So What's New?

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Gringos Come Home!!!

Brian and Leslie have 9 days left in the mission field--but whose counting? We can't wait to see them again. It has been over 2 years since we have seen them and it has been a long 2 years for us. For those of you who happen to stumble onto our blog by mistake or even on purpose, Brian has been serving as mission president in the Mexico Tijuanna mission for the last three years. We have really missed them both. I have told Brian that when he gets home I just want time to hold him on my little lap and rock him for a while. They arrive home on June 27th. This picture was taken in the mission home.

Brian, the grandpa, reading a bed time story to Makenna.

It is about time Leslie taught TJ to cook!!!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Our new neigbhoors have moved on!!!

Baby bird update. We are now empty nesters. Our four little baby birds have left their their nest and have gone on to bigger and better things. We were sad to see them go and wonder what we are going to do with our time now that there are no birds to watch . It was so much fun watch them grow and the way the mother took care of them. We hope the mother comes back next spring. Happy flying!!!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

A New Family in Our Neighborhood

This is the view of our beautiful rose tree from our kitchen window. We have been watching a bird fly in and out of the tree for a couple of months now. We couldn't figure out what the bird's facination with our rose tree was. When I was doing my yard clean up this spring I found all kinds of long dried stuff on the ground that didn't look like anything from my yard. So what is going on here? One day when I was again working around the area I discovered a nest in the tree and one little blue egg. I checked again in about a week and there were three little blue eggs. A while later I looked in the nest and there were two little birds. A few days later there were four little birds.

I tried taking pictures of the birds but they were to small and quite deep down in the nest for me to get any pictures of them. Finally yesterday I was able to get the following pictures. The birds now have feathers instead of fluff and they always sleep with their mouths up just waiting for their mother to bring them something to eat.

This picture is quite pale because the flash went off but you can see the babies better.

When they think food isi coming their necks extend way up waiting for the delicious treat their mother has brought to them.

This is the mother bird sitting close by with a big worm in her mouth ready to feed it to her babies. Whenever we are close to the tree she flies out of the nest and lets us know that we aren't to go near the nest. She just squacks and squacks at us and really tells us off. Even when her beak is full of worms she squaks at us. What fun we have watching this little family!!!

Friday, June 6, 2008

GOOD NEWS!!!

Everyone loves babies and we have two new babies on the way in our family. We are so excited. Tiffany and Kevin are expecting a boy in October and we just learned that Mindy and Nate are expecting in January. That will make 10 great-grandchildren, but who's counting!!!

Tiffany and Kevin's family

Mindy and Nate's family

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Darin's and Julee's family

Saidee and Toby sitting in Toby's dog bed.

Abbey riding the little four-wheeler

Abbey, Bailee, Toby and Saidee. Oh how they all love Toby.

The Big Basket Ball Game!!!

Cousins and more cousins!!!

Brian and Leslie's family:

TJ, Tony, Nate and Mindy, Austin, Makenna, Nicole

Blair's family: Luke, Brock, Nick, Sean, Nate

Mari, Jakcson, Charlie, Stefani & Blair

Kenzi, Stefani & Lindsey

Rick and Linda forever and ever...

Yesterday my parents celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary! Lindsey put some pictures on her blog of them back in the day. Click here to see how young they once were. [I think they still look the same.]