Photo Memories, ,Butterfly babies

Face painted babies at the Freedom Festival on the 5th of July in Provo!!

Part Deux. . A Visit With The Hartys

So we arrive at Bethany's around 3:30pm and everyone gets and gives hugs. . we get the car unloaded. . and we start our visit. Bethany had a bbq planned for that first night, and needed to run a couple of errands first. . so Madi and I went with. . talk about HOT!!! Mercy, sitting in the back seat with all the windows down and the hot air blasting in on ya. . I'm too old for that kind of treatment!! hahaha It got later by the minute. . bbq time was getting closer way too fast. Beth texted her friends and gave them a new later time, and we finished up and headed home. Dogs, burgers, corn, salad. . Andrea's family, Lee's family and Leslie's family. Bethany has some nice friends. .we chatted with Andrea till she had to leave. . for good...to Idaho then Ft. Jackson. We talked religion with Leslie for over an hour after that. . she's pretty funny. Then we all hit the hay for the night. Still sleeping with babies. . still all good.

Thursday and Friday we went to lunch with Beth and then hit the pool. Lunch was too hot for me, sitting outside in that heat. . I didn't enjoy that part. But I loved the pool time. . sitting in the kiddy pool with Lily and Ella was right up my alley. Got a little burned first day. . not as bad as Madi..altho its still red now. . so maybe it was. We ate out for lunch a couple of times with all the children in A/C Burger Kings. . dinner out a couple of times with just the grown ups. . that was nice. .and uneventful! ha. . We watched children play on the slip and slid, the swing set, we went to the movie one night ( Madi and I and Jake took Lily home tho, she didnt do well at that. . and we watched our own movie)we went to the PX to see what was cool. . WalMart one time in the 100+ weather. . when most of Mexico was there too!! MERCY, that was insane. . but Steven needed church pants. Note to self, next time, send Beth alone!! haha. We attended church with everyone..it was a good meeting. Youth sang to us in third hour. . great group of young people. Jake has some good examples there. . little girls went to nursery. . Madi loved that!

Ella took to calling Bethany Miss Bethany( from her preschool attendance) and we found out that military protocol is to refer to adults by children by Miss and Mr. Who knew!!!! So she was fitting right in. . Miss Bethany and Mr. Brent. . too cool. And when she can't remember Beth's name, she calls her friend!! Just like she did to the neighbor kids here. HA Lily and Ella both were readily accepted by Bethany's children. . kinda like puppies. . everyone wanted to play with them, hold them, sit by them. . which was really nice. The girls have just slipped into the family and are riding in whichever car had room. . sitting where there was empty seats at dinner and for tv watching. . thanks kids!

Thomas was so gracious to us, always asking if we needed a soda or a drink of something. He was always telling us he loved us. . what a sweetheart. Jacob was willing to do whatever task we asked of him. . helping with the baby and giving us directions to get where we needed to be. . he's growing up . . Eme was sooo helpful with girl things, holding hands, letting Ella be her friend. . and the little boys are letting Ella boss them around. . and she is!

We had a nice visit and Sunday afternoon came pretty quickly for me. . Jake and Bethany took us to the airport. . I wanted to bring Lily home in the suitcase, and once, Madi offered that. . but I think she would have wanted her back sooner than later. . .what a total sweetface she is. I"m in need of a baby fix already. . and it's a long time till Christmas. . mercy.

Thanks to Bethany and Brent for their hospitality, to Joseph and Madi for letting us help move them..it was an adventure for sure.

Another Adventure Involving Trucks And Babies And Travel

Wow, what an adventure that was!! Driving to Utah, then to Texas, and flying home two weeks later. It went something like this. .

Steven and I left for Utah after the 4^th of July sacrament meeting. .it was an amazing meeting. Testimony Sunday and those who shared were so full of the spirit of freedom, that it made the day for me. We sang songs of freedom and Pinky and I shed a few tears. . it was awesome!! So we hit the trail in papa Phil’s white pickup,( great AC but no cruise), he had driven it to Oregon two weeks before to leave for us to pack and haul Madi’s things back to Utah. When we got done.. it was FULL and OVER full..I posted pics of it earlier I think. Our trip was uneventful, and we arrived in Draper at 530am..just in time to watch the babies while Madi and Joe drove off to Provo to run the Freedom Days 5K. We rested for a ½ hour then started getting the girls ready to go to the parade. . Lily wasn’t waking up to fast, so Steven let the air out of her mattress and when she was on the floor, she looked at him and then saw me and we were fast friends again!! Ella woke to the noise and was thrilled to see us too. We got them dressed and headed to Provo. . we went to Grandpa’s house and parked and met up with Madi and Joe and then we all rode to the house on the parade route to park. The kids both did great on their runs. . Madi posted her times and pics on her blog a couple of weeks back.

