News from Nauvoo

Thanksgiving

2011-12-05T08:37:00.003-06:00

For Thanksgiving we invited Tom and Kathryn Neal over for dinner. They were here on two missions one in 2001 and one in 2007. Both times Marty and Tom worked together and became good friends. Marty is working on building a dressing room/restroom behind the pageant stage and was able to invite Tom to come help for a few weeks. The Neals came to dinner at Noon and then left to go visit Kirtland and we did the usual Set up of the Christmas tree and then we played some games and then we went to a movie. This year we saw "Breaking Dawn part 1" it was really great!! Then we went to the BLACK FRIDAY SALES!! They started at midnight but Marty wanted a Radiant Heater from Menards for $69 so he stood in line, 2nd in line for 7 hours in the cold to get it. I tried to spell him off and give him a bathroom break but he wouldn't even let me stand out there with him because he said the guys there were being to crude and he didn't want me around it so I stayed in the warm car. But when I did go there the last 1/2 hour they were all perfect gentlemen. Marty said it was strange how much different the conversation went. I think they heard him talking to me on the phone but whatever it was I was grateful. Well we got it and one for the Neals. We got home at 7 am and slept all day. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving. The only thing that would have made it better would have been to have the whole family there!! I am Thankful for so many things. Our Family, our home, our jobs and the gospel of Jesus Christ that brings so much peace and joy to our lives. Life is good and we are happy.

Halloween

2011-11-28T14:26:00.004-06:00

So as you can see Marty and I dressed up this year. What started it was I was asked by the Nauvoo Betterment Society to drive a bus for this Cemetery tour they started this year. It was cool they had actors at the different cemeteries tell their life stories. Marty talked me into dressing up and I think the people liked it. Well that evening was the pumpkin walk so I left my makeup on and did Marty's up so we could hang out together. The only problem was every time Marty looked in the mirror it bothered him. He would say "I don't like how I look, it's scary" It made me laugh. It bothered him more that the little kids were avoiding him. He is such a sweetheart. He doesn't like being scary. It was kinda sad that our kids are all grown up and off doing their own things but I am glad to know that Marty and I can have our own fun even without the kids. We really had a wonderful time. Halloween in Nauvoo is the best!!

PIZZA!!!

2011-10-24T19:10:00.002-05:00

Marty and I Love Pizza! Our favorite pizza is just a block away at Casey's. Our favorite was Pepperoni until they started selling Buffalo Chicken!! Oh it was soooooo good. Well a few months ago they quit selling it. Oh it was awful to crave something you couldn't have anymore. We really missed it!! Well tonight I decided to try to make it myself!!

It was wonderful!! I think it was just as good or better than Casey's!! LOL Well Marty and I love it and thats what counts and it's WAY LESS EXPENSIVE!! So there you go.

After work the girls PLAY!!

2011-10-24T18:54:00.005-05:00

Lacey and Sage have discovered a new hobby!!

And they are actually pretty darn good at it!!

Marty couldn't be prouder!! :) Who says you need sons!!

See Nauvoo News

2011-10-17T09:51:00.003-05:00

There is a new newspaper in town published by the Nauvoo Betterment Association. "See Nauvoo News"It is awesome. I feel like I really know whats going on in town and believe me there is a lot going on.

According to our new paper some of the pumpkins this year may be square. There is a shortage of large pumpkins this year because of the drought so there is going to be some major creativity going on and I for one am super excited to see what they are going to do. I LOVE our annual pumpkin walk.

There is also going to be "Spirit of Nauvoo" cemetary tour. It will be on the 29th of October (same day as the pumpkin walk) from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. They have asked little ol me to drive the bus that will transport people to meet "interesting spirits as they walk among the headstones and here stories of individuals buried there". I for one am very excited!! The cost is $10 and the proceeds will benefit the Nauvoo betterment association.

I also LOVE the walking tour. I grabbed the brochures from the Bank but you can download them at http://www.seenauvoo.com/ They have awesome old pictures of Nauvoo and it is really cool to see how Nauvoo has changed over the years and to hear stories about our awesome little town. That website has calendars and news about all the fun stuff going on here. Thats where I got my picture of the pumpkin walk too. I love Nauvoo and I hope you do too.

Remember, Remember the month of September...

2011-09-28T19:32:00.000-05:00

September has always been my favorite month. Most likely because it is my birthday month but I love fall and this is the month where fall begins.

Sage and Lacey have been working at NRI together. They really seem to be having a great time. It is a lot of fun when they come home on breaks to hear all of their daily adventures with the missionaries.

This year for my birthday they cleaned out my flower beds. It was the best gift ever. It had been two years since I had been able to spend any time at all on my garden and that is hard for me because I really do love it. Unfortunately there are only so many hours in the day if it wasn't for my girls I am afraid those beds would have suffered from neglect for another year.

The biggest surprise of all was that they didn't stop at the little bed they did the whole front of the house. It took 3 days and they were some of the hottest days in September.They did it after working at NRI in that heat all day. I felt so loved. I am so proud of my girls. They are so thoughtful and such hard workers.

And it turned out amazing! :)

Meanwhile my amazing husband finished my pantry!

On the inside and...

The outside!! It looks better than I could have even imagined!

Chelsi and Jason finally got their little girl after three boys. This makes grandchild number eight for Marty and he couldn't be more tickled.

Alexis Mercedeez Hollobaugh born 9-10-11

Amber and Marcus are doing well. Amber got a job at Menards in Scottsbluff, Nebraska where Marcus goes to school. He has been sick quite a bit this month but is sounds like Amber is doing a good job of nursing him. I really think she loves being married!

My cousin Forest came to visit this month. He brought his cute pregnant wife and his adorable son. It was really fun to see them and to talk to them and hear all the updates on the family.

This month was the 10 year anniversary of 9/11.

I was surprised how emotional the day was. So many things happened that day for so many people. I think it hit home hard. Having Zachary and Erick deployed right now changes the way we look a things. I though I was patriotic before. Now it's our lives and loved ones. I love my country and our freedom. I am so grateful for the men and women so willing to fight for our freedom.

It was this month 10 years ago when we made the decision to move to Nauvoo, Illinois and start over. It was the best decision we ever made. Our life has been so full of love and growth. I love my Family. I love my home. I love my friends and I love my jobs. I love my life.

Remember, Remember the month of September

when lives were changed

the way we think rearranged

It's a time we will never forget.

Steen Summer 2011

2011-08-15T13:13:00.012-05:00

It's been an exciting summer for the Steen family this year. So much has happened and I have not blogged since the school year ended so here is an update.Lacey is an only child! Not really but is seems that way since Amber left to go live with Sage. Zachary joined the National Guard and went to basic training so Sage would be all alone. Amber and Sage had quite an adventure together cut off from the rest of the world in Cedar City , Utah.

Lacey started working at NRI doing Grounds Keeping and she loves it just like her sisters did before. I don't think she minds being alone with us too much.
While living with Sage, Amber was set up on a blind date with Marcus Johnson. Marcus was in Tracy and Steve Collings ward. Steve was his bishop when he left on his mission and his stake president when he returned from his mission. Great references! They hit it off from the start.

And were engaged a few months later.
Meanwhile Zachary came home to Cedar City, Utah from basic training and AIT just to be deployed a few weeks later. Sage and Zachary have been married for 2 years but have been apart for almost a 1/4 of that time. It looks like his deployment will be one year.

His unit 2-222 (the triple deuce) were sent to Kuwait and then on to Iraq. So Sage moved home with us after spending some fun time with Zachary's parents and family. She is a real trooper. It is hard for her to be away from Zachary but she is so proud of him and Zach really loves what he is doing.

In the meantime we had a reunion in Washington to attend. So Lacey got to fly in an airplane for the first time. The Dickson Family reunion was a blast. It was Grandma & Grandpa Dickson and their children Lynn, Jack, Doris, Vivian and Roy and all of their spouses and children. What a group!! What a fun time!!!
We ran a 10K, a 5K and a one mile for the kids.

We ate crab and lots of other wonderful food. (Marty loved the crab best.)
I tried to eat right and drink my green smoothies with my dad....tried is the key word.

We slept in tents and camped around Grandma and Grandpa's house.

There were so many fun activities. We went to dorrells house and played on the water slide, pool, trampoline and zipline. We went on a beautiful hike. We had a family Olympics. It was soooo much fun!
I know my family is big but its crazy when we all get together and you get to experience it.
This is the Vivian Dickson Wright family. The ones that could be there. We are missing Tera and her family. Erick is deployed and Tera didn't make in until the day after the reunion. Sage is with Zachary in Indiana saying goodbye. Amber is working hard to save money for the wedding. Jessica Collings Hoskins is due to have her baby any day. Steven Collings is on his mission in Germany and Kaylea is at a leadership camp. So we are short a few.

