Merry Christmas

Christmas 2009 can be counted as a great blessing and lots of fun.


Tyler and Kelsey love to ham it up when they get together!


Sam, Trish, Mom and Carleen hanging out at our house.

Enjoying goodies is always a great part of Christmas

Tyler and Gary figuring how the Airplane game that they kids got to go with the Wii.

Kelsey and Jen playing cards Christmas afternoon.

Carson riding his Big Wheel!! Fun

The kids got us a Wii for Christmas. We had a ball with it. We all found out how out of shape we are. We had bowling tournaments, baseball games, boxing games and tried our hands at golf. With the Wii fit, we found out our BMI's, current weight and our REAL age, yeah that was scary! We played all day figuring out the games we could play and excercises we could do. We are on our way to being fit.

Christmas Eve Carson received a phone call from Santa and Mrs. Clause. He also got a "Good Boy List". He was excited to find his name, his cousins, Westyn, Treyson and Trevyn and some of his friends back home. He wished that Santa would have sent a "good girl list" so he could find his mom, his grandmas and his cousin Kyndie. Right at bedtime there was a knock on the door and he found a present on the doorstep. It was some pretty cute pj's to wear to bed. He woke up Christmas morning, sat up and said "I had a dream that Santa came". Kelsey told him that Santa did come, so he ran to the front room to see and sure enough Santa had been there. So fun.

The Monday after Christmas we had dinner at Mom's and had to have a bowling tournament. We talked Karen and John into playing. Sam, John and I played with John deciding to play with his left hand. He blew Sam and I out of the water. Gary and I have been practicing up for a re-match and we are almost ready. Gary hit 6 strikes in a row. We have had a lot of fun playing the Wii each night. Thanks kids. We love and appreciate all you did for us!! N0w on to the new year.

We Are Thankful

Thanksgiving was very quiet this year. Jaron and Sharla were the only ones that were able to come home. We had a great dinner but wondered why we had so much food left over after we were done eating. The next day we went to ShowLow not for black Friday, thank you very much, but to see some movies. We went to New Moon and A Christmas Carol in 3 D. Oh my gosh it was awesome but I wouldn't take small kids to it.

This was a great year. We have so much to be thankful for. Dallas and Emilee and Tyler and Jennifer both bought new homes. They are beautiful and homey and we love spending time with them.

In May we were blessed with our little Trevyn. He is such a joyful, happy baby. We love him. We now have 5 grandchildren and love them all.

In July we went to Kentucky for a week. That was an amazing experience. We loved every minute of it.

In August Jaron joined our family marrying Sharla on August 28th. It was a picture perfect wedding. Everything went so smoothly.

The last few months 3 of us have gotten new jobs and one got a promotion. In these challenging economic times that is truely a miracle. We are so blessed and I hope our actions show how much we love and appreicate Heavenly Father for his continued blessings in our lives!

First week on the Job

On November 9, 2009 I began a new career. I am now working for North Country HealthCare. It was a pretty crazy week of learning about how much I have to learn, but it was wonderful. I have a great boss and a great staff to work with. They were all very warm and welcoming. I will be working with the St. Johns and Round Valley clinics, so I traveled to RV to meet the staff there. I am very excited to get through the training and hit the ground running. It will be great!

This is Estella, good friend, considered family member and now a co-worker. She is so cute and fun to work with.

Let the good times begin!

Time Out

A few months ago, Jen called me to see if I would be interested in coming to St. George for the Time Out for Women Conference. I had heard how wonderful it was, so I was excited to go. If we signed up as a group it was cheaper so we decided it would be fun to have the whole family come also. I was sad that Sharla and Kelsey weren't able to come but oh my spiritual experience. We all loved it and came away uplifted and rejuvenated. We were laughing hard one minute and drying tears in the next. The music was amazing. We are told that we are not to covet but when it comes to a voice, I have a hard time not doing that. Hillary Weeks was everyone's favorite. She would tell a funny story and then sing a song to bring the point home. I met and visited with old friends. It was such a wonderful experience. We decided to make it a yearly event. The next one will be in Phoenix next October. I can't wait. I am so glad so many were able to come. To quote the newspaper "And a fun time was had by all"!!