We watched the parade, the girls got their faces painted, it was pretty warm after a couple of hours. . so we headed to Pita Pit to get lunch and then back to Grandpa’s house to get the yard sale going. Madi and I put out the things that were in the totes and she had tables set up all along the sidewalk. . tons of stuff!! She had a fair turn out for the sale, she made over 100.00 in mostly baby things and clothes. (She sold the love sac to Cassie’s sister later on for another 40.00) Side note to sale. . a car pulls into the school parking lot across the way..all the doors open up, two woman jump out and start waving their arms and laughing and walking back and forth. It was odd, we thought that a bee had gotten in the car. . no, someone in the back seat had thrown up!! Projectile puking!! And both of the women were pregnant and with special needs to avoid puking themselves!!! HAAAA, it was pretty crazy. . they couldn’t clean up the poor little girl. . and it was bad..so we went to help..with water and clean clothes and rags and such. They were on the way to the sale, so after calling their men to come and help, they came and shopped!! Madi made a good deal on that sale. We chatted with fun people and enjoyed the afternoon, then closed up shop and loaded Joe’s pickup with things for the DI, and headed back to Draper.

Tuesday and Wednesday were a blur. .packing and cleaning the house for showing for Libby and Phil, watching babies. . shopping at the DI, lunch in play lands with Joe, a visit from Cassie, hot weather at 90+ each day, nothing too exciting, just spending time with the girls and Joe.

Thursday Joe got the Uhaul..26 feet of portable storage!! We needed to load out all of the things in the Draper house and go to Provo, unload and then the men needed to weigh all the rigs. . empty. So after getting it all done in Draper we all drove a vehicle south. .I had Phil’s truck, Steven had Joe’s truck, Madi had her car and Joseph had the beast of a Uhaul! We were going to get lunch, but babies were sleeping, so we took the caravan to the streets!! Side note…the Draper house has these red beetle bugs, that fly. They are out in force in the summer and get everywhere!!! Like in Phil’s truck!!! I never noticed them till we were on the way to get gas. . .I nearly ran off the road a couple of times till I could get somewhere and stop and GET THEM OUT OF THE TRUCK. . uck!!!! Then on to Provo. After we had off loaded all the things we had just put in the truck. . Phil and Steven and Joe went to weigh the trucks. The ARMY pays for the things you move, but not the means of getting them there. . so you weigh full and empty and the difference is your stuff!! 13,000 lb of stuff I think I heard!! Mercy!! I wonder how much of that is Madi’s shoes and jackets?? HA!! After the weigh, the trucks came home and the serious loading started. . OH MY HECK. .

The later it got the cooler it was, so a late evening load was nice, but seriously, we loaded for over 3 hours!!The kids had a garage full!! Plus the stuff from the Draper house. . Not lots of us to do the job, so we just did it. And then we did it some more. . thanks to Stan and Jessica for their help, and Phil and Richard. . once it was full up. . we headed back to Draper for the night and Joe stayed in Provo( with the Uhaul) to see a man about a horse. . (really he wanted to sell a three wheeler, and the man was coming the next morning early). Next morning, we loaded up the car with more than it could hold. . ha, and we're back in Provo by 900am and ready to add the last few things to the right rigs, and head off to get weighed FULL. . then hit the trail for Texas and parts unknown.

It's around 10:15am and we are headed for Springville to get the vehicles weighed..its on the way. .so that's good. We need to gas the trucks up, so after getting that done, we line up in order to get weighed. . Joe, Steven and me. . . only after getting gas..Steven hits the trail!! Come back Mister. . you need to weigh!! We have two way radios in all the rigs, so we get him rounded back in, get in line and proceed with the exercise. One buff so far. . We are now on the road for real. . headed south to Moab and then into New Mexico and south. It's hot. . we're stopping in Green River to eat and let the babies move about. . Arby's. Joe is the last one in, his truck can't go as fast as the other two can. . we'll need to take that into account more. Fast food and more gas and we're on the way.