Two weeks later we were in Utah at Ambers wedding. She was sealed to Marcus Johnson in the Salt Lake temple for time and all eternity. I cried like a baby. While I was in the temple I had kind of a flash back of Amber when she was little singing "I love to see the temple, I'm going there some day..." That's all it took. I am so proud of her and the wonderful woman she has become.

Its really funny that both of our son-in-laws are from Tooele County Utah. Marcus is fom Grantsville, Utah and Zachary is from Stansbury Park. They actually went to the same High School.

The wedding was a lot of fun. We had a reception in Granstville Utah and then another one a week Later in Nauvoo. Marcus and Amber will be living and going to school in Scottsbluff Nebraska.

Well summer might be over but our adventures have just begun. Stay tuned for more NEWS FROM NAUVOO.

Our "Foreigns" are Leaving

2011-05-24T11:16:00.002-05:00

Sunday was graduation. Jo Boudoux graduated from Warsaw High School.

There are only a few more days of school and its all over. Lacey will start working at NRI on Monday.
Larissa Fortes leaves tonight with her friends to St Louis. They will stay in a hotel and then she will fly home to Brazil on Wednesday.

Jo will be with us until the end of June so she can be with her friends a little bit longer before she goes home.

Our Finished Kitchen!!

2011-05-09T08:29:00.003-05:00

Well when I was catching up on my blogging yesterday I realized we hadn't posted any Pictures to say we are finished with the kitchen. Maybe because we have a few more small things we want to accomplish and Mom and dad came the next day. Well here it is!! I absolutely LOVE my new kitchen. It's just right for me.
My sink is deep and holds my biggest pans. I never realized how pathetically small my old sink was.
My house is more open and inviting. It feels better. A better flow I guess you could say.

We made a bigger space for a bigger refrigerator down the road. We were limited to the smallest size by the old kitchen design. Now we can get whatever we want. (were going to have to save up for that purchase!)

Well I said it once and I'll say it again!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new kitchen!!!

Happy Mothers Day!!

2011-05-08T14:17:00.002-05:00

The best gift of all was having all three of my children home with me for Mothers Day! I love them so much and they are really a joy to be around!! For a gift they took a bunch of amazing pictures of themselves in front of my Lilac bushes. (lilacs are one of my favorite flowers) Then they had them printed and framed a few. I even got some for my wallet. Yay!! I love mothers day.
I also got some beautiful flowers and sweet cards. Breakfast in bed and dinner with those I love the most. What a wonderful day! I feel so loved.

Grandma and Grandpa visit Nauvoo!!

2011-05-08T14:08:00.004-05:00

We finished our Kitchen just in time for my Mom and Dad to visit. I haven't seen them in almost two years. It was so wonderful to have them here. It just made everything feel right. They brought Sage and Amber with them. Amber got her braces off and is taking her car back to Utah with her. It was wonderful to have all of my girls and my parents home for a while. I felt like it just reset my life so everything just seems better.

Lacey's First Prom

2011-05-08T13:42:00.003-05:00

Lacey and her Date Nathanial Kerr getting ready for prom.

The Prom this year was a Masquerade Theme so the girls bought fancy masks.

They had a lot of fun!!

Jo, Larissa, Lacey and her friend Allison

Almost but not quite

2011-04-05T14:03:00.002-05:00

THE KITCHEN IS ALMOST FINISHED BUT NOT QUITE. THE END IS IN SIGHT!!

The Riverbend Boutique

2011-03-26T11:23:00.003-05:00

The Fudge Factory has opened a Craft Boutique next to their shop. I am one of the lucky crafters. I know I don't have lots of time but Making jewelry is the hobby that I love and it is really cool to make money from your hobby so you can keep on doing it. I hope it will be a success. It's a great location.
There are some really cool crafts. They aren't all set up yet but it opened this weekend.
Thats my stuff on the end. Jane hasn't made my sign yet. Its going to say "Jamie's Treasure Tree" I think it turned out pretty good.
Ya never know. My prices are still the same as always. Earrings $3.00, Bracelets $5.00 and Necklaces $10.00. My trees I am selling for $15.00 right now.

So if your in Nauvoo come on in and check us out!!!

Kitchen Update

2011-03-26T11:08:00.002-05:00

Yes!! We are still working on our Kitchen. Marty is making the pantry bigger.
The concrete is cured and all the forms are off.

Marty put the wood siding on the bar area. It's waiting to be stained.

The counter has been ground down to expose the rock and has its first layer of epoxie. Today I will do the second layer, we will finish it and put the faucet on. Then I will FINALLY have a sink!!!!

I need a sink!! Marty to the Rescue!!

2011-03-14T14:00:00.003-05:00

We have been without a sink for quite a while because we had to get ready for the new counter top. Then Marty's dad got sick and everything got put on hold. Well It's back to work and I am so excited. I know it's a mess and not what you will see on DIY TV but you will see. It is going to be beautiful when it is all done!!!

Here is my sink. Now we just have to pull off all the forms, sand it down, seal it and hook up the faucet. Yipee.....I have to wait a week for the concrete to cure but at least it's poured.

A Long Sad Week

2011-03-06T14:00:00.015-06:00

On Thursday March 24th we got a call that Marty's dad Ken had cancer and he had been admitted to the hospital and things were not looking good. The family needed Marty. We took off that night just in time for a huge blizzard that we hit over and over all across the country. We passed over 100 cars off the road from Iowa to Wyoming. But we were fine. The phone calls as we drove were urgent and we really didn't know if we were going to make it in time. It was so sad. Sage and Amber had been up to Salt Lake to visit the week before and had called us to tell us they were worried because he didn't look good. Nobody knew he had cancer. Now here we were a week later racing to see him before he died.
Well we did make it Friday night and the whole family was there waiting in the waiting room of the St Marks Hospital. Ken was really out of it but he would wake up occasionally and talk to us. Most of it didn't make a lot of sense but he had a few lucid moments.
He really hated the mask they had on his face. It was forcing air into his lungs. He had a drain in his side draining fluid off of his lungs and he was pretty miserable. He was being given air and Morphine but they said there was really nothing more they could do but keep him comfortable.
We went to get some sleep and came back Saturday Morning. We had quite a crowd there all day. We talked and comforted each other. From the time we left Illinois I had been Facebooking Marty's uncle and cousins to let them know everything we did.
Amber and Sage had come up from Cedar City and Jessica came down from Roosevelt with her new little one Sophie. Sophie is just a few weeks old and we were excited to get to see her even though the circumstances were sad.

We got to see most of the great grandkids and they were so fun to watch. They sure kept things light which was good.
Saturday Morning they decided to take off the mask. The doctor thought he would go pretty fast after that but he didn't, his oxygen stayed pretty good all day.

Saturday night they decided to move him to a hospice facility. It was super nice. They took out his drain tube and moved him. We again thought things were going to go really fast. He surprised everyone.
He slept a lot and rarely made any sense if he spoke at all. But every once in a while he would surprise us with lucidity. When we all went to say good bye he woke right up and hugged each of us and said good night. Marty decided he would stay the night with him and Ken very clearly told him he was fine and to go get some sleep and he would see him in the morning. We were all so shocked but Marty needed it. We went to dinner with Marty's sister Lorna and her family. Then we went to my sister Tracy's house to sleep.
When we arrived back the next morning. Ken was still with us but he really looked bad so I didn't take any pictures. They had taken out his teeth which really changed his face but he wasn't responding to anyone and we all knew today was the day. Everyone spent time with him. Amber stood over him singing hymns the whole time. We were with him when he took his last breath. It was bittersweet. Amber was singing as he passed. Then we all had a good cry and left.

Grandpa Kenneth Lawrence Steen Died at 3:40pm on Sunday February 27th.
The funeral was on Wednesday March 2nd. Amber sang a solo, Lacey and Amber sang a hymn together. Marty conducted and said a few words, Lorna's girls spoke, Junior, Kens brother Don and I said a few words. It was short and simple and exactly what Ken would have wanted. He was buried next to his wife Barbara at the West Jordan Cemetery. He had been so sad since Barbara died 2 years before. I think the greatest comfort was that he wouldn't be sad anymore and they would finally be together again.

It was very cold so we didn't stay long at the graveside. We moved on to Lorna's church for a family dinner. My family was so great. They provided a lot of the food for the dinner. Lorna' s family brought food too and it really turned out to be quite a feast.