An Exciting Day

Today was such a fun day. Gary and I have been planning for it for a week now. We bought a car for Kelsey. We tried to get her to come home for the week-end but she said she couldn't because she had to work. So Gary flew down to Phoenix this morning and drove her home. The Nissan has become a bit unreliable and we were getting worried about her. Gary told her he would be working on the car until midnight as he had a lot of work to do on it. Then he drove off waited for a little bit and brought the new car back to the house. He came in the door and told Kelsey that he needed to ask her some questions about the car. I went out the door and positioned the camera. When she came out and saw the car the look on her face was priceless. She was shocked. At first I don't think she thought it was for her but when it sunk in, she got so excited. She loved the car and of course we immediately had to take it for a spin. I could hear a Chia Tea Smoothie calling my name so we drove to Round Valley and got one and came home. It was a good chance for her to see how she drives. It is such a cute little car. I think this car will take her far. Now cross your fingers that she gets the good job this week to help pay for it!!

Happy Halloween

This year for Halloween the Parks and Recreation department for the City of St. Johns organized a Trunk or Treat activity for the community. It was held at the Community Center or for us old folks better known as the BUB. Everyone was assigned a place to park. The idea is to decorate your trunk and have the kids come by trick or treating. My TOHC coalition(Teens Opposed To Harmful Choices) decided that they wanted to have a booth so we took the Tahoe and decorated the back, spent $200 on candy and had a ball. One little girl saw the skeleton and stood frozen, screaming. Her mother had to whisk her away. Oops, didn't mean for that to happen. There was a spook alley in the BUB and fresh, hot donuts, hot chocolate and homemade rootbeer to partake of. We had ball. We were the first to arrive and the last to leave. We had SOOOO much candy to give away. It turned out to be a good thing though because some people came in late and we were still able to give the kids candy. The girls spread the message about making good choices. I love this time of year. I was afraid with the cold weather we had been having that we were going to freeze to death but it was a perfect evening. A huge full moon and just the right amount of cold. I can't believe that Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. Wow what a year this has been.

Last Day of Work

Today was a very strange day. It was my last day at the Apache County Tobacco Program. My office was clean, empty and it echoed. It's once decorated and homey walls and shelves were bare. Shutting off my computer for the last time and walking out of my office after 12 years was very hard. I have made so many friends and have had some great experiences. I have had a great ride. I will never forget the kids. When I went to check out and turn in my keys, our phone guy was sitting there. He told me that I couldn't leave until he gave me a work order that said I could go and he wasn't going to do that. He said "Why is it that the people that you want to leave the county won't go, and the people that you don't want to leave do go?" That made me feel pretty good. The WIC ladies took me out to lunch to say good-bye. Yes it was sad and I had to shed some tears. This program has been a big part of me. I've given it my heart and soul. I leave feeling very good about what I have accomplished.
So I had a sad few minutes and then I picked myself up and gathered my painting supplies and went to work painting my new office. I feel at home there already so I know it is right. Deep breath, I will accept and embrace change!

A Sneak Peek at Winter

What a surprise to wake up to 4 inchesof snow this morning. It was so beautiful. I love how it sticks on the trees and makes them sparkle. It didn't take long for the roads to melt off the snow but it did stay in the trees for most of the day. It was very cold today. Just a warning that winter is almost here.

New job!

Twelve years ago this month I started working for Apache County in the Tobacco Use Prevention Program It has been quite the ride. I have played hard, worked hard and I feel that I have made a difference in the lives of the youth in the county. I have loved this job. Working with the youth has been so rewarding. I have always felt that it was as much a calling as it was a job. I also felt that I would be there until I retired but the Lord has other plans for me. The experiences of this past year have taught that sometimes the Lord has to give us challenges so that we are ready to make a move. I really felt that I was guided to the next adventure in my life. I found myself applying for another job and was offered the job as Domestic Violence Coordinator for North Country Health Center. I will begin my new duties on November 9th. I leave the county with no regrets and lots of knowledge that I will be able to use in my new position. I am excited about the challenge and the opportunity to see what the Lord has in store for me to learn. I hope that I can be putty in his hands and help those that he will send to me. Closing the door to my tobacco office for the last time will be both hard and exciting. New challenges, here I come!

