He's Growing Folks!

More Country Wonders

We had another beautiful sunset last night! I simply had to take a picture. Of course a picture doesn't come close to doing it justice.


This morning I looked out my window and there were 2 herds of sheep. They were following a sheepherders wagon. Two guys and a few dogs were herding ALL these sheep. The guys were whistling and they had these long sticks they threw to startle the sheep forward. It didn't take them too long to herd them out of sight.

I love living here!

Beet Harvest

I always find harvest time fascinating. I don't know why, but it is fun to see all the trucks driving by full of grain, potatoes or beets. Today it is going on all around our house!This was actually last night. You can see the silhouette of a tractor in the far right. There was other farm equipment around, but it didn't show up in the picture.The farmer, a friend of ours, came to the door this morning to ask where the property line is. I wondered if he saw me taking pictures and thought I was mad that they were over the line (and they weren't, we just mow to the edge of where they plant to keep the weeds short). After that I tried to be more stealth about taking pictures. I only had blogging in mind.I don't know how it all works but I think this tractor tops the beets.Then this one dumps the beets into the truck. I don't know which tractor actually digs them up out of the ground.It takes a lot of trucks! They drive the beets to the beet dump a few miles away. That would be an interesting picture. If I get down that way I will try to remember my camera. They have huge, huge piles of beets. It is amazing! They used to ship them by rail but now I think they truck them to central Idaho. This is the first year they have planted sugar beets behind our house because the field is so small. I'm glad they did so I could watch them harvest up close.

Tagged Again

This tag is very informative. Write 5 things about yourself in each category. Then tag 5 people. Let them know who they are at the end of your post and leave a comment on their blog (or in my case, the people I tagged don't have blogs but they all have my email address). Have fun!!!

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. I had 2 kids: Jeffrey, age 4 1/2 and Brandon nearly age 2
2. The beginning of 1998 we had to move suddenly because our trailer was on someone else's property and they wanted to build a house there. We didn't know where we would go. But Heavenly Father took good care of us and a man in our ward offered us the plot of land we are on now.
3. I think I was Primary chorister about this time.
4. I was selling Tupperware.
5. We put in our grass and planted some trees around our house.

5 Things on my To-Do List:
1. Make soup for the ward party tonight.
2. Fold laundry and clean the house.
3. Bake cookies.
4. Pick up my kids after school and take them to piano lessons.
5. Bring Brandon home after his lesson so he can mow our neighbor's lawn.

5 Snacks I Enjoy:
1. Twix
2. Oreos
3. Kit Kats
4. Kettle corn
5. Mint patties

5 Things I would do if I were a Millionaire:
1. Pay tithing
2. Pay off our house and get out of debt
3. Visit family more often
4. Pay someone to build our house
5. Help others in any way I can

5 Places I have Lived:
1. Preston, Idaho
2. Rexburg, Idaho
3. 3 locations in Oklahoma and one in Kansas
4. Provo, Utah
5. Present location

5 Jobs I have had:
1. Hauling chickens (you know how on Napolean Dynamite they carry chickens by their feet--that is what I'm talking about! Yuck! Luckily, I only did it for a day and I think I may have just been a volunteer (my dad volunteered me and told me I now had bragging rights! Imagine! :-))
2. Del Monte (I had such glamorous jobs)
3. Pizza Villa
4. House of Fabrics
5. Mom

5 People I Tag:
1. Julianna
2. Mom
3. Dad
4. Andi
5. Danna

Saturday

We had such a productive day yesterday, thanks mostly to wonderful friends and also a wonderful dad. Dad came and got most of the wiring done in our addition. We had 8 guys show up to help us get our shingles done. One even went to the hardware store and borrowed a forklift to get our shingles up on the roof! We owe thanks to Stewart Smith, Ted Garling, Bishop Woods, Arlin and Shawn Stimpson, Robert Murdock, Stan and Travis Moncur and Brandon and Jeffrey Hansen. Christine Woods also was so thoughtful and made some chili to help feed my crew. It went great with the sandwiches!Look at the beautiful blue sky! We couldn't have asked for a better day!

We ran out of shingles so I ran to Home Depot (30 miles away) to buy 6 more bundles. I hurried home with them and Dennis packed a couple of them up to the roof. And what did he discover? They were the wrong color! (I felt like such a ditz!!) So, Dennis ran back to Home Depot for the right ones. Later Shawn came back and helped Dennis and Brandon finish up the roof. Dad was great! He worked mostly alone getting the wiring done. Jeffrey helped nail boxes in. Brandon and Alexa helped pull wire. Dennis felt bad that he couldn't have been more help to him. But what would we do without him (Dad)? He is a treasure and I'm so grateful for him.