But Marty and his family really took care of things themselves for the most part. They are hard workers and a close loving family. I think Ken and Barbara would be proud of their family and the way they pull together in times like these. They have an amazing posterity.
I am so grateful to have known this amazing man. I am grateful for the son they raised and the wonderful loving man that he is. I am so grateful for the knowledge I have of Heavenly Fathers plan and the comfort that it brings to me at times like these. I love my children and I am grateful that they knew these wonderful people and I hope and pray that they will always live their life in a way that would show respect to them. Goodbye Grandpa Steen I love you and miss you so much already.

Counter Finale!

2011-02-21T00:31:00.007-06:00

We took the rest of the forms off. And started grinding the surface to reveal some of the aggregates and get rid of the sharp edges.

Wow!! What a huge cloud of dust. I think we will be cleaning up concrete dust for months.

Then we put a high gloss polyurethane down. Dont you love this high gloss plastic look???

Isn't it fantastic.

Isn't it beautiful.

Well this isn't the final finish!! :) Duh!!

We let it cure and then started sanding.

We sanded off the high gloss finish.

Then treated the whole thing with linseed oil.

Then we waxed the surface with a carnauba wax.

This is the final finish. There are lots of fun little flaws that make it look so amazing, it has kind of a rough natural edge and a few areas there the color is off and the surface dips because of the poly but and it is silky smooth to touch and it is exsactly what I wanted!!

This is my counter and I love love love it!!

Counter Reveal!

2011-02-07T18:48:00.000-06:00

Marty took the melamine sides off. Thought you all might want to take a peek. I am sooooo excited!!!

Pour in place Concrete Countertop

2011-02-06T19:48:00.011-06:00

So we are ready to pour FINALLY. We taped up the holes and siliconed the corners. checked and double checked. We found a few falws in our design and re made our form here and there. I can't believe I forgot to take pictures of our reinforcements because it was so cool. We researched it real well and found a website produced by an engineer that convinced us to go with 9 gauge steel. I don't think this counter is going to have any problem in the strength department. :)

Then came the mess. We used 5000 psi sackcrete. It took 8 bags. We used BUFF colored concrete dye and some water.

I was so tired. I mixed the concrete and Marty poured. We worked at it all day and night.....

This is what we have so far. I know already I am going to love love love it!! Next comes the long wait..then some sanding, filling a few holes with slurry, more sanding, buffing and sealing.....

Stay tuned.....

Fish Fry

2011-02-06T19:33:00.007-06:00

One of the girls, Kim Gilpin, who rides my High School bus sent me a text on Friday and said she was on her way over to bring me a couple of fresh catfish fillets. Her parents are commercial fishermen. I was a little nervous because I have never cooked catfish before. She dropped them off with a bag of their favorite fish fry. I followed the directions on the back of the bag.

It was SO GOOD!!!! I made Marty try...he doesn't like fish. HE LOVED IT!! I made Lacey try. She doesn't like fish and she said "Amazing...Maybe I do like fish" We ate them as fast as I could cook them. YUMMERS!!! What a fun snow day!!

NAUVOO SNOW STORM

2011-02-04T16:05:00.002-06:00

That big storm that went across the country this week hit us pretty hard. It was really windy and we got between 12" and 18" of snow with drifts up to 5' in some areas. It was crazy. The whole town shut down around 4pm on Tuesday and it took most of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to dig out. The temple was closed early on Tuesday. Closed on Wednesday. Open as usual on Thursday.

I took these pictures on my way home from work Thursday Morning around 4am. Mulholland Street/HWY 96 downtown Nauvoo, Illinois.

a little good news!! Marty's daughter Jessica had her baby. Sofia Nichole Morales Januray 31 2011

Kitchen Remodel Update

2011-02-04T15:51:00.002-06:00

The lights are all in and working. The form is ready to pour the concrete. The weather has settled a little so we can go buy the concrete. Then things will really start moving.

Another exciting update on the Kitchen

2011-01-28T12:58:00.002-06:00

The lights are all in except we shorted ourselves one can light. We will pick that up next time we are in town. It is so bright and cheery. Even with the lights off we have so much natural light that it feels like a different house! Marty has started prepping the counters to pour our concrete. I love love love this project and Marty has been in such a great mood!!!

Kitchen Remodel Update

2011-01-23T23:39:00.004-06:00

I had to show this earlier picture so you could look at the one under it to see the difference in the cabinets.
We moved the big long cabinet over by the stove. We put the one that was there on the otherside of the room by the closet.

we filled an empty space by the counter with one of the cabinet doors from next to the stove and cut a hole that will fit cookie sheets, large cutting boards and pizza pans. yay! now I just have to find a cool rack to install in that space!

Marty took down the big florescent light and started hanging can lights
He looks like a ghost!! Sheetrock dust!! Yuck!!

This is as far as we got. The lights are wired and working all but 2. Saturday just isn't long enough! :) well we will have to see what we can get done on Monday, Tuesday, wednesday.....

Jamie's Job Promotion

2011-01-21T13:46:00.000-06:00

I got some good news!! I have been promoted from the assistant custodial supervisor to THE CUSTODIAL SUPERVISOR at the Nauvoo Temple!!! Yay! I am so excited! Brother Adams has been moved to days and is now a full time assistant engineer and I am in charge of the custodial staff at night. Sister Gifford was promoted to assistant custodial supervisor. We are both thrilled to death!!

kitchen remodel update

2011-01-19T13:12:00.007-06:00

This should give you a little better idea of what we are doing in the kitchen. Marty is building the wall that the bar will sit on. We will have a 42" high bar on the dining room side and a 36" high counter top on the kitchen side. The cabinets that use to be part of the island in the middle of my old kitchen now will be against the new 1/2 wall under the new counter top where it is placed in these pictures.
Marty hung sheetrock and then he will build the form for the concrete bar.

He will put sheet rock on the side here to. we will finish the look with a veneer that matches the wall surrounding the fireplace in the dining room.
This is approximately how the cabinets will look. this remodel has made my house seem huge already. I love how much brighter and open everything is. It already feels great!! I am so excited for the next step!
Here is a picture I got on the internet that shows an idea of how the counter and bar will look> not the colors just design.

Demolition Time!!

2011-01-17T16:59:00.003-06:00

Say goodbye to the old wall because it is going bye bye today!!!! We need to get into it to run wires for the other wall that we just built. Demolition and wiring are the goals for the day!!

It already looks so different!! I am so glad we both had Martin Luther King jr day off!! We shopped on Saturday and we get to remodel today! Yay!! I can't wait to see what it looks like by next weekend!!!

Another snow day!

2011-01-12T15:40:00.004-06:00

Today was another snow day. This time we stayed in and lounged around. Marty is still feeling sick so he was in bed. I have been cleaning and planning my new kitchen. :) Lacey has been helping Sylvia and Jessica settle in over at my moms house cleaning and organizing. Jo has been watching tv and playing on her laptop and Larissa decided to cook!!

Frango , Arroz , Batata com queijo
which is basically Chicken rice with onions and twice baked potatoes.

After dinner I asked Lacey and Jo to clean up the dishes.....

They were kidding.
Everything is wonderful and I really love SNOW DAYS!!!

Snow Days!

2011-01-12T15:21:00.002-06:00

Well we had some snow!! Just enough for that wonderful 6am phone call that school is canceled for the day. I walked down the hall and told Larissa. She said "thank you". I told Lacey next she said "REALLY?? Yay!" in her drowsy half asleep voice. Then I told Jo "YAY!! Are you kidding!! I LOVE AMERICA!!!" ha ha ha it really made me laugh. It was a really fun day. Marty stayed home because he was sick and the girls went out to play in the snow with their friends. I cleaned and relaxed. I love snow days!!

Kitchen remodel begins!

2011-01-11T15:24:00.002-06:00

I got home from work yesterday to a big surprise! Marty started on my kitchen. I can't believe it is actually going to happen.

Now he will mud and paint then we get to take out the other wall.

(to be continued) YAY!!!

Jo Cooked Sunday Dinner

2011-01-09T20:03:00.002-06:00

Jo wanted to cook for us so she planned Sunday dinner. It was "Porc a l'orange et aux amandes" she had to emprovise a little but it was really really good. She was so worried but there was no need. NO LEFTOVERS is a good sign of a delicious meal!!!

My NEW CARPET!!!!

2011-01-09T19:48:00.002-06:00

Saturday Marty finally had time to put the carpet in that we bought on Monday. I am so Happy.

Jo and Larissa just love harassing poor Marty! lol

"Look! Look we are working too!"

"ahhh we are so tired from working so hard"

(Marty never even looked up..lol)

Stretching my new carpet!!!

I love love love it!!!

Oh this is the new wood stove Marty put in a few months ago. It looks great with the new carpet.

Finished room!!! :)

Happy Anniversary Marty and Jamie 21 years and going strong!!!