Oh what a BEAUTIFUL morning

On Monday October 5th the county went to a 4 day work week. I thought going to work at 6:30 in the morning would be such a chore but when I walked out the door this morning I was met with the most beautiful sight. One of the brightest rainbows I have ever seen. It was a full one and a second one was trying to peak through. It was one of those moments when you just have to stop and smell the roses/see the rainbow. I couldn't quit staring at it. I just love moments like these and am so thankful for the wonderful things God sends us. I am also thankful for the promise that the rainbow brings.

Only in St. Johns

Last night Gary and I decided to go to El Camino and eat. Gary can only go so long and then a Zappy Burger starts calling to him. When we entered the door there were two senior citizens (I will just call them OB and BC) just paying their bill. Gary started giving them a hard time about being out on the town and causing trouble. OB told him that they were going to toliet paper our house next. Gary told them to be sure that they left the roll so that we could roll it back up. They said that they had huge rolls at the senior citizens center and they could make a big mess. About an hour later we came home and sure enough they had toliet papered our house senior citizen style!! Both front and back doors were done. We laughed so hard. How fun it is to live in a place where we can laugh and have fun together.

Recovery Walk

For many years I have served on different coalitions. I now serve as the Youth Empowerment leader for the Apache County Drug Free Alliance. I work with the youth to help address drug issues in our community. The youth I work with formed a coalition under the Alliance. They call it the TOHC group. Teen Opposed to Harmful Choices. September is Recovery Month. It was formed to celebrate with those who have recovered from drug addiction and to cheer those on that are still in recovery. We organized a walk, balloon celebration and dinner for Saturday the 26th. We had a good turn out. Community members wrote notes of love and hope and placed them in balloons. After a short talk from our president everyone released their balloons in the air and we began the walk. We walked from Bride's Auto to Speedy B's where everyone enjoyed listening to the band Lithium, formed by high school youth. Everyone also enjoyed a great meal served by our local firefighters. They were so great. We had a lot of fun. This was also a fund raiser for the group. We raised $250.00. Thanks to everyone who helped make this 1st annual walk such a success. Many hands helped with this event and I couldn't leave out my wonderful husband who is always there to help make sure these things go smoothly. Thanks for all you do honey, your the best!! My love and support go out to all of those who have suffered from addiction. It is so easy to get caught up in and a very hard thing to overcome. Remember there is a road back, you can make it!

Fall Harvest

I love fall! I love the brillant colors of changing leaves on the trees, halloween with all of it's colors, the smell in the air and I love harvesting and canning all of the things you've worked so hard on during the summer. We bottled the peaches that we picked with the kids at Emilee's, then we picked off our corn. It was the most beautiful corn I think we have ever had.The ears were full and had no worms or bugs. We ended up getting 50 bags from it. I just love filling my shelves with full bottles. It looks so wonderful. I always get worried when my shelves start getting bare. We still have some tomatoes so I am hoping the weather will hold out until we can get some spaghetti sauce and salsa on the shelves too.

On the road again

Friday September 11, 2009 Gary and I were on the road again. We were headed for Jaron and Sharla's reception in Hooper, Utah. We decided to break up the trip a little bit and also get to see all the kids. We left early headed for Hurricane. I had a date with a very handsome young man for ice cream. That's the first thing he asked me when we got there. "Grandma, did you remember we were going to get ice cream at Dairy Queen?" Sure, I said. We decided that we would let everyone come. Kelsey had come to spend some time with everyone also. Carson found a mustache at the vending machine and he had a great time showing off for us. It was a short stay but any time we get to spend with the kids is a great time. We love you all so much. We should have logged all of the miles we have put on this summer, it would have been tons!

Hooper Reception

Saturday we got up early and headed for Hooper. This was new territory that we hadn't been to before. It was interesting to see how much the Provo and Salt Lake area had grown since we had lived there 30 years ago. The reception was beautiful. There was a constant line for 2 solid hours. Lots of people came to give their love and congratulations. Sam and Trish came up. We were so glad to have them. We found that we had some ties to people in Hooper through the Alma and Nofear Davis line. Boy, it sure is a small world. All the planning and working paid off because it was a dream wedding. Everything went so smoothly. There was just one small glitch, and that was we could'nt find the wedding video for this reception. I am not sure what happened but we decided if that was all that went wrong we did alright. Now the kids can begin their new life together. We love you tons!