We had the normal driving moments. .getting gas, drinking warm soda, babies needing more attention then you can give them in a car, talking to each other with the radios, listening to the GPS lady tell us where to go. . Madi has a dvd player in her car, so the girls were more entertained than the boys driving the trucks. .we were in sight of each other sometimes, others, not so much. . Madi's car can go a lot faster than the trucks. We arrived somewhere in New Mexico...two hours out of Albequrque..ready to stop for the day. The babies were ready. . Madi was ready. .Joe wasnt ready. Its 6:00pm and this hotel has no pool. . so why not drive longer if the next place has a pool that closes at 9:00pm..we'll be closer to our end and we still have no pool. Made since to Joe. . so off we continued. Up until this point, most of the trip involved small towns on small highways. . not so much with Albequrque. Freeway mania and a large city. . IN THE DARK!!! And yes, we missed our turn, we got seperated and we got lost. Well, Steven had followed us pretty close..he made the wrong turn with us, Joe. . not so much. Not a good time. Steven by now was running on fumes. . he had let us know 15 miles back and we were so close to the hotel. . till we missed the turn off...AHHHH. So the next off ramp went right to a gas station. . good luck there, but Joe never even made the next off...he kept right on going. Dang..so now we are getting gas and then back on the freeway to the correct exit and find the hotel. But no Joe and no way to tell him how to get there cuz we dont know where he is..and he is unhappy with us for leaving him...mmmm??? We book into the hotel and pretty soon Joe text from WalMart to see if we need anything. . and eventually shows up at the correct destination ( he must have asked for directions). And yes,the pool is closed, but its open at 9:00am in the morning. . so a new plan is formulated. Dinner was late, at IHOP. . mmmm, we love pancakes! ha. .

Next morning, girls are put in suits and Steven and Madi and Joe head to the pool. . I like pools when I'm hot, not so much in the morning just cuz its there. I did get a couple of pics! Breakfast, swimming, packing and we're ready to leave the hotel at checkout..1100am. On the road again. .

More road time. ..things to see..beautiful mountains, cactis', windmills, Steven saw a tirancla on the road, a couple of dead armadillos, a smashed coyote. . the roads are 65/70 normal speed, so we were able to make good time. . even Joe could do ok with the flat landscape. .the hills killed him. We hit herds of dragonflies..nasty mess for the windshields. .made the Texas boarder about 15 minutes after we stopped for lunch at McD's. We chatted with a gentleman that didnt know about the Pacific Ocean and wasnt sure if Oregon was a state or a city. . gracious man, but lacking in schooling. . good grandpa, he was intrigued by Steven's scuba diving stories and the logging in Oregon. . Leaving there, with Lubbock as our next stop...we did it again. We saw trains and large white billowing clouds and oil wells. . did you know that it smells like oil when you are near an oil rig??? Who knew??? Pretty cool. I think this day must have been less eventful. . we made Lubbock by 6:00pm and found a hotel, in the daylight. .and hit the pool asap! It was really hot so it was a nice time, the babies love the water. . Lily is fearless..Ella more cautious. . but they both had a grand time. The sun was not so much on the pool..so it was cooler than you would think, but it still felt pretty good. . we played and Lily was intrigued by the mole on my boob. . her day was complete. . hahah. . we ate dinner and it was time for bed and another day to check off.

Heading for Ft.Hood, Killeen, Texas. . we headed out again at check out time. . late sleepers. . and stopped on route to get gas and go to Big K for Madi to get caner sore med, we were ahead of the boys so Madi was going to just run in. . but they were closer than we knew, so we all went in and cooled off. .bought some treats for the ride. . and back out on it again. . . we had folks nearly missing turn offs again, this time Steven nearly went right on by. . thank goodness for the radios! ha. . and its really hot!( 100+) Mercy. . Our next stop was at a small gas station in the middle of no where. . but we needed gas and it was on the way, well kinda on the way. . I missed the turn and it was just across from the station. . so we stopped. We all go fuel. . got drinks. . got ready and made the left turn onto the missed exit. . all but Joe. He was figuring mileage I think, and never got the message. . so we're tootling down the road, when Madi gets a call from him. . you left me again. . I went right. . mmmmm. . ok, go back to the station and go LEFT. . we'll wait here for ya. So we and Steven pulled into a Subway parking lot in the shade to wait for Joe and Ella to catch up. . and they did and we made sure that the rest of the the trip we stayed in view of the big ol' beasty Uhaul.