2010-12-29T10:00:00.002-06:00

Christmas Morning 2010

2010-12-25T15:16:00.002-06:00

Well Santa Clause came and and the kids were up at 6:00 excited to see what he brought. It was actually 5am but they told a fib so they could get up earlier. Naughty Naughty

Marty got an ipad and I got new dishes and pots and pans.

Bentley goes crazy when we are opening presents and just has to join in.

Amber and Lacey each got an ipod touch Larissa got a new camera and Jo got an alarm clock that charges her ipod and some boots.

We opened presents. Laughed a lot and then went back to bed. Amber and James made bacon eggs and pancakes for everyone and we had the best lazy day ever!!!

Christmas Eve 2010

2010-12-24T23:38:00.003-06:00

After dinner we opened our traditional Christmas Eve gift.

PAJAMAS!!!!!!

Then did the Nativity and read the story of the birth of Jesus out of the bible.

We had so much fun!! Now it is time for Bed and we will Wake up and see what

Santa Clause brings us. Yay!!!

The snow fight

2010-12-24T23:26:00.002-06:00

After bowling we had a big snow fight!! It was so funny!!

Marty got even and dumped everyone in the snow!!

We had so much fun!!!

Glow Bowling on Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T23:02:00.004-06:00

We went to Keokuk to go Glow Bowling for Christmas Eve.

We had a snow storm so the roads were pretty bad but we drove slow and made it just fine The lights were out the smoke machine was going, the lights were flashing and the music was loud

Then we started bowling!! It was a lot of fun!!

Marty and Jo had a bet at the end. Whoever lost had to do each others chores for a whole month. Jo is an excellent bowler and Marty isn't....no offence Marty. Marty surprised everyone by almost beating her. She was actually worried.

He didn't win. Poor Marty.

Christmas Card 2010

2010-12-20T09:24:00.003-06:00

Here is our Family Christmas card!! We hope your 2010 year was the best ever and that the new year will bring you more joy and happiness than you could ever expect! Thank you for sharing this year with our family. I love blogging and reading other family blogs because it gives insight to what life is like in different families and it helps us stay connected with those we love who live far away. The world is getting smaller and we are all discovering how similar families are all over the world. Life is good.

MERRY CHRISTMAS and PEACE ON EARTH. GOD BLESS US EVERYONE!!!!

Titans Girls Basketball 2010

2010-12-20T09:02:00.007-06:00

Well basketball season is here and the girls are at the school now more than they are at home. They have practice and games 6 days a week. I finally got to go to a couple of the games and it was a lot of fun to watch.

Unfortunately Larissa has been injured and I haven't seen her play yet but Lacey tells me she is very good so I hope her foot feels better and I will get to see her in action before the season is over.
The kids are really supportive of the team and it is a lot of fun to listen to the stuff they come up with to motivate the team. I love basketball but I will admit I will be glad when it is all over so I can have my family home again.

Thanksgiving Day

2010-11-28T19:52:00.004-06:00

Well since we already celebrated Thanksgiving a few weeks ago when Sage and Zachary were here we didn't do a lot but lay around all day. At 5:00 we went over to the fire station and ate potluck with a lot of other people in town. I didn't get the best pictures because my camera died but my phone took these. :) I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving. :)

After dinner we took Marty home and headed to Keokuk to see the new Harry Potter movie. It was good...I can't wait to see then end when it comes out in July. We will have to go to a different theater though. The theater in Keokuk is closing its doors or the last time this weekend. Kinda sad. We have a lot of memories at that theater.

Sage and Zachary head for home

2010-11-16T13:36:00.003-06:00

Well it's time for Sage and Zach to go home, I am so sad to see them go. We have had so much fun with them here. I am sad they are leaving but I am so happy that they came.

Maxx and Bentley were so much fun together. They played and played and poor Bentley really needs the exercise. This is the reason we decided to get Bailey. We are so happy we did. We are really going to miss Maxx though, He is so funny. Bentley and he just tear through the house like maniacs. Bailey is more mellow but I think she is going to fit the bill.

Adopting Bailey

2010-11-16T13:14:00.008-06:00

Well this is our Bailey.
She is 1 1/2 years old. She is a Miniature Pinscher /Spaniel mix and she is the sweetest little girl. She is very playful but can be mellow too. She is super skinny with long long legs. You all know how fat Bentley is so it's quite the contrast. She and Bentley get along great!! She came with her name but we decided to keep it because I love how it fits her and it's so cute to have
Bentley and Bailey my sweet little BB's. :)

Early Thanksgiving

2010-11-15T07:43:00.003-06:00

Sage and Zachary can't be with us for Thanksgiving because Zach has drill on the 19th so we decided to do Thanksgiving 2 times this year. Sunday after church we had a big turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, pumpkin pie, all the good stuff. Larissa even made these amazing little chocolate balls with peanuts. yummy!! After we ate we watched a movie together. Usually on Thanksgiving we go to the theater and see a movie but because it was Sunday we just watched one together in the family room in front of the fire. :) It was really nice. I love my family. I am so THANKFUL for each and every one of them. I am so grateful Sage and Zach have been here the past few weeks. It means a lot to me to be able to spend time together. This is going to go down in the books as one of the best Thanksgiving ever and it's not over.....we still have Thanksgiving next week. Stay tuned......

Halloween 2010

2010-11-08T10:11:00.008-06:00

Introducing our amazing team of pumpkin carvers!!!!!Sage
Lacey
Larissa
Zach
Jo
Amber
Lacey and Jo digging in!!
Ewww! Zach don't eat the pumpkin guts!!!
Evil Foreign Exchange Student!!! AAARRRGGH!!!
BLOOD!!!!!This one will scare the snot out of you!! get it?? SNOT!? ok ok I know it was dumb but come on!!
Our creative team!!! Give em a hand!!!! Yay!!!
Look at our scary pumpkins all in a row. I had to go to work so I didn't get to see the whole process but the pumpkins were lit up outside when I got home at 4am. It was very cool.
We love Halloween!!
I didn't get any pictures of the pumpkin walk this year because I needed to work. But it is ALWAYS amazing!! I am glad the kids got to see it!!
Amber had to work at the fudge factory but she didn't mind as long as she got to dress up!!
The kids went to a Haloween party after the pumpkin walk. It looks like a lot of fun. I think we will have to throw our own party next year....or not. :)
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!

Utah 2010

2010-11-08T09:27:00.007-06:00

We drove from Vegas up to Cedar City to load up the trailer and head for Salt Lake.

We ate real quick at Sage and Zach's place and headed out. Sage and Zach are coming to Nauvoo for a few weeks to visit. They cant come for Thanksgiving because Zach has drill so we will have an early Thanksgiving with them before they have to drive home. :) Yay!! I am so happy.

Steve turned 19 this week so to celebrate we went to Ogden to go "FLOWRIDING"!! He will be leaving on his mission to Germany soon so it was great that we were able to spend time with him.

It's hard to get good action shots with my camera but I hope you can tell how much fun everyone was having.

It was a great way to celebrate such an exciting event. We are so proud of you Steve!!! Happy Birthday!!!

Tracy taught us a new game that was a lot of fun!!
We drove to Grandpa's house to visit.
and we celebrated Billie Jo and Grandpa's birthdays while we were there. Marty went shopping and got cake and pizza!!! Yay!
Chelsi and Jason brought their family down to visit us. We were so happy because we just didn't have enough time to do everything we wanted and visit everyone we should have.
It was really nice to see them and spend some time with them. The boys are growing up so fast.

Here we are waiting at the Joseph Smith Memorial building for the kids so we can see some sites real quick. Ouch...you need a shave Marty!!
this is by the fountain near the old temple square. It's changing so much. I cant wait to see it all finished.
Our family picture in front of the temple....um. Thanks Zachary. :) lol
Salt Lake City was sooooo cold!!! It's snowing in the mountains.
We stopped in to see Darla on the way back out to Tracy's. Time to load up and head for home. NOW It's SNOWING in Salt Lake City!!
Once we got out of Utah it wasn't so bad. The wind was blowing and it was really cold but no snow.
We brought Lori and Sage Hardle back with us. There going to be living in Nauvoo until the Log Cabins sell. We are glad because we really miss them.
We drove straight through the night except for our Sidney Nebraska stop to visit Cabella's!! Can't miss that. :)
Hey it's only money $$ right?? lol Ah home sweet home!! Just in time for Halloween!!

Las Vegas 2010

2010-11-08T09:19:00.002-06:00

We made it to Vegas!! Our big 2010 vacation. I spent my whole time at the Ragnar but Marty and the kids got the whole Vegas tourist experience. Dave hooked the girls up with a room at the Paris. Marty had a private condo at the Jockey Club. We did Vegas in style.
The highlight was the PBR World Finals!!! Marty was in heaven!