Sunday morning after eating at one of the best restaurants I've ever eaten at, we headed to see Emilee, Dallas and the kids. The kids begged us to stay longer. Monday Dallas had to go to work and Westyn had to go to school. Makyndie and Treyson helped us pick peaches and load the car. Trey kept begging us to stay another day. Grandpa helped Trey build a knife holder for his knives. He was so proud of the work he and Grandpa had done. Trevyn had lots of hugs and kisses for us. He is such a happy go lucky baby. I mean seriously, we put these glasses on him and just showed off for us so we could take pictures of him.What a joy he is us. I always hate leaving the kids and grandkids. It was a great trip getting to see and spend a little time with everyone. Sure wish we could be closer. Love you tons!

Mr. and Mrs. Foy at last

Sharla is a married woman! Can I just say how weird that is. I got teary eyed as I watched their wedding video and remembered when she was still a little girl. I longed for those days when my children were small and still at home and I could protect them and spend time with them everyday. Then I looked up at my beautiful daughter in her wedding dress, with her face all a glow, so in love, happy and excited about her new life. How could I wish for anything different for her. The wedding could not have been any more perfect. As we headed for the reception Sharla stated that she just knew something had to go wrong because it was so perfect. Well one thing did, a luminary caught fire and burned out. Seriously it all went off without a hitch. The reception was beyond beautiful. Thank you to all who came from far and near to share this special day with us. We love and appreciate you all. I can't thank John and Tanya enough for helping to make the reception so beautiful. They were there for us all day making sure everything was perfect. Also to my wonderful son-in-laws for helping put the lights up. WOW couldn't have done it without you. You guys are awesome. Thanks to my girls for setting up, making the flowers and adding the touches that made everything perfect. Your talent never ceases to amaze me. Thanks to my mom made delicious food so that I didn't have to worry about feeding people. Thank you to Geraldine who was the runner and got supplies from everyone to make things work. Thank you to my wonderful grandchildren for being so good and patient through it all. The phrase "We may not have it all together, but together we have it all" comes to my mind. I love you all so much. And finally to Jaron and Sharla, thanks for making us so proud by doing it right. I love you all to infinity and beyond.

Fireman Gary

Gary could hardly pack fast enough after receiving a call that the St. Johns fire crew needed to report to a fire in Payson, AZ. When he got there he said fires were breaking out all over and they were re-assigned to another post. He will be on duty for the next 2 weeks. What a crazy summer this has been. Jaron and Sharla came for the week-end. We worked on the wedding plans and hopefully now we in the home stretch.

What is it about August and plane crashes in St.Johns???

Wednesday August 5, 2009 was a windy rainy day. This pilot took off and hit a strong cross-wind, tipping the plane and causing him to lose control. He took out 2 signs and 300 feet of fence. As you can see, he was very lucky to walk away from this accident without so much as a scratch. It will be a year on August 15th that the Nielson's went down in the Heap's back yard. This accident means our 3 are done. From last August to this, the Neilson's went down, one landed in the dirt and now this one. I hope we are done for awhile.

On the road again...this time to Kentuckiy

I was asked by the Apache County Drug Free Alliance to be a Youth Leader. Last year I worked with 5 girls on many different projects. We had a ball. Then I was asked if I would accompany 3 of the girls to Kentucky to a Youth Leadership Conference. It didn't take me long to say yes. Two girls from Round Valley, 3 from St. Johns and 6 adults are headed for Kentucky. At the last minute one of the leaders was not able to go so Gary volunteered to go with us. He served his mission in Indiana and wanted to be back on that soil again. On July 27th we left our kids, who had been here for the 24th, (yeah that was weird) at 3 am and headed for Phoenix to board Southwest Airlines flight 1339 direct to Louisville Kentucky. The flight was 3 1/2 hours. I was so nervous about flying but it was a great flight. We landed in Kentucky at 4:30 pm their time, 1:30 our time,. We checked into our motel in Clarksville, Indiana and jumped right into meetings. The time change was pretty weird. Jet lag set in big time. We are here for 7 days. It is going to be a blast!