There's a First Time for Everything

It's no secret that JoAnn and I have a lot of fun together. We enjoy getting out and going places, although over the last 8 months that has been severely curtailed. We used to enjoy a Saturday afternoon drive in the country in Indiana. It was quiet, we could enjoy the beauty of the midwest, and most important we are together and can talk, listen, or just watch. It's more about being together and away from home then anything else. They have become an important part of our life. After the kids left we used to take spring breaks without them and go down into Tennessee and Kentucky and stay in their state parks, explore the countryside, and of course just relax. In recent years we have had fewer of those as we have moved closer to our children. Las Vegas doesn't afford a lot of quiet country driving, although we have a few places we do enjoy, and we seem to spend more time going to see our children or having them come see us. We love having them and visiting them. But we still need our time away from the day to day activities of home.

On Monday we dropped the Iowa McLean's off at the airport (not quite a "drop off" but that's another story) and headed up for a bed and breakfast in St. George. We have driven by St. George so many times, but never really spent any time there. We each took our books along to read, got on the internet and found the quilt stores, and made reservations at a historic and delightful B&B.

It was dark when we arrived on Monday so we went out for dinner, came back, read for a couple of hours and then got a good nights sleep. Tuesday we had a full day of quilt stores, historic sites, the St. George Temple, and a little television in our room. At about 9 pm JoAnn said she was really tired, we turned off the lights and went to bed. You guys know we hardly ever go to bed at the same time. I'm early and she is late. As we laid there I started telling her about the book I was reading and how enjoyable it was. We talked back and forth for a few minutes and then I went into a monolog story. I was quite happy just sharing the story when I realized I might be talking to myself. It was dark so I couldn't look into JoAnn's eyes. I stopped and asked, "JoAnn are you awake?" Not once, but 3 times (I've always been a little slow). Then I listened, and sure enough, there was that unmistakable purr of JoAnn when she is fully asleep.

I've put students, children, and grandchildren to sleep before, but never my wife. I guess there's a first time for everything.

Wordless Wednesday - Conductor Time

Christmas Day

Families are up early. Children look with excitement at their stockings and all the presents under the tree. Families gather to spend time together in reflection of the season, to share joy, and to build strength and love. When families cannot gather they can text with each other, send photos over the internet, talk via telephone and other devices. Christmas is about love and nothing expresses the meaning of Christmas more than families sharing together the love they have one for another.

Today we have heard from most of our families via text messaging, telephone, or email - not to mention a blog or two. We wish we could have all of our family around us each Christmas, but that is not so easy. We have discovered we need to develop our own family traditions - sometimes by ourselves, sometimes with extended family, and sometimes all together.

Whatever we do we cannot forget the reason for Christmas. It was God's greatest gift to all of us - his Son. In addition to giving it should be a time for reflection and an opportunity for us to give thanks for all that He has done for us. So, as we ponder on Christmas this season let us not forget Christ. And in Christ we find our families.

In honor of Christmas 2010 and Christmases past I share a few photos from our collection.

Christmas 1981 - Ames, Iowa

Christmas 2010 - Las Vegas, NV

Christmas 1957 - Des Moines, IA

Christmas 2006 - Spanish Fork, UT

Christmas 2006 - Spanish Fork, UT

Christmas 2008 - Des Moines, IA

Christmas 2009 - Boise, ID (Just a little early)

Christmas 1955, Anderson Air Force Base, Guam

Hawk Sighting...

It's not often I write 2 blogs in one day and these 2 are almost 8 hours apart, so it could be two days - dawn and dusk?

This morning Tim, Joshua, and I went out to Calico Basin in the Red Rock Conservation Area for a little walk. Calico Basin is about a mile before the main entrance to Red Rock and a smidgen off the beaten path. You walk up a ramp that cuts back on itself several time until you get to the plateau. The ramp links to a boardwalk that extends around the perimeter of Calico Basin and keeps people out of the spring and field that is downstream. It is up against the mountain and there are many rocks of large size. As I've said before, it is one of JoAnn and my favorite spots for an afternoon or morning walk.