We hit Killeen mid afternoon and got a hotel room. . Madi had called ahead to a Comfort Inn so we were directed there by the GPS lady. . it was not the nicest area we had seen, but there was a McD's and a Big K. . and a Denny's, so we were ok with it. We hit the pool again. . this time we had lots of sunshine and the pool was warm. . but there was a breeze, so it was all good. We went to Denny's for dinner. when we came out, CRICKETS were everywhere. . walking, jumping, flying. . Oh my heck!!! It was still hot out, I think we're in Texas Dorothy!! Tomorrow Joe checks in, Madi sees about getting housing. . and we have a week to get things all in order. . best layed plans, huh???

We checked out the next day at 11:00am, Joe headed to Ft. Hood to check in and we headed for McD's to beat the heat and wait for him to let us know whats up. Tired babies, tired moms, hot and nasty weather. . no home, no news, are you getting the idea here??? We finally heard from Joe. . he can get housing for Madi in 30 days. . on base/off base 4 bedroom. . the best news!!! Well, the 30 days not so much. . but its great news. So we need to get a hotel that rents for the week. . and there is one right across from the Big k!! It looks pretty ok. . so Madi checks in and Joe pays for a week. Then we go to the room. Its a little SCARY. . no, its a LOT scary. Not sure how Madi and babies will do here for a month. . the pool is out of order. . loud, weird looking people in the hallways. . not thinking this is a good thing. We bring in our things and talk about options. . .and Bethanys name cames out of Steven's mouth. Go to Beths for the month. . and from then it was a how to work it, not a if it would work. Joe knows Madi will not be happy if she stays, so the wise man that he is, he says to go and we get started on that plan. The Uhaul has to be unloaded tomorrow, our flights need to be changed. . and Joe will stay in the scary hotel till housing comes open.

We spent the day in the room, at McD's( it has a killer A/C) and WalMart. .just down and over the way. But the babies need to be in less of a going mode..so the room is the logically choice. Sorta. . but you do what you have to do, right?? They are so ready to be in a home. . Joe gets off work and he and Steven and Madi headed off to unload the truck into a storage unit for the month. I'm keeping the girls and when they get done, we'll get some dinner. . load the car, and get ready to leave for El Paso in the morning. The unload took as long as the load. .three hours in the hot heat. . poor movers! The girls napped for a bit, I listened to Beck on the internet. . found Bishops' numbers for the area. . and waited for dinner time to come. . and it did. . finally. We met the movers at Denny's, they were so tired and hot and sweaty. . and in need of soda!! Ha. . dinner was fun. It was late, so we finished and went back to the room. . we've been sleeping with babies for the whole trip. . mostly Lily. . I may miss that. Tomorrow we leave for Bethany's . . and another 9 hours in the car. . .lions and tigers and bears, oh my.

Steven drove most of the time this trip. . poor Madi was wedged in the back seat between the carseats. . guess thats what you get for getting skinny Miss!!! We stop for gas and lunch and not much else. . we can smell victory!! El Paso is a city with freeways and lots of construction. .so the GPS lady took us where she thought we needed to go. .but that post entrance is closed!! AHHH, so we call Bethany and she guides us into the open one and we are home safe!! NO foul, no base, but home none the less!!

Photos and more comments to follow. . updates. . that too. For now, this is it. . what a week.

Texas

We left for Utah last Sunday after church and made it in time to babysit the girls while the kids ran the Freedom 5K and from there its been quite insane!! Fun but crazy...we loaded up the UHaul and headed to Texas. We made Texas on Sunday afternoon/night and it's so flipping hot that it's ucky!!!! More to follow. . . . . .

Happy Birthday America. . WE LOVE YOU!!!

Family and country. .its all that matters. . I love both so much!!
Have a grand 4th of July, always remember what its all about. .and be thankful
for all that you have.

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

hen in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Moving Madi To Texas, Via Utah!

Madi and the babies went back to Utah a week ago. .but their stuff stayed
with us. So now its going there too! And here it is!! Mercy. . so much stuff, so
little room. We still have to put our suitcase, the cooler and those lamp shades you see there!
Fingers crossed. . we head out tomorrow after Sacrament meeting. . its the 4th of July
and we get to sing patriotic songs !! YIPEE. . love that about church..
hope to post again soon, but it could be the 19th before that happens. . keep checking back.

Another Day, Another Tree. .

Last Saturday, Steven and I and GM Ida went to do
a tree job for a fella on Huckleberry Lane,
we worked for about four hours and the fellas hauled off two REALLY
full trailer loads of limbs and such.
Good times. .hard work. .