. . .and here we have Idaho. . .you know the song!

The sky was so dramatic while I was home.
There was even a toronado watch in Boise one day.

There is a little place in my heart for Idaho, after all that is where I spent my youth, riding tractors with my boyfriends, setting water lines by hand (Oh yes I can!) and hoeing beets. I learned how to ski in Idaho at Pomerelle. We would wear levi's with thermals underneath for ski pants, none of that fancy matching stuff, it was levi's and your jacket and it was only $10 to ski all day. Wow, I sound like my parents. Here is the mountain below.

This was the usual exit right next to the old Ponderosa Inn.
The festival of trees was held there each year.

Everyone was home again, we celebrated Todd's 41st birthday, Oakley's baptism and Lily Olive's blessing. It was a great weekend. Telese and Andrew brought their new baby Hercules. He was adorable.
Tara and Oakley, 2 peas in a pod--the middle children! I love you both.


Clay James what a sweet boy, I miss living close so we can watch videos together!
Todd Loving on Lily Olive
Congratulations Oakley Doke!!

Love the new hair Talane and Telese!

Jam It!

I got a little domestic this last week and made good use of the strawberries. First time I've made homemade freezer jam!! It was beautiful in the bottle and tasted delicious.

Flat Oakley Adventures!

Here is MO the python who lives at the Palmer's. . .he had just eaten two mice of which I could feel being moved through his stomach! oooohhhhhh.

Flat Oakley went to the Oakland temple to lookout over the bay and could see the Golden Gate Bridgen and the Bay Bridge. It was a little hazy but you can see the bridges!!!

Flat Oakley went for a 3 mile hike at Lafayette Reservoir

I didn't find any
wax in his ears
and he has
normal hearing
sensitivity bilaterally!
Way to go Flat Oakley!!!

Special Assignment--Flat Stanley!

If any of you know Flat Stanley, you know he was flattened by a bulletin board while he was sleeping. He wasn't hurt, just flattened. Well he came to California for a visit on Friday afternoon. Stay tuned for what sites he was able to visit while he was here. He must go back to Idaho to Oakley Spencer's 2nd Grade class by April 30th! Stay tuned. . . .

The train says, "Whoo Whoo!"

I rode Amtrak to see Todd and Erynn Nina Nelson and family in Fresno, CA last weekend, I had a wonderful visit--they have been my happy thoughts all week.

We had a delicious picnic at Hillcrest Farms and there just happened to be a miniature steam-engine train you could ride. Of course there were several men (kids in disguise) walking around in those conductor overalls and hats. Dave, the conductor, let me pull the whistle and ring the bell, that . . .was a treat!!!

This is serious stuff for these guys! I asked them where you buy something like this, catalog? specialty shop? Nope, some guy down in LA built it in his garage, it was the 3rd one he had built himself. Cool!!

Here we are snuggled in our boxcar: Tanner, Erynn Nina, Cannon and Laurynn, Tosha and Ellie. Todd of course is doing all of the camera work and sad to say--there are no photos of him to document the weekend. . .so how do we know you were even there!! What were we thinking:)

Laurynn helping Ellie over the rope bridge. The bridge was
much more stable when I was not on it. Cute photo ladies!!
Erynn and Tanner getting the lunches ready!! Delicious.

A Visit for Lily Olive

I can't imagine a more fun trip with my 3 sisters. Tara flew to Salt Lake where she joined Telese's flight to meet me in Phoenix where we were all on the same flight to Houston Hobby Airport. Too much fun, definitely not enough laughing! Here's Tara doing a softer catalog look, LaTigra or is that the Blue Steel??

Talane would say, "who wants to burp her?" "who wants to change her pants?" . . . . I don't think any of us could answer quickly enough! Ooooooh she is soooo adorable, we spoiled her like crazy!


One must teach Lily the family songs early . . .Tara started with the BYU Cougar fight song, it was a stirring rendition and ended with Lily and Tara raising there hands to. . ."raise your colors high in the blue for the Cougars of B. . .Y. . .U!!! Rah. . .rah. . .rah, rah rah, goooooo Cougars:) Thanks for the belly-laugh Tara.



Bath Time

Missing my friends in Texas!!

I was really homesick for people in Texas the other day so I wanted a spot for you all here. I miss our conversations, I miss the humidity (never thought I would say that), I miss the nice people there that would give you the shirt off their back. I miss my friends at Texas Children's, your mentoring and your kindness.

There it is, all 4 blocks of Texas Children's Hospital. I came to interview for the intern position in February 2007 competing against other student across the United States. They would only select one student for the intern, luckily it was me. I learned so much and had so much fun!!

Our most excellent front desk staff, Melinda and Nora. . .you rOcK!! Hard to find good help these days and you were always there keeping things moving and taking care of us and the patients.

Oh the party office, how I miss it. Those stupid conversations we would have thanks to Dr. Holland; I miss the cajun word of the day, sometimes I want to get in my pirogue and paddle back down your way and do a little 2nd lining, have a beignet and anything else would just be lagniappe. I could use a good piece of King Cake.

My cochlear implant buddies Claudia and Ross and why don't I have a photo of Jody? Maybe because she was always running around like crazy trying to keep things moving! I miss our surgery days and team meeting.

Here is a nice view of . . .no mountains. . .very flat in Houston and Texas generally except for Austin, there are a few rolling hills there PLUS the largest urban bat colony in the United States, very cool!

Hey Karene, miss you and the young women in the Memorial Park ward. So glad I got to see Sadie, Lauren, Julia and Abba while I was visiting recently.

I miss our temple trips Jane!!!

Serena, Dave and Maggie Gibson at the Houston Astros Game with my Mom!

Kathy and Gretel

Happy Valentine's Day

The lover's holiday will be spent in Houston this year with Lily Olive and her proud parents, Talane and Derek. Tara and Telese will be accompanying me as well. Can't wait to see you all. Especially the little lady, Lily.

Sexy Pants for the New Year

Thanks to Tammy and Jerry I was able to wear some "sexy pants" to our sledding outing for the new year. They looked awesome with my black coat and Carolyn's gardening tennis shoes. I obviously have been living next to the equator because I have no warm anything!

Nice Hat Jerry!

Frosty!!!!

The Holidays came and went so quickly, how is it that Valentine's Day is almost here and my last note was from Thanksgiving. Warp speed I guess. Christmas in Idaho was very white and blue. That cold blue sky and the quiet snow. . . .Don't miss it at all, but it was nice to have a white Christmas anyway, hug my family and smooch all the nieces and nephews.




Thanks Sage for sharing your bed while I was home for the Holidays, your the best!


Gotta love the sistas!

Giving Thanks

Jimmy and Laney came into town for Thanksgiving and we had a splendid time. We didn't even cook a turkey, instead we had orange roughy with mango sauce, couscous and green beans, it was delicious. We caught a movie, Australia, with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, well done. We also went to the Lafayette Resevoir, it was lovely.

I'm grateful for a good electrician that help me put up my chandelier so we could see our food when my parents were here for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Here is my new desk. I thought I might paint it but I really like the color of the wood with the rest of my furniture. So it stays the same color for the time being. Glad I have a place for my computer.

Talane and Derek's Landlord, Tim from Texas, came into town for some training and we went to dinner one night over in San Francisco at the Sliding Door. It was nice to see a familiar Texas face. Thanks Tim for a great dinner and conversation. . . .and traveling back a few items for T&D, your the best.