DALLIN GOT A TROPHY!!!

at the J.O. Combs Football Banquet

Dallin recieved the "XEMT" award....Xtra Effort Mental Toughness

You can tell by his face that he wasn't expecting to get it,

but he is SO happy and excited that he did!

Coach Grin, Coach Holcomb, Dallin and his TROPHY, and Coach Vesosi

The coaches had alot of good things to say about Dallin...

Dallin is in honors classes and kept his grades up,

he is ALWAYS happy and has a great smile,

he works hard,

he was ALWAYS there ready to work,

he played offense and defense on the line and played tough,

AND he always did what the coaches asked him to...the BEST he could.

(I have to add here that Dallin REALLY likes his coaches...great men who want to help these boys be their very BEST!....THANKS!!!!)

Mom and Papa are pretty proud...

Dallin couldn't wait to get home a show everyone

(I LOVE the smile on Eddie's face...it says it all!)
quite an honor for Dallin...

now he can put his trophy up next to Ole's

....and it didn't hurt his feelings at all that his trophy is BIGGER!

Happy Birthday to my little sista...

Marsha

She was Valedictorian of her graduating class at Gilbert High school and excelled in EVERYTHING!

Marsha now has her own law practice where she specializes in Family Law.

She plays the organ for her church and has a beautiful singing voice. She also plays the flute beautifully. AND she is married and has 4 wonderful kids! She is AMAZING!

Love you Shasha!

Hope you have the best year EVER!

Last night we...

...put up the CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!

...fed the chickens

...chased the chickens

....held the chickens

...gathered the eggs

(there is ALWAYS a BIGGER egg with a double yolk!)

...had breakfast for dinner

...took a ride in the wagon

...got the mail

...watered the tomatoes

...the bell peppers

...the jalapenos (this is NOT a bush anymore...it looks a lot more like a TREE!)

...AND the squash!

Fun times!

I am LOVING our weather right now!

It is just perfect...just a little nip in the air.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

...I am LOVING all the "gettin' ready for Christmas" stuff!

the MUSIC

the TREE

the LIGHTS

the WRAPPING

the SHOPPING

BUT...

oh my goodness...what am I going to do?!?

it's the FOOD!!!! that is starting to get to me!

I do pretty good when I'm at home...I try to have lots of fast healthy food available for those "I'm starving and can't (WON'T) take time to cook something GOOD for me!" moments.

so....this is my story!

I'm out shopping with my girls and we've been at it for a while...

and I hear....."Mom, I'm hungry! Let's stop somewhere!"

a little later...

"Mom, I'm REALLY hungry! Let's stop!"

(and then the magic words...)

"I'LL BUY!!!"

oooooooohhhhhhhhh my!!

I was SO tempted! What could a LITTLE Hamburger Meal hurt!

and then again.....

I have just been working way to HARD to have this happen again!

I tried to tell myself that I REALLY didn't want that juicy Whopper and fries....that
I could wait and get a salad or an apple at home...
My friends and I are at the gym at 4:30 a.m....

UUUUUGGGHHHH!

that I just bought new pants...that FIT! (THAT DID IT!)

so

I got some apple dippers...YUM!

And had a yummy Chicken Salad when we got home...

hang in there...and REMEMBER...

to CONNIE!!

I got this little package in the mail because....

I WON A GIVEAWAY!!!!

Check out this DARLING bracelet of "LOVE" and the matching earrings! amysbasketdesigns.etsy.com
I am SO excited! LOVE THEM!

PLUS...

Connie sent 2 packages of her favorite drink mix that she gets at Costco

called BENEFIBER

and...
POPCORN on the COB!

Woot Woot!! What a great day!! Thanks again Connie!

Twila Ray Rogers Blau

My Mom was born November 26, 1935
to George Walter Rogers and Malinda Porter Rogers

Words are really not adequate to describe the love I feel for my Mother
...She is the best person I have ever known!

I think my Mom is a little shy and does not like the spotlight, but she can outwork ANYONE! She ALWAYS gets the job done in a quiet unassuming way...and it is always done RIGHT!

She loves to be early (I know...I could use a little more of that!) and she is neat as a pin! (...that too!) "Everything has a place and everything in it's place"...(I can still hear it!...and I can't help thinking...yeah! "in one ear and out the other!"....just a few "Momisms!") My Mom serves tirelessly and lovingly and without thought of return. She is ALWAYS happy and has been an amazing Grandma! She is a great cook and bakes the BEST bread! She loves to sew and her handiwork is meticulous.

Mom (in her "pin curls") and Grandma Rogers

standing in front of the Joseph City home Mom grew up in.

My Mom's father died when she was 3 and her mother, Malinda, was left with 5 little children (her 2 oldest boys had drowned a few months earlier!) and took in ironing and laundry to make a little money. My Mom remembers getting assistance from the church welfare program and how grateful they were! Mom grew up without an indoor bathroom...til she graduated from High School and went to work for Whiting Brothers there in Joseph City, AZ. Mom saved her precious earnings and paid to have an "indoor closet" put in her Mom's home...(can you imagine teenagers today working and then using THEIR $$$ to fix up the house for their MOM!!)