The girls seemed to like it a lot too.
Especially Lacey who is definitely her fathers daughter!! You go girl!!

2010 Las Vegas Ragnar presents THE DICKSON SCRUBS!!

2010-11-08T08:08:00.010-06:00

We made it to Las Vegas for the Ragnar. It was the best time ever and I think we all want to do it again. Can you blame us? Look at the fun we had.
Sage Zach and I all got up at 2am drove to the Vally of Fire state park and worked until 8:30am as volunteers. It was dark most of the time so I didn't get any good pictures of us but we each got a shirt and a gift bag. It was fun!
I started the Ragar checking the safty gear from each van. I loved it and would have stayed all day but I wanted to be with my family!!
I loved the cool decals that Dave arranged!! It was so much fun being able to celebrate our awesome Grandparents!! What an amazing posterity! Look what they started!!
The girls showing off the decorated van #2
Erika and Lee decorating the suburban.
Van #2. This is the Van I was supposed to run with but because of my injury Amber ran for me. I was lucky Lee's vehicle was so big so I could hang out with them the whole race.
The name the Dickson Scrubs came from the fact that Grandma Dickson always called her grandkids "scrub" We ran together to celebrate Grandma and Grandpa Dicksons 70th wedding anniversary!!
It is so great to be together. I have the best family ever!!!
Lee running his first leg....no big deal. Up a steep hill but for Lee...no big deal. lol
I was so sad when I didn't get to run in this Ragnar. I was so grateful that my family let me hang out with them the whole time.
Bump was the one who wanted to run this Ragnar. Erin got bullied into it and then Bump got injured. Erin ran and Bump supported her the whole race. It was so much fun hanging out with them.
Erin didn't think she was going to be able to do well at all. She ended up suprising herself. She ran the last to legs without walking at all and she got us ahead 1/2 hour. I know she loved it. I hope she will do it again so Bump and I can run with her!!
Erika was awesome. She had shin splints like I did before my torn ligament and she just kept right on running. Pain and all. Every time she ran I just kept wishing I was running too. I really felt bad that I was missing out on the running part. Pain and all.
Jessica going for the KILL!!!
Ambers first leg. It was the shortest but it was all uphill and steep!! OUCH!!!
Uncle Bump giving amber advice...."now Amber when you run up behind that guy just scream like from a horror movie and he'll get out of the way..."
Kaylea was the star of van 2. She got more kills than anyone and that girl can RUN!!
What a great way to get to know each other again. I had so much fun I can't even express it appropriately.
Dave was a riot as usual. I don't know how he kept it up being as tired as he was. I'm glad he did. Ragnar is only fun when the people you are with know how to have fun. :)
I was with Dallin when he ran his second leg. It was dark and scary and in the middle of crazy traffic. I was terrified for him. He ran so fast he had older men trying to keep up with him and just about killing themselves doing it. He acted like it was no big deal and going on and on about how much he loves running. :)
Amber was miserable after her first leg. Then on her second leg she snapped out of it and did amazing the rest of the time. Yay Amber!!
Sleeping with the tarantulas. I slept in the car.
Lee after his 3rd and hardest leg. This was the longest and most difficult leg of this race or any ragnar race from what I have been told. Lee ran it, grimaced, and moved on to have a fun time like it never happened. He didn't even throw up!!
The giggly girls from van #2
The Hand off Jessica to Amber!
Uncle Lee dancing in support of Amber. Now what better way to show team spirit!!
Lee was so much fun the whole race but more important he was the definition of support. He gave the pep talks he gave advice and he made everyone feel like they really were doing the best job ever. Lee has run is 6 or 7 Ragnars now and he really knows how to make the most of the race.
At the end of the race everyone was so tired but we were still having a great time. I love our family!

Las Vegas Ragnar

2010-10-19T11:47:00.000-05:00

Most of you know I have been training all summer to run in the Las Vegas Ragnar with my family. If you dont know what the ragnar is here is a link to their site and you can read all about it. http://www.ragnarrelay.com/race/lasvegas

Well I was running one day and i tore a ligament in my right calf so that distroyed my dreams of running.
Amber has been training to take my place and I have signed up as a volunteer so I can at least be involved. I am so excited to go!! I will post the whole trip! It's going to be a blast!!!

ISE trip to St Louis!!

2010-10-19T11:35:00.001-05:00

This weekend the girls went to St Louis with the ISE (International Student Exchange). They had so much fun!! They went to the St Louis Arch and the Museum and to Six Flags. They had a sock hop where they taught each other dances from their country. Lacey taught everyone a dance they do at Youth Conference here.

It was a wonderful group of kids and they really had a good time. We are really grateful that we have been able to do this with these girls. We are learning so much and Lacey has made so many new friends from all over the world.

I have been very impressed with the love and dedication the leaders of this group have for these kids. I think that they are very lucky to be placed in this area with such amazing people.

This weekend has not only been a lot of fun for the girls but it has helped them bond more with each other. It makes me wish I was a kid again. Well it's time to pack for our next adventure.....VEGAS!!!

Close to my heart

2010-10-14T14:11:00.001-05:00

I was just called to be a teacher in the Relief Society. I teach the 4th Sunday of each month. My first assignment was this talk by Elder Ballard.
LDS.org - Ensign Article - Mothers and Daughters

I studied it for a month before I taught it. I cannot tell you the impact that it had on me. I have never been more grateful to be a daughter of God and to have daughters to teach, love, and learn from. I know that they are a gift and a blessing from my Heavenly Father to bring joy to my life. I love my girls more than I could ever express and I want them to know it is a privilege to be their mother.

After teaching the lesson the following week was General Conference and I was so grateful to listen and to know that the Lord is very interested in each and every one of us and I am so grateful that he is constantly teaching us and giving us the support and instruction we need to be the best parents we can be and the comfort we need when things don't seem to be going the way it should.

I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and I am so thankful for his love and sacrifice. I am grateful to be part of an eternal family. I love my beautiful daughters. I love my wonderful husband. These are the things that bring me the greatest joy.

Camping.....not!

2010-10-14T13:54:00.002-05:00

Suzanne Feldman, the representative for the international exchange program, called and invited all the girls to go camping with a group of the program kids. Because it was homecoming week the girls declined but they showed up to roast marshmallows and play games.

It was fun and so close to home...lol

Homecoming 2010

2010-10-14T13:34:00.003-05:00

Well homecoming was exciting again this year. Because Amber was the queen last year she was very involved this year. She got to crown the new queen. We were very excited when our Jo (Belgium) was voted into the homecoming court. The school policies would not allow her to become the queen but she was given the title of Princess and participated like all of the other members of the court. We were really excited for her. Eli Smith was her escort.
Larissa (Brazil) had a date and seemed to enjoy all of the week long festivities. She showed us a lot of pictures of the school parties from her country. She tells us it is not so different but Very different. :)
Lacey went with a bunch of her girlfriends and had a lot of fun. It was really fun watching them all get ready. It was a really fun week.

Ahhh and now that it is over we can relax until the next big event....like every day. There is ALWAYS SOMETHING GOING ON!! :)

ISE Orientation Potluck

2010-09-13T14:23:00.006-05:00

On Sunday we drove to Quincy to attend the ISE Orientation. The ISE is the Foreign Exchange program. We got to meet all of the other kids in our area and their host families.
It was a lot of fun. the food was good and the kids are amazing. We are really happy we decided to host Larissa and Jo. They feel like they have always been part of our family.

Catching up with us...

2010-09-10T14:02:00.002-05:00

Wow I have a lot to catch up on.

I went by myself to St Louis to pick up Jo. She is our foreign exchange student from Brussels, Belgium. We were only gettin Larissa and the agancy called us and begged us to take one more. We are so grateful we did. Jo is 18 and wonderful. I was terrible I didn't take pictures at the airport. I was so tired and I didn't think of it until the drive home. She slept most of the way because she was exhausted too.
So now are family is bigger by two but it feels normal. Jo and Larissa shared a room for the first three weeks. Then Amber moved down to the basement and now everyone has their own space. Jo and Larissa are sweet girls and it feels like they have always been here.
As most of you know I am running in the Las Vegas Ragnar with my family in October so I have been training for a few months The end of August I ran in a five mile race in Keokuk at the YMCA called "Run for the Lei" I won first place in my division. It helps that I am the only female my age who ran at all and Melissa and I are the only two females who opted for the 5 mile instead of the 5K Hee Hee I was the last person to cross the finish line and I still won a metal...how cool is that. I ran on 2 hours of sleep and not feeling well. I have will power.
The next weekend Amber and I ran in the Grape Stomp. The 5K run at the Nauvoo Grape Festival. I did better than the weekend before. Amber took 2nd in her division. Yay Amber!! It felt great. I think I am getting shin splints so I am taking a week off from 5K's.
At the Grape Festival the girls played Mud Volleyball. They had a blast but they played terribly and lost every game. :) I think they wanted it to be over...lol

I had my 42nd Birthday! I had a party for myself that lots of people came to and I felt very loved. :) 42 isn't so bad... :)
Jo took this picture of me on the bus.

