school/work this week, I thought I would start off with a post about school. However, this is a little backwards because this is a post about Mckenzie going to school towards the end of last school year. I have had this for awhile but have never posted it for some reason. This was taken when I was there for Brooke's graduation.Every morning Grandma Nellie walks Mckenzie to school. I was lucky enough to be there and got invited to join them. Here is Mckenzie ready to go to school. This is Mckenzie in front of her school.
This is Mckenzie in her classroom. I hope everybody really likes this picture because it was not easy to get her to let me take this picture. I am glad she did because I think it is cute.

Anyway, reality starts tomorrow. I am going to my school and picking up the keys. I will also start working in my room to get it ready. We officially start on Thursday. I just like to get a head start.