Jet Lag, but we're back!

After being gone for 3 weeks, one week in Paria and 2 weeks in Switzerland, we arrived back home Friday night. What can I say, our trip was awesome (I wouldn't call it a vacation, I came home ready for a rest). We have been on the go the whole time. We started in Paris on Thursday, May 14 after a 3 hour flight to Dallas then a 3 hour flight to Boston then an over night 6 hour flight into Paris at 7:00 am the next morning. I can only say Thank goodness for flying First Class. I think that was just as much a fun part of the trip . We loved the seats that went flat into a bed and your own personal T.V. that played about 40 movies and video games, I loved the little kit they give you with the sox to keep your feet warm, the ear plugs, night shades, tooth brush, hand lotion and chap stick.

The flight home wasn't as much fun. Leaving Zurich at 7:00 am, flying to London (only 1 1/2 hours). London to Dallas, 9 1/2 hours, a 4 1/2 hour layover in Dallas and finally a 3 hour flight to Fresno, home by 9:30 p.m. It was daylight the whole time. We were awake for about 22 hours, so this is just a short post, with more pictures to follow. Glad to be back, I missed everybody, my grandkids, people speaking Engligh and your blogs.

36 Years and where do we go from here?

On April 27 Steve and I celebrated 36 years of marriage. I not sure where the time has gone and it has gone by much too quickly. I has been wonderful, fun, sometimes rocky and never a dull moment. Five terrific children (and 4 children in-law) and 5 grandchildren (with one on the way) have added to the wonderful moments. We have seen the blessing of our temple marriage enrich our lives and carry us through the tough times. So what will the next 35 years hold for us? We thought we would find out in the most romantic city in the world. We will be gone for 3 weeks, first to Paris, then to Switzerland. See you in a month!

Disneyland fun..past & present

We had a great time a Disneyland this past week with Craig and Nicole, Kent, Stephanie, Taylor and Erik. Having grown up in So. Cal., I have always loved Disneyland. I remember when each ride had a different ticket value and it was hard sometimes to decide which ride to go on. Thank goodness that changed, I think we went on Buzz Lightyear 8 times. That was Taylor's favorite ride. We were there three days, but never seemed to make it over to Tom Sawyers Island, (aka Pirates Liar). Things seemed to be a little more commercialized but it was still a happy place to be with kids and now grand kids. I'm a good grandma to take, I don't like many of the rides so I can babysit! It is sometimes more fun to just people watch anyway.

This is 1965, I'm the one with the camera, the others are my brother and counsins

This is in 1984, before Scott was born, I know we took him to Disneyland, but can't find the pictures, isn't that how it is with the last child?


Here we are on at the Captian Eo show, Jack is sitting between Steve & I, that used to be one of my favorites, but Michael Jackson has fallen far and that 3-D show is now "Honey I shrunk the kids". It's 1985, Scott has been born but we left him with my mom.

When skiing is fun..or is it?

This past weekend we headed up to Lake Tahoe for some skiing. It has been a pretty dry winter and finding enough snow can be challenging. But due to recent storms in Northern California there was plenty (for me) up at Tahoe. It was a beautiful day on Saturday, sunny and somewhat warm (40). We had a lot of fun skiing between the Nevada side of Heavenly and the California. It was while we were skiing on the Rim Trail going back to the Nevada side, that I began to wonder, "When do you know if you blog too much, and see a good blog in the happenings around you?" I was much relieved to find out the answer, I don't blog too much, because if I did I would have taken a picture of the man who had gone behind a not to hidden tree to pee. He was right off the trail in plain sight! I soo wanted to stop and take a picture for my blog, but better judgment came through. So now you just get to see boring pictures of me and Steve.
The weather started turning on Sunday, it started to rain in the afternoon and continued on through Monday. When we hopped on the Gondola down by the lake to ride up the mountain is was raining. It turned to snow half way up the ride. It was snowing pretty good but it was a really wet snow. Visibility was pretty low and our goggles would get frozen spots from the snow hitting the goggles then melting then freezing. It was not fun, the ride up the lifts was windy and cold, so after three runs I was finished. By the time I skied back to the gondola and got down the mountain I was pretty wet, but the lodge was nice and dry and the fire was warm.
It was still a fun time and finished it off with dinner at my sister's house in Elk Grove. Thanks Kathryn. (If you double click on the pictures, you can really see the snow coming down)

Zion.....We've Arrived.....Finally

So once we finally filled up the car in Cedar City we were off to Zion, the National Park. Steve had wanted to go there in the winter for some time and this seemed like to perfect time. Utah was in between winter storms and so off we went. It was beautiful with snow on the mountain tops and even some in the valley. We did three little hikes and each was different. One was pretty muddy hiking to a little water fall, once was snow covered hiking along the river to where the Narrows starts and on the last one we were shedding jackets. Steve gave me a new camera for Christmas (Nikon D90) so I took about 200 pictures learning the new settings. I finally figured out the timer so I could set it and run and get in the picture, pretty good for setting it on a rock and laying on the ground to see if everything was in the picture. Steve does pay attention though, for my birthday a week later he gave me a tripod and a camera back pack, now I can be like Craig. I have edited down the pictures to about 50. Enjoy (if I can figure how to do a slide show).

When does "E" really mean empty?

We went up to Utah this past weekend to go through the temple with our daughter-in-law. It was a cold, snowy day but the feeling inside was warm and beautiful. It was good to look across the isle and see Steve and Scott sitting together, and to be with Kelli and Kathryn (my sister). Megan had a wonderful experience and was alternating between crying and smiling the whole day. It was truly a heavenly experience.

Steve decided to head to Zion National Park on the way home. He has this little "quirk" to not stop for gas until he absolutely has to. But driving a rental car, you don't always know what that "E" really means. We we 1/2 miles from Cedar City, the sign was right in front of us, when we ran out of gas. Steve looks at me and says,"What do we do now?" I said it looks like you are getting out and walking. So he did and I sat in the car and waited. The view out the window was none to pretty, and those semi's go by pretty fast. But Steve was in luck, a good Samaritan stopped and picked him up. He even took him to his house to get a gas can that was full of gas. It only took 40 minutes out of our day. Now Steve has to it "pay forward".