Well there you are. I will try to do a better job of keeping my blog in the future. Have a great day.

A new member of the Family!!

2010-08-13T17:29:00.002-05:00

Today we drove to St Louis to pick up Larissa. She is going to live with us and go to school here in the USA for one year. She is 15 years old and from Brazil and...she is absolutely adorable. :) We are so excited to get to know her better.
We drove to St Louis this morning. We left at 5:30am because her flight came in at 9:25 and we didn't want to be late. We were sitting by the baggage claim when she walked up and said hello. I felt so bad because her flight had arrived early and she had been wandering around looking for us. Marty kept telling me he saw her but I said "you couldn't have, her flight hasn't landed yet." :) She was great about it though. We waited for her luggage. and waited...and waited...finally we discovered that her suitcase had not arrived with her but it was following on another flight that would arrive at 11:45. We didn't want her to have to wait for them to fed ex it to Nauvoo so we just hung out at the airport for a few hours.
Again Larissa was wonderful. She has such a positive attitude. I thought she would sleep the whole way home but after a quick nap she got on Marty's laptop and contacted friends and family. We finally made it home at 3:30pm and she started unpacking. The first thing to go up was the flags!! so cool. and she came bearing gifts. Marty got a leather hat and a cool t-shirt. I got a beautiful table cloth, t-shirt, necklace bracelet, flip flops and a keychain. Each of the girls got the necklace bracelet, t shirts, flip flops, and key chains. She also brought cashews and some yummy fruity candy type stuff. I am not sure what it is but it is good..Lacey didn't like it but she is picky. LOL Marty LOVED it and I had to steal it from him to keep him from eating it all up.
I hope Larissa will be happy here. She is easy to like and she hit it off with the girls right away!! We are happy to have her in our home. I hope you all get a chance to meet her.

Getting ready to run the Las Vegas Ragnar

2010-08-09T09:46:00.002-05:00

Well most of you know I have comitted to run the Las Vegas Ragnar with some of my family in October. Well I have had to work for monthes just to be able to run at all. In June I could barely walk and I have gotten so overweight I was scared to even try to run. Well today I ran my first 3 miles!!! and I did it in the rain!! Then I walked another 2 just because I felt like it!! :) I feel great. I have a long way to go but I am ON MY WAY!!

The finished roof.

2010-07-29T21:44:00.002-05:00

Marty took some pictures of the finished roof.

He even climbed the tree house tree to get a good shot.
I still LOVE it!!

Summer at the Steen's

2010-07-26T07:49:00.008-05:00

We are FINISHED!!!!
We called the Power company and had them come and unhook our power line so we could put the last piece of metal on the roof. We are finished. Marty added the last bit of trim and voila!! it is complete!! Our house is noticeably cooler and the people who have even noticed the change love it. I love it. I think it is beautiful. :) Marty did a great job. We keep getting asked if it is noisy when it rains. There is a little bit of a difference but it is far from noisy or annoying. again I LOVE IT!!!

e

Now for an update on us....

Lacey just got back from Youth Conference. She had a wonderful time and has a whole pile of new phone numbers....mostly boys. Actually all boys. The funny thin is kids now days NEVER TALK on the phone. They text ALL THE TIME but the never never talk. It is crazy. Someone was teasing her about how they bet she was always on the phone at home so nobody could get through. She didn't even understand. What they meant. Things are so different from when I was a kid. :) She is really having a great summer. The pageant is still going on and she is having a blast meeting new friends and catching up with old ones. She works at Annies custard and helps me clean cabins when needed. She has more money in the bank than anyone in the family. She is driving on her permit and is turning out to be my least scary new driver. (Or I am just older and calmer.) lol

Amber.....hmmm. Well we aren't really allowed to comment on that or "bridezilla" appears. She is very frustrated with the complicated Visa forms and I am not a lot of help because It is so difficult figuring out what we need to do. We have no date but the location looks like HERE. The Hardles are trying to sell their cabins and if they don't before this winter then Amber and Luke might be able to live in the lodge and run the place for them so they can move back to Utah with their family. Amber is going to England in September to visit and do some planning with Luke and his family. Then we will know more. For now she is attending her temple prep classes. She just got called to be the new primary secretary on Sunday. And she is working every day at NRI on the grounds with Sage and then working a few evenings a week at the Fudge Factory.

Sage and Zach are at the end of their stay. They both worked all summer. Their car broke down and cost them about $1000 to fix. The sad thing is he was driving it to quincy to the toyota dealership to get it checked out because it was having issues and it died. we were on a busy part of the highway so he jumped out to push it off the road and it kept going and rolled into a ditch. a couple of trucks that were right behind us pulled right over and helped out. We had a tow truck there within minutes and made it to Quincy.

gIt is all fixed up now. Zach went home last weekend and Sage will follow in August. Zach is already moved into their new apartment and is looking for a job. Sage really misses him a lot and it will make us all a lot happier when they are reunited.

I am still working nights in the temple. I LOVE it. I will be starting to drive the bus in August when school starts. I was dreading those horrible hours again but it looks like we have figured out a new schedule that will be healthier and make me a lot happier. I wont drive a morning route so I can SLEEP but I will drive the preK kids around noon and then the high school kids after school. :) I am SO excited!!! I hope it works out I will find out on the 9th. On the 13th we drive to St Louis to pick up Larissa our foreign exchange student from Brazil. She is 15 years old and is friends with us right now on facebook. she seems super sweet and we are really looking forward to getting to know her better. I am also running. YES I said running. I know it sounds horrible and it really is most of the time but I am training to run the Las Vegas Ragnar in October with the "Dickson Scrubs" so We ware planning a trip out west in October so I hope we will get to see a lot of you then. Can I do it...YES I CAN!! lol I hope.... Well thats it for now. It is HOT and Swampy here and we are all alive and well and Happy as clams. xoxoxo from Nauvoo

Lacey has her permit

2010-06-26T17:10:00.001-05:00

Yay!! Lacey has her driving permit! She does a great job!!! I am not ever afraid to drive with her she is careful and doesn't panic. :)

Road Problems around Nauvoo

2010-06-26T17:02:00.003-05:00

Every day that I have driven Lacey to Drivers Ed in Hamilton there has been road issues. The rain has been causing lots of problem along river road. on Thursday I was excited to see nothing going on at all all the way to Hamilton. The first time in over a month. I dropped Lacey off and on my way back to Nauvoo I came across a mudslide. It had covered half the road and It had happened in the 10 or 15 minuets it took to drop Lacey off and head for home. When I drove back to pick Lacey up there were road crews back to work. I really feel for them. It is a never ending battle.

I took Amber to Iowa City on Friday and had to back track about 6 miles because of road issues. It is crazy.

Flooding around Nauvoo.

2010-06-23T17:00:00.009-05:00

This is just a random picture of the Missouri river off of the internet. I know there is flooding around us but I have not seen any. The river is really high but it really isn't affecting us here yet. Everything is soggy but life is moving along as usual. My cousin Randy and his family flew into St Louis yesterday and drove up last night. He could not cross the river from Missouri into Keokuk to come to Nauvoo because the road was flooded so he had to drive the LONG way around through Donaldson and cross the river in Ft Madison. I don't know if there is still a problem there but once you get here everything is fine and it looks like no rain for the next couple of weeks! Yay! Just in time for pageant! Now we can get our roof finished!!! It has rained almost non stop for what seems like forever. We can really use a break.

Here are a few links for road conditions:

http://maps.modot.mo.gov/travelerinformation/

http://www.wunderground.com/US/IL/Nauvoo.html

http://www.511ia.org/default.asp?area=IA_statewide&textOnly=False

home makeover projects

2010-06-14T17:59:00.006-05:00

Well our roof was desperately in need of a makeover. The shingles are curling and it looks terrible. So we decided to go with "slate blue" metal roof. Amber and Luke helped by painting the shutters.
Lacey, Marty and I pulled off the old shingles on the front half. It was really hot and a lot of work.