It was fun to have Jonny around. I was glad that Dad brought him for the day!

After such a day, one wants to fall in bed. Nevertheless, there was much cleanup both in and out of the house to be done. Sometime after Mary's bath I discovered her in a full tub of water left by her sisters. I was exhausted but like a true blogger mommy, I ran for the camera. She'd thrown the contents of the washcloth and towel drawer in. It's okay... I was doing laundry anyway!

Photo Tag

My sweet friend, Kaylee tagged me. This is fun. So, if you see your name at the end of this post, here is what you need to do: Go to your forth picture file. Choose the 4th picture in it and post it. I didn't want to post mine! This was a day in February and my sweet friend in Texas wanted to see the growth of my hair. So I set up the timer (that is why it is blurry, I guess) and shot a few with Drew, Mary and me. But this Mary must have run away. I decided I could post it after cropping just so. Drew is such a cutie, isn't he?

So, I tag the following sweeties: Darcee, Kelsie, Kendi, Debbie, Kimberly, and Melodee.

Some Old Photos

My dad sent these old photos via email a few months ago. I thought it would be fun to put them on my blog.
Can anyone else see the resemblance Geri has to Grandma Porter? Who else looks like her? Isn't she pretty?

Here is Grandma again, I'm assuming younger that the first picture.

This is only my best guess of who is in the photo (for those who don't know, Grandma and Grandpa had 11 children so naming them can be tricky.) Uncle Mark (or is that you, Dad? I think it looks a little more like Uncle Mark), Uncle Kent (without question!), Aunt Sherry, Aunt LaRue (no question there either) and of course Grandma and Grandpa.
Great Grandpa and Grandma Porter beside their old model T Ford. I remember once or twice my Grandpa took us on a ride in this car. It was so fun! This is in front of my grandparent's house.

Grandparents Great again. I remember both of them. Great Grandpa was so old and sick and I only remember him laying on a couch. I remember lots more about Great Grandma.

The Decision

I recieved the following letter via email this morning from the stake person in charge of gathering volunteers for the calling of people in California concerning Proposition 8. It is from Elder Hammond to our stake president. I know there are people in my ward who read my blog and I wanted to pass along the love and encouragement from this letter. Thank you to all who so willingly pledged your help!


Dear President, 14 October 2008

In council this afternoon, the decision was made by the Brethren not to proceed with out-of-state phone calling for Proposition 8 in California.

Please express to your stake and ward leaders and to the dozens and hundreds of volunteers how grateful we are for them. This has been akin to a “Zion’s Camp” experience in which the faith and obedience of the people were measured. Their obedience has not gone unnoticed by the Lord nor will it go unrewarded. They may expect to receive specific blessings as individuals and families for their obedience to priesthood direction.

Same gender marriage is a very, very grave issue. The war against the family is the war of our day. It will continue and worsen and yet the Lord’s people have shown they will rise up in an organized, effective manner whenever the prophet calls.

I told the Brethren that 21,000 Church members in Idaho will still be making phone calls concerning Proposition 8 – “vertical” phone calls called prayers, and that the One we reach via those calls is much more powerful and persuasive than anyone we could ever reach in California!

We hope you will encourage all your volunteers (and other members) to pray and perhaps fast for the Lord’s blessing upon the pro-Proposition 8 efforts in California. If any have friends or relatives who live in California, they will certainly want to encourage them to vote.

President, please know how much I appreciate your leadership and faithful devotion. I am honored to be associated with you in this sacred, inspired latter-day work.

Again, may the Lord’s choicest blessings continue upon you and the great saints in these faithful Idaho stakes is my earnest and continual prayer.

Elder Ronald J. Hammond
Idaho Area

The Parker's Story

This video is a must-see. A couple tells their story of trying to get parental notification before same sex marriage is taught to their kindergartener. It is hard to understand how this is happening in America. And the same thing will happen in California if Proposition 8 fails. It is literally too close to home. Click HERE to watch.

Snow, Shingles and a Suburban

We woke up to this today! It is beautiful, but I'm mourning warm weather. They say it is supposed to warm up this week and boy do I hope so! We have shingles to put up! At least the wind stopped blowing.
Here are the shingles we bought yesterday.

