A Flash from the Past

Kira and her Daddy

I warned in my first blog post that I might flash to the past. Well, here is the first flash. The whole point of my starting a blog in the first place was to create a history of our family. Memories come in all varieties, some good, some bad, and some ordinary. As much as we don't like to think about the bad memories, they are still part of our history. It's actually pretty amazing that I can even post this. Normally this memory is impossible for me to bear. The day of Paul's funeral I went to dinner at the New Hong Kong with my brothers and sisters. I wasn't really hungry, but the company was good so I went. In my fortune cookie I got the fortune that said, "Time heals all wounds," It was pretty ironic, but here I am one year and six months after putting my boy in the ground I can just begin to talk about it. I can still feel that choking lump in my throat and it takes some effort to keep the tears from falling, but it is a start. I owe such a debt of gratitude to my wonderful husband who held my soul in his hands for weeks until I was strong enough to hold it on my own. I love you Paul, my little white haired boy with the happy heart. You will be eternally 26 years old to me.

Pensacola Beach 2010

In March of 2010, Jay introduced me to Pensacola Beach, Florida. He may live to regret that choice since I absolutely fell in love with this place. If I could describe Paradise, this would be it. White, sugar sand beaches, blue/green ocean, warm breezes and wonderful people. My best friend, Sally Lindberg, came from Texas and spent a few days with us and we had a blast. Jay said he just invites her to come on trips with us to babysit me so he doesn't feel guilty fishing all the time. She and I go sightseeing, because he has seen it all before, and he can just relax and fish the pier. Jay lived on Pensacola beach for about 10 years. After being there, I can't imagine what kind of demons possessed him to convince him to leave that place and move to Idaho. But of course, I'm glad he did.

In June of 2010 we returned to Pensacola and we took Kate and Jordan with us. It was a surprise for them because we had told them that we were going to Oregon and they didn't learn until we got on the airplane that we were actually going to Florida. It was such a great time. Jay and Jordan fished and caught sharks, and hard tails, and king fish and crabs. We swam in the ocean and ate seafood on the beach. We visited the Naval Air Station, where the Blue Angels have their home base, visited the civil war fort at Fort Pickens, and climbed the Pensacola lighthouse. We were staying in a condo on the beach for a week, and if we could have stayed forever, we would have. But alas, we had to return home. Three days after we got home, the gulf oil spill that had been threatening to come ashore all week, finally flooded the beautiful beaches where we had fished and played. It was so sad. I hope they are restored to their original beauty very soon.

Kate and Jordan catching sand crabs.

Jordan fighting a six foot shark.
Jay hooking a King Fish.
Jordan caught a shark the first day. What a pair of fisherman.
Only pictures can describe the beauty of this place.
I like to call this one "Baywatch Jay"
This is the life for me.
Sunset at Ft. Pickens - breathtaking
Can you say, "room with a view"?
Surf fishing was so fun.
This is definitely Jane on the beach.

Jay with the big guns at Ft. Pickens fort.
Fishing the pier at Ft. Pickens.
Might look like snow, but it's not. Pure white sand.

It has been quite the weekend!

Hillbillies or rednecks, whatever you want to call us, we know how to have a good time and it never costs a dime. Thanks to Kay and Ken Frei for "inviting" us all to the cow pasture behind their house for the greatest free air show ever. They live at the end of the runway at the Idaho Falls airport and the view of the Blue Angels was awesome! And the company was even better!

We give our thanks to the King and Queen of the cow pasture.

Here we go! They are getting ready to take off!
This shot should be on a poster.

Amber Storer took the greatest pictures. If you have them all you can click through them in rapid sequence and see the entire show.



She was not using a telephoto lense for any of these shots. It was amazing, and LOUD, but the babies, Lincoln and Gavin, never even woke up from their naps.

Upside down!






We just keep inviting that old, cranky guy.
How is it Sally just keeps looking more like mom every day.
Dan and Rachael and baby Gavin waiting for the show.
Amber, you could have told me you were taking a picture so at least it wouldn't look like I was grumpy all the time (just because I am).
Great show, beautiful setting (okay, you had to ignore the dried up cowpies), good company, and the price was right. It was a really great time. Man, I love my family, I love where we live, and I love my life. Blessings more abundant than my cup can hold.

Iona Days Friday night dinner.

These gals can really warble. America may have talent, but Iona is overflowing with it.
Amber Storer Beck belting out the tunes. She has a set of pipes you can hear all the way to the Tetons.

Thanks to Valerie Balmforth, Ashley Balmforth, Jennifer Saunders, Haley Saunders, Paige Saunders, and Amber Storer for giving Iona a fantastic performance.

My chickens are the bomb!

So, a lesson in chicken husbandry. When a pullet (that's what they are called before they lay their first egg, then they are hens) lays its first few eggs they are called pullet eggs and they are very small. Then they start to lay full sized eggs. Well, I have been so proud of their little pullet eggs and yesterday I got my first full sized egg and it was enormous! My chest swelled with pride for my little babies and their beautiful eggs. But the thrill got even bigger when I cracked that egg into the frying pan tonight for my dinner and there it was, a rare and coveted double yoker! Twice the cholesterol in one shell. That's not true by the way. In defense of eggs, the cholesterol in chicken eggs is not that bad for you and the protein is good for you. Just had to put in the plug. I am feasting on my little treasure as I type.

The kids were worn out. (not the adults, oh no, we weren't worn out....well maybe Debi since she did all the work.) Kira was waiting for somebody to draw a chalk outline around her I think and Lincoln just decided to crash wherever he could. Kira wanted nothing to do with Grandma's hugs and picture taking. She just wanted to play with the playdough Scott and Mel got for her.

Food, cake, kids, it was crazy fun.

Debi Nyborg, Kira's other grandma, is awesome! She throws this great party for Kira's birthday every year and she invites my entire family as well. This year was the best so far because all of Paul's brothers and sister and their spouses and children were there. I don't think we have all been together at the same time since Paul passed away. We were all at Kate's wedding, but some were at the reception and some at the wedding and I don't think we were all there together. At least we didn't get a picture of everyone. But we were all together here and we got a picture. I wish Jay could have been here as well.