But it looks great! the front half is finished now it is time for the back half.....if it would just stop raining long enough to pull the shingles. I can't believe how much rain we are still getting. My yard is a swamp!
We still have a few mores shutters to paint and hang but it is looking really good. I love the color.
I have hated the set up of my living room and dining room for a long long time. I finally got tired of fighting it and moved my dining room to the fireplace and made my old dining room my living room. I LOVE IT!! I bought a antique rug from Helen and finished it off to get these results. I couldn't be happier. Now if it would just quit with the rain and thunderstorms we could finish the roof.

My 80's Flashback

2010-06-11T12:34:00.008-05:00

I just though I would share....

I was having this weird day of flashbacks. I was listening to 80's music and really enjoying the whole flashback to the "good old days" I had a few years I would really like to forget but for the most part it was pretty cool. I was showing my kids that I lived all of my teenage years in the 80's. In 1980 I was 12 years old and just becoming a teenager. I was in 7th grade my first year of Jr High and just starting to care about clothes, hair and what was "cool"at least in my eyes.
Well I came across this video of Sheena Easton and started laughing because I suddenly remembered how much I loved Sheena Easton and how much I wanted to look like her. I loved her songs and her style. I thought she was so cool. Then I started looking at pictures of me and laughed at how long that style stuck with me. Wow! it's really funny how much we are influenced by media even though my obsession with Sheena ended while I was still in Jr High you can see my style stayed pretty much consistant.

Here I am in 1991 the 80's have just ended and I am still clinging to that style even though I am 23 years old. Do i regret it? nope I still kinda like it. Hey I am OF THE 80's it is part of me and as funny as it seems to look back. It wasn't that bad. ;)

ENJOY THE VIDEO!!!!

and the songs...

Lacey performing with "Kira's Dance Crew"

2010-05-29T18:30:00.004-05:00

Kira Jacobs formed a small dance group and Lacey joined. She has had so much fun practicing with them and today we went and saw their first performance. It was a lot of fun and I am excited to see them improve and do more with it.

Lacey joined late and has only been to a handful of practices but I think she did great.

Lacey Graduates from Nauvoo-Colusa Jr High

2010-05-27T18:48:00.004-05:00

She is growing up way too fast for my liking but she is an amazing girl and we are very proud of her.

Good Job Lacey and Congratulations!!

Amber's performances in high school

2010-05-26T13:01:00.003-05:00

I have been watching some of the video's of Ambers performances this year and I thought I would share them.

Amber singing a solo at her Graduation

2010-05-24T00:15:00.002-05:00

Amber Graduates from High School

2010-05-23T23:44:00.003-05:00

Today was Amber's Graduation.

She sang in the choir and she sang a solo.

Luke, Zach, Sage, Lacey, Marty and I were all there in the second row watching. It was a really nice graduation. Not to long. Amber sounded amazing as usual.

Yay!! We are so proud of her.

It was so great that Luke was able to be here for her graduation. It really meant a lot to her.

We are so proud of all of our girls. They are such good friends to each other. It was a wonderful day for everyone.

It was really hot outside but it was a beautiful day and we were so happy to all be there together.

Yahoo class of 2010

Amber and Amanda's Graduation Party

2010-05-23T22:45:00.005-05:00

Amber and Amanda Mathews celebrated their High School Graduation on Saturday May 22nd.
We just had a simple barbecue and invited anyone and everyone who wanted to celebrate with us to just show up.
Amanda's Aunt Vicky made an amazing cake.
We had a fire out in the fire pit for roasting marshmallows and making smores.
Sage Zach Amber and Luke just had a bast hanging out together. Marty kept mentioning to me how nice it was that they all get along so good. We keep waiting for Luke to "pop the question" everyone is really giving him a hard time. It's kinda fun teasing him about it.

Lacey and a bunch of her friends were climbing the ropes. It was really cool but they had a lot of blisters.
Mr Lock, Ambers History and yearbook teacher, showed up.

Mr Bertucci came. He is the Principal at Warsaw High School. It was a fun time followed by a major clean up that took all of Saturday night and into Sunday. whew!!

Amber's Birthday/Graduation Surprise

2010-05-20T14:19:00.002-05:00

Luke showed up a week earlier than he said just to surprise Amber. She though he wasn't going to make it to her graduation. Zachary drove to Chicago to meet him and bring him here. He arrived home seconds before Amber, raced into Zach and Sages room got on the internet and waited. Sage yelled to Amber that Luke was online, Amber frantically raced around trying to get online to talk to him. When they finally started chatting Luke asked if he could give her a hug. She laughed and teased him about crawling through the computer. He walked in the room and she froze, speechless for a bit. Then she was absolutely thrilled!!!
Amber graduates on Sunday. We are having a party for her and Amanda at our home at 5pm on Saturday May 22nd. Everyone is invited!

Nauvoo Colusa Jr High Play "No Strings Attached"

2010-05-19T18:52:00.004-05:00

Last night we went to see Lacey's play. It was about Pinocchio. It was a lot of fun to watch.

She had lots of parts !

Her main speaking part was the cat. She really did a great job. She is a natural. I love watching my kids perform.

Warsaw High School Baccalaureate and Seminary Graduation

2010-05-18T13:34:00.005-05:00

Baccalaureate was held at St Peter and Paul's Catholic church this year. It was beautiful. Lexi Stout and Amber Sang "the Prayer" and everyone had goosebumps. It was amazing. The whole service was full of prayer and scriptures. A message was given by Tony Newton to the graduates to study the scriptures daily. He promised them if they would do this they would have more success and happiness. I loved that all of these different religions could get together and teach these amazing kids the same message of remembering the Savior in their lives throughout their lives. It was very uplifting. at the end each of the kids went to the pulpit and announced the plans for their future.
After cookies and drinks at St Peter and Pauls school we went home and had dinner.
Then we went to seminary graduation at our church house. It was the perfect way to end an amazing day. I am so grateful for the gospel in our lives and the hope and joy it brings. These amazing young people have a great future ahead of them and they have started it out right. They have amazing testimony's and it is going to be exciting to see what their future will bring. I am so proud of Amber. She is such a good girl.
Tom Adams was her seminary teacher this year and we are so grateful for him. He really put his whole heart into this calling. The kids loved him and learned a lot.

Wild Weather in Nauvoo!!

2010-05-16T14:23:00.007-05:00

It has been raining and raining here in Nauvoo. Last week it was so bad a few of the roads I drive my bus on were closed down because they are covered in water. Lots of the corn fields look like lakes. It is sad when it rains so much that it just drowns things instead of helping them grow. We had a pretty significant thunderstorm the other night and it brought with it a hailstorm. Not a lot of damage thankfully but they were pretty good sized hailstones.

With each storm our big tree house tree loses a big branch. We decided that the tree houses were constricting the branches too much and the wind was causing them to rub against the tree house and eventually cut the branches. We decided it was time to say good bye to that cool old tree house. It hasn't been used in at least 3 years and Grandma Wright has been wishing it would go away long before that. :)

Daisy Died today.

2010-05-12T09:48:00.002-05:00

This morning we woke up to find our finch Daisy had died. Amber got him about 7 years ago on her birthday. She had him so tame he loved to sit on her while she did home work and stuff. She ended up being a really fun pet. This past year Marty took over caring for him. He felt like Amber was too busy and wasn't spending enough time with him. lol So Daisy lived on Marty's dresser and he talked to him everyday. The past month he has started to seem a bit out of sorts. We knew he was seeming a lot older and wasn't getting around as well but he would really perk up some days. This last week he slept a lot and stayed puffed up on his swing. This morning he was gone so we buried him under the Wisteria. It is in full bloom right now and that made us feel better. We are going to really miss that sweet little bird.

Amber is 18

2010-05-12T09:37:00.003-05:00

I can't believe Amber is 18. We didn't do a lot for her birthday on Monday. We got her a new phone. Zach picked up this cute cake for. He cooked Hamburgers and Amber made her favorite pasta salad. Then Luke called and she talked on the phone to him all night until she fell asleep and I had to go to work. Tuesday after school we sang to her and FINALLY took pictures and blew out the candles. She graduates from High School in a few weeks. So her month is going to be a fun one. :) HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETIE!!!

Mothers Day 2010

2010-05-11T18:14:00.005-05:00

On Saturday to celebrate Mothers Day Marty took me to dinner at the all you can eat Chinese place in Quincy and we went to see Iron Man 2. Sage and Zack went with us and it was lots of fun.
We also went to the store and got some tomato plants and some of those upside down grower thingy's. I have been dying to try them. Marty is going to make me some big yard hooks to hang them from but for now they are on my porch. Sage and Zack put them together for me and planted them. Amber sheered them on.