But that's my MOM!!! Always thinking of others and happy to do so!

This is her Graduation picture...isn't she PRETTY!

My Dad sure thought so! AND made sure we knew it!!

She was a BEAUTIFUL bride!


(Fun to see how much the Temple has changed in 50 years!)
My Mom has never been $$$ rich...in fact she is the MOST frugal person I know...but she never complains and has somehow always made it work out! My Mom is the one who manages the checkbook and they were NEVER in debt! She went without MANY things and I'm sure it was hard, but we didn't know that it was hard (til we got a little older and saw for ourselves)....life was GOOD!


Dad's graduation from ASU
Malinda Porter Rogers, Twila Rogers Blau, Glendon R Blau,
Teresa Mae Richardson Blau, Herman Blau

(Malinda...PLEASE turn this pic! I can't figure it out!!!)

(...I LOVE these little dresses Mom made!)

Mom and Dad had 6 children

..Debra Lynn, Brenda Lee, Marsha Kay, Larry Glen, Kerwin Dean, and Darel Von

Mom and Dad with Larry at the Primary Children's Hospital

in Salt Lake City after his heart surgery.

(Dr. Russel M. Nelson assisted with his surgery!)

Larry died a few months after his surgery of pneumonia. I was 8 years old and remember my Mom being so sad. I ALWAYS knew my Mom had a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but it was then that I began to understand. She told us that we would miss Larry, but that we would be together again...FOREVER! I knew Mom believed that with all her heart. I felt such comfort because of this great promise. I have never doubted! And I owe much of this to my faithful Mother and her wonderful example!

....I know it's not "Mother's Day" for every Mother...But today is MY Mother's Day...and I think maybe this is how she has done it! Wish that cape came in MY size!!!

I love you Mom! Happy Birthday! I hope this years brings you many happy moments!

.....BEFORE

we ate Thanksgiving dinner

....AFTER

and...family pics. at Pop's farm

...thanks ANGIE!

Just a few "little" things I am Thankful for...

We are super lucky to have our grandsons with us during the week while Preston is working out of town...HUGE tender mercy! Love seeing their happy smiles and hearing their laughs!

...and Melanie too!

...that Dallin is 1/2 done with his braces, and that they are 1/2 paid for!$!

....that Malinda helps me out so much (if I hide her book!)

...that Melissa cuts and colors my hair whenever I need it!

....that Eddie STILL loves me and takes such good care of me!

....that our ward has the BEST group of young men!

....that Megan is finished with her clinicals!

....and that she makes me laugh EVERY day!

for 100's of.....On your mark....get set.....GO's!

...for this "CHEESE" face....LOVE IT!

...for Ole the dare-devil and how he LOVES to scare me to death!

(poor little Porter!)

.....sometimes it's better that I just don't look!

Hope you have a Wonderful Thanksgiving filled with

family and lots of yummy food! (I'm getting so excited to EAT!!)

Dr. Bombay, Dr. Bombay

please come right away!.....

This morning I got a call from the High School

...never a good sign!....

and Dallin said that they would not let him go to classes

today because his shots were not up to date!

sooo.....

we loaded up and drove to the pchd in Coolidge

Dallin just couldn't believe he was getting out of classses....

something just doesn't make sense here to me!

Happy Happy Birthday Ole!

Today Ole turns 22!

That means we've had 22 years with this fun kid around...and we feel pretty LUCKY! Even when the kids were little the house would be QUIET and CLEAN until Ole came home!!!

It has been just about a year since Ole returned from his mission to Argentina

....and it is still the SAME!!!

BUT, he is a lot of fun

and he has the BIGGEST heart, and I LOVE having him here with us!

The girls wanted to do a little outdoor dinner...

They went to a lot of work and it looked SO beautiful....

and tasted so YUMMY!

We had chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes

(they used the pioneer woman cooks recipe....Ole LOVE IT!)

whole wheat rolls, corn,

and salad (my contribution!)

....no birthday cake for Ole...he LOVES apple pie!

(and Malinda had been teasing him about having a

"Star Wars" birthday all week....so she added a Darth Vader candle holder)

Ole has ALWAYS been such a GOOD kid!

He has always LOVED going with Eddie to the farm...I can even remember sending a diaper bag along with him!

AND Eddie has always loved having a SON to take to the farm with him...(had to wait for 3 daughters first!)

Even in grade school Ole NEVER had to turn his dot!

However, once in High School I did get a call from his Spanish teacher (wish she could hear him speak Spanish NOW!) because he was supposed to be studying and he was reading a book from out of class....(the BofM! He wanted to ace the scripture mastery quiz!)

Sure love you Ole and hope all your hopes and dreams come true!