Hayes's Good Day

Hayes called me today.

"Mom, guess what Grandpa Bob did for me?"

"I don't know, what?"

"He sent me this card in the mail and in it was $100 and a note that said that he got his bike stolen too when he was on his mission!"

He was so happy.  That was such a nice thing Dad did for him.

Holding Pen

The holding pen is looking so good!!  This is where the cows wait to be milked.  It's a large circular area inside the barn surrounded by a fence.  There's a sweep gate in the middle that slowly turns in a circle, crowding them towards the bridge where they will cross into the milking parlor to take their turn on the rotary milker.  

In our old barn, the holding pen was outside.  The cows would have to stand in the rain and cold for several hours, waiting for their turn for milking.  This will be so much better!!!  Sometimes this nice barn makes me wish I was a cow.

Les Miserables

Hayes's Bike

Hayes called me this morning and he was so upset that he was just about crying.  Somebody stole his bike.  Out of the bike shed.  They cut the lock and took it.

This is the bike he took to scout camp to run the mountain biking program.  This was the bike that he rode on the Utah Mountain Biking Team.  This was the bike he would ride to feel better whenever he had a bad day.  This was the bike that was his only mode of transportation.

He is so sad and mad and upset.  He says he hates everybody and hates humanity and can't believe someone would do this.  

I feel just so bad for him.  Poor kid.  He loved that bike more than just about anything.  

Les Miserables

Cast picure.  Brigham and Ellie are on the far right and Hyrum is in the middle. 

Hyrum and Ellie singing "At the end of the day"

Brigham as Valjean and Anya Dahle as Cosette

Les Miserables opened last night!!!  I was SO excited.  They asked me to take tickets so I missed the first five minutes, but I managed to make it into the auditorium just as Brigham was beginning his first solo, "Valjean's soliloquy".  

It was amazing.  It was truly magnificent.  I sat there sobbing, bawling my eyes out.  Brigham's transformation as Jean Valjean was just wonderful.  He was so full and anger and hate at the beginning, his eyes burning with rage, and then at the end when he died, his face was full of light and his eyes were fixed upon God.  

It was just the best high school performance I've ever seen.  Afterward, I just sat back in my seat, limp as a wrung out dishtowel.  It was just so emotional.  

I'm so so grateful that Brigham and Ellie got this experience.  I think that Brigham will remember it all his life.  I know I will.

More pictures and videos to come!!!

Family History

Last week I drove into Smithfield to buy a laptop from a guy who lived there.  My drive took me right past GG and Grandpa Oz's old house, as well as GG and Grandpa Ed Gossner's house across the street.  It's so sad, they're so ill kept and broken down.  That's not how I remember it when we would visit.  I took a picture of the canal we used to float in - as well as the bridge that Jenny said never, ever float under because there was something scary living under there that would eat me - and I completely believed her.

I drove into the Smithfield cemetary and took pictures of the gravestones of my dear family members.  GG was such a good great grandma.  And I've heard so many stories about all the ones who lived before my time and I never knew them - Aunt None and Grandma Pat's brother Jimmy, and Grandpa Oz and all the rest of them.

It was a good day.

Look!!!

Look!!!  It's Bob and Evan's Barn!!!!

Heather's pierced ears

Look what Heather did!!!!!!!  She pierced her ears!!!!!!  She said that she has been looking at women with dangly earrings lately and thinking that they looked so cute, and she was inspired to do it herself.

Crazy.

Forty years old and piercing her ears?  Is this what they mean by a mid-life crisis?

Actually, I'm proud of her for doing something for herself, something she wanted to help herself feel good.  We all need to do more things like that.

Hmmm, maybe I should consider a belly button ring........

Moby Dick

I've decided to call the barn Moby Dick.  It's big, it's white, and it might cost us our sanity.  You can call us Captain Ahab.  To tell the truth, it's looking really good.  The tank is in!! The gates are going up in the holding pen.  There's lights and heaters, which means it's not a dark, cold, gloomy place anymore.  Craig says that the next two weeks should bring a lot of progress.  It's nice.  It's really taking shape.

Josh's Primary Teacher

Josh is in a funny situation with his primary class.  There are five other kids in his CTR 5 class, but none of them come very frequently.  Most of the time he is the only one in class on Sunday.  His teacher is Sister Elva Atkinson.  She is WONDERFUL.  She's like eighty years old, but she is just so faithful and kind.  Sister Atkinson and Josh love each other.  They are so sweet together.  Josh loves his teacher.