Marty finished my free deck for me!!!! Yay I love it. It has been ALMOST finished since last summer.
Marty bought me a fuchsia. :) I love it.
Zach and Sage bought me flowers.
Lacey cleaned my house so good I wanted to cry with happiness. I had a really awesome mothers day. I love my family sooooo much and I am really having a wonderful time having them all home and spending time together.

Racing the Wild Turkey

2010-05-07T10:00:00.004-05:00

The other day while I was driving my bus I looked over and flying right along side of me was a Turkey. It surprised me so much I squealed. It was keeping pace with me and it was huge! I have never seen so many wild turkeys in my life as I have seen since living in Nauvoo and since I started riding the bus I realize there are a lot more than I even imagined. Seeing this turkey flying along the road home from Warsaw was hilarious.
On a similar note. We have had a massive amount of Turkey buzzards around lately. I don't remember ever seeing so many. I almost hit one with my bus the other day. He was feasting on some juicy road kill and as he tried to take off to avoid me the wind was blowing so hard he looked like he was hovering right in my path. I had to stop to avoid hitting him. He was huge!

Saturday at the temple they were having trouble with 6 of these big birds perching on the tower. They had to turn up their "noise maker thingy" to try to scare them off but it took quite a while. We were up in the tower cleaning as it was the last day of shut down before the temple opened for the summer and it was really crazy hearing them scratching up on the dome and stuff. They finally flew off but it took a few hours to convince them it wasn't someplace they wanted to be.

On a final note.. Have you ever seen the Alfred Hitchcock movie "the Birds"? Ok I was at the school warming up my bus and I took this picture. I have never seen so many birds in my life at one time in one place. This picture does not even begin to show the magnitude of this experience. They would all land in the trees and you couldn't see them, but you could hear them and it was ear splitting. Then they would all take off, darken the sky. Do a little amazing choreography and land again. WOW!! Kinda creepy in a cool sort of way. I was glad I was "inside" my bus. :) Have a great day!

The l o n g e s t night

2010-05-06T17:27:00.003-05:00

Last night was the Warsaw High School Academic Awards night. We went. It was cool to see all the awards the kids got but it was hot and it took 3 hours. It was a l o n g night.

Amber's Senior Prom

2010-05-02T19:38:00.005-05:00

Saturday was Prom. All the girls met at our house to get ready. And I had to miss it this year. It was the very last day of shut down at the temple and we had 80 temple missionaries coming to help us get ready to open on Monday. I love my job and I am not trying to complain but I felt bad that I missed seeing the girls and their dates. Alexa Stouts mom took them out to get pictures. Sage helped Amber do her hair. YES!!! Sage is home for the summer! They went to Tiramisu in Quincy for dinner. I guess it is a pretty fancy place. Amber called us because she forgot her prom ticket. We, Marty, Sage, Zach, Lacey, Emeric (our french friend) and myself were just getting ready to go to Quincy so we took it to her. We went and saw "Clash of the Titans". I really liked it!

Amber and Amanda

Amber and Rhett Mason

I have to say I am so glad to have all my girls home. They are such good friends. We laugh and talk and just really enjoy each other. It was an amazing weekend. A busy weekend but full of memories and fun. I think I am cherishing each moment more because as the girls get older it is going to be harder and harder to get together as a family. I love my family. I am so grateful for each of them and the love and respect we have for each other. We are truly blessed.

A fun weekend in Nauvoo

2010-04-25T19:30:00.003-05:00

My brother Thad came out for the weekend. The Air Force has him studying in Ohio right now so he decided to drive down for a visit. We got to go and see Uncle Lynn and Aunt Sharon at "Rendezvous". They have been doing it so long now I think they have become one of the best casts we have ever seen. We had a great time.
We went over to Sylvia's restaurant "McKee's". She just opened this week and the food is amazing. She was opened at Annie's Custard shop all winter and everyone loved her food so now she has opened her own place right across the street from the Allyn House on mulholland street in Nauvoo. We had the "Porter Rockwell" sandwich. It is the best sandwich I have EVER had!!
It was a lot of fun seeing everyone. The place seems to be a real hit. I hope they do well. They sure work hard at it. I am impressed that everything they cook there is from scratch and all of her soups are gluten free and I guess she makes an amazing vegetarian sandwich too.
We ran into the Hardles there. They are the owners of the Nauvoo Log cabins. Lori loves the fettuccine and the Nauvoo bread.
We also went to Lacey's Track meet. She took 3rd place in the 1600 meters. It rained lightly all morning and then it poured all afternoon. It didn't matter though. We had a great time. Thad hung out with the girls and talked and talked. They had such a great time. He went home today and we were all really sorry to see him go. He is a pretty cool uncle.

The temple is closed this week and next for maintenance. They are replacing some of the carpets and we are resurfacing some of the marble. I love working through shut down but I will be really happy when the temple opens again.

Freebies!!

2010-04-19T11:01:00.002-05:00

I have been such a slacker with my blog that I have decided to reward my loyal readers. :) Yes I am going to give away some more of my earrings. Why? Because I love making them so much, I love you guys and everyone loves a freebie.

Seriously I have made hundreds of earrings. They sell really well in town. I only charge $3 a pair and tourists love "handmade in Nauvoo" gifts. Helen has them at her custard shop and now Sylvia will be selling them at her restaraunt, which by the way is opening today!! She has it decorated so cute. I will go take pictures and blog them this week.

Ok so the deal is you have to comment so I know who is reading after all my down time. Then you have to give me an idea of what color or type of earring you would prefer. and then email me your address. Don't assume I have it because I don't want to have to go looking for my address book. I am so lazy! lol Oh and I don't have to know you and you can live anywhere. I think it would be cool to get to send some of my earrings overseas. I am hoping I haven't lost all of my readers. I promise I will do better at keeping you up to date on our little corner of the world.

Thanks again for being interested!
Love ya!!

It has been way too long.

2010-04-18T20:00:00.006-05:00

(Way mixed up pictures but hey!! I posted.)

Wow! I have really been a slacker.
I now work at the temple full time nights from 7pm to 3:30am. I drive the bus too. My bus route has changed from the Nauvoo route to the High School route. I am amazed how much I really enjoy it. I have to be careful to get enough sleep but when I do my weeks are great and they go so fast it is amazing. Then because my weeks fly by so fast my weekends drag by so slowly it feels like a huge reward for my busy week. I will never complain I have two of the best jobs I could imagine. I miss my daycare kids sometimes but the kids on the bus keep me happy.

We just met a lady from Monmouth Illinois who is a member of the church. She was Bryce Capeners Young women leader. She is a host mom for foreign exchange students. She brought her 2 boys, Dennis from Germany and Emeric from France, and another boy Maz from Germany who was staying with her for the weekend. We had a great time visiting with them and invited them to come and stay the following weekend so Suzanne could spend time with their daughter. Bryce and Amber went with Suzanne and the boys to pick up her daughter. They had a fun day in Chicago and then came and spent a day here in Nauvoo with us. Emeric came back the following week and went to church with us and to Super Saturday with Lacey. They are such nice boys and so respectful.

This weekend I drove the girls to Columbia Missouri to Mormon Prom. The girls were so cute and had such a great time. They really set an example of what a Dance should be like. They danced with everyone under the sun. They laughed and visited and really made everyone feel good. I was so proud. Both Lacey and Amber are like that at every dance. They just want to have fun and they do. I hope I get to take Lacey next year when she is old enough.

As most of you know Amber is graduating in May. She had all sorts of plans all based around Luke Turner and his return from his Mission. Well due to health problems Luke has been given a full honorable release due to some pretty serious medical problems with his ability to be on his feet for long periods of time. Well this is changing things so stay tuned for more of this story....

Sage and Zachary came out in March for a visit. They got to see Amber's play. Amber was in the musical "Thoroughly Modern Millie" It was AMAZING. Wow that girl can really sing. The files are all to big or I would have posted them for everyone to hear. Well Zach and Sage were able to be here. They are coming back the end of April to spend the summer working and saving money for school next year. We are thrilled. Everyone will be home for Ambers graduation and everything will feel normal for a while then our house is going to get pretty empty so...we decided to host a foreign exchange student. Yep. So far it looks like it will be a 15 year old girl from Brazil. :) We are all just wondering how that happened but it feels good and we have room and Lacey will have a friend and the other girls who have stayed with us briefly didn't seem harmed by the experience. lol

There is probably a million things that I should post but this is what is on my mind right now. Life is good everyone is busy and happy. Amber is franticly getting ready for graduation and her future. Lacey is running track and getting ready to start drivers ed the first few weeks of summer vacation. Marty just finished a side job, hanging Sheetrock and texturing the walls of a house in Montrose, Iowa. He is also working on getting mom's tile floor finished. :) whew!!