Do you think we are rednecks or what? Notice the tires on the roof! Dennis had actually taken down the tarps. But when the forecast said rain and snow, he put them back up. What the forecast did not tell us was about the gale-force winds! Dennis had to climb back up there twice to put the tires back on. They kept blowing off! (One nearly hit Brandon.) He ended up tying 2 together. He almost fell off the roof twice. I will just be so glad when the roof is all done!! I usually enjoy a good storm because I know we are safe in our snug little house. But all yesterday I just wished the winds would calm down. It was nerve racking with the tarps flying up and making lots of noise.We got a new vehicle (well, new to us) last week and it was so, so nice to pull the trailer when we went to buy the shingles without worrying. Ever since our brush with disaster the first time we pulled our camp trailer (7 years ago), we have not been able to relax when we travel with a trailer. Things will be so much better now! Hooray! (I feel SO spoiled! Blessed is probably a better word.)

Dennis received a phone call from the bishop the Tuesday night. He wanted to discuss with him an urgent matter. They needed to call a person to organize 20 members from our ward that may be used to call people in California to educate them about Proposition 8. I volunteered to be that person (the bishop's wife is helping me). I have learned a lot so far and wanted to include some of the issues on my blog. I have put up the text of a handout I prepared to give to volunteers. I will include the websites that volunteers are asked to study.

The First Presidency and the Twelve have asked the saints in the Idaho Area to participate in a vigorous and united calling effort to assist the people of California to pass Proposition 8 to preserve traditional marriage.

Because the outcome of California’s Proposition 8 regarding traditional marriage will have a major impact on the whole nation, the Brethren have asked us to recruit volunteers who will phone California voters and request their Yes vote on this critical issue.

Elder Hammond said, "...this thought has persisted: If the minute men army is organized and trained, the Lord will use all or a portion of it however he chooses and the call to do so comes from the prophet of the Lord."

Our efforts will supplement what the members in California are already doing. They are organized by stakes and wards, and within each ward by zip codes. Some zip codes have lots of member volunteers and are doing well, while others are stretched thin, which is why our California brothers and sisters need our help.

Gary Lawrence who heads the Proposition 8 grass roots effort in California said, "When I heard Idaho was going to help us, I felt like the cavalry had arrived."

And Elder Hammond said, " This is Idaho and we can offer the Lord a great army who are enlisted till this particular conflict is over."

I copied the following from this website: http://www.whatisprop8.com/

Six consequences if Prop 8 fails:
Children in public schools will have to be taught that same-sex marriage is just as good as traditional marriage.

The California Education Code already requires that health education classes instruct children about marriage.

Therefore, unless Proposition 8 passes, children will be taught that marriage between any two adults is of the same worth, regardless of gender. There will be serious clashes between the secular school system and the right of parents to teach their children their own values and beliefs.

Churches may be sued over their tax exempt status if they refuse to allow same-sex marriage ceremonies in their religious buildings open to the public.

Religious adoption agencies will be challenged by government agencies to give up their long-held right to place children only in homes with both a mother and a father. Catholic Charities in Boston already closed its doors in Massachusetts because courts legalized same-sex marriage there.

Religions that sponsor private schools with married student housing may be required to provide housing for same-sex couples, even if counter to church doctrine, or risk lawsuits over tax exemptions and related benefits.

Ministers who preach against same-sex marriages may be sued for hate speech and risk government fines. It already happened in Canada, a country that legalized gay marriage. A recent California court held that municipal employees may not say: "traditional marriage," or "family values" because, after the same-sex marriage case, it is "hate speech."

It will cost you money. This change in the definition of marriage will bring a cascade of lawsuits, including some already lost (e.g., photographers cannot now refuse to photograph gay marriages; doctors cannot now refuse to perform artificial insemination of gays even given other willing doctors). Even if courts eventually find in favor of a defender of traditional marriage (highly improbable given today's activist judges), think of the money – your money – that will be spent on such legal battles.

Be sure to watch this touching video:

http://www.whatisprop8.com/Catholic-Church/Catholic-Viewpoints/

http://www.protectmarriage.com/
Click on "First Yes on 8 TV Ad" to see the ad that has been running in California.

I am inviting the people I call to fast and pray, even if they cannot volunteer their time. That is something we all can do. I love the thought of the army. We can be a mighty force for good!

And The Roof!

Tuesday and Wednesday we got our roof put up. We are pretty excited!
Yesterday we got rain and Dennis swept and shop vacced up gallons and gallons of water. It rained tons in the night so this morning at the break of dawn we were out there to put up tarps and clean up more water. I ran to the hardware store and bought another huge tarp

Grapes

A couple of weeks ago my grandma Bingham called me and asked if I wanted the grapes from her garden. I said YES! My mom and dad picked them for me and then we picked them up from them. I got them bottled on Thursday and they are beautiful! I love that they are from my grandma's garden. I thought of her all the while and how much I love her. And I also thought of my parents and their willingness to help me by picking them. Finally I thought of my grandma Porter because when I did grapes a couple of years ago, I called her to ask her how because my mom was at work.