We got to the top and were just starting to walk around. Joshua was absolutely excited, climbed down from his dad's shoulders and started to troop off. Just as that was happening we saw a disturbance on the far side of the meadow. It was a large bird extending its wings to get into the air. It flew a short distance landed, surveyed its area, and took off again landing on a larger rock close by.

I looked at it, could see it clearly, and quickly determined it was an eagle. Upon review of my photos I determined it was too small for an eagle, but certainly fit the hawk size. From afar it flew, but as we got closer it ignored us while it ate its breakfast. I cursed myself for leaving my telephoto lens in the car, but I wasn't going back for it. I didn't want to take a chance and have the hawk leave. I shouldn't have worried. When we left the hawk was still there and probably taunting us. As I said, were not sure what kind of hawk it was, but suspect it was either a Red Tail hawk or a Swainson's hawk. Bottom line - it was fun for Tim and I to see it. Joshua was a little busy running ahead to spend much time worrying about a hawk.

We were out early enough to catch the morning dew and frost, which we almost never have in southern Nevada. But, after 5 days of rain it was humid this morning. As you can see from the following photo, it made for a beautiful photo of Tim and Joshua as they worked their way down the west side of the boardwalk. Click on the photo to see the larger size.

The morning just confirmed how much fun it is to go for a walk on a beautiful Christmas Eve morning in Las Vegas and bond.

A Day at the Park

It finally quit raining in Las Vegas. Normally we would say that after a 30 minute rain, but 5 days of rain is unheard of in Las Vegas. We have green popping up in all of the wrong places. The end of the rain also meant that we could get out to the park with Joshua who brought his parents along from Iowa for a Winter Solstice. It was an absolutely busy day at the park as Joshua discovered lots of new play devices and in the meantime wore all of us out.

Josh made his first slide attempt down the vaulted locomotive slide and while he thought it was cool, when he got to the bottom he saw a mountain of slides and one in particular caught his fancy. He quickly decided that this little slide was for beginners - and he is no beginner.

So, with a little help from Mom and Dad he was off to the big slide. To get to the slide, however, he first had to cross the trembling bridge, which required the help of Mom. This was the first crossing and he progressively got bolder as he crossed it time and time again.

The first time down the slide was a real rush as he came out headfirst, but quickly, as any real boy, recovered, sat up and said, "Wow, let's do that again, and again, and again."

Tim quickly figured out that the slide looked like a lot of fun, so he said to Joshua, "Let's go buddy!" and off they went to do the slide a few more times. Of course the device is "age appropriate" and Tim was doubled over,  just getting to the slide, but it was worth the view (at least from us spectators).

Once the slide became busy with older boys and Josh saw the swing was open he conned his grandma into doing a little pushing.

After we got home everyone left - Grandma to the Temple, Mom and Dad to the basketball game and dinner, and Grandpa and Josh had a Thomas the Tank movie festival. As the evening wore on he became more relaxed and just before bed he resorted to the prone position for watching Grandpa's iPad and Thomas the Tank.

Many thanks to Lonita for the excellent editing.

Wordless Wednesday - Happy Birthday Calvin!

A Las Vegas Fall

This is our fourth fall in Las Vegas, and our most unusual. Of course as I write this most of the places where our family lives is in a deep freeze or has snow, but nonetheless, I find this fall, or what locals call winter, to be different. To begin with, over Thanksgiving we uncharacteristically had the coldest weather since we arrived, and that counts the snow we received during the first two years. We lost several plants outside during Thanksgiving week. It was more Idaho weather than Las Vegas weather.

Since then the weather has been great, yet now we find ourselves in the midst of a 5-day rainstorm. It has people all over the valley scratching their heads. It's more like an Indiana fall than a Las Vegas winter. People are scrambling to find those long lost umbrellas and discovering they can't find them.

The prettiest part of this winter is the leaves that are falling. It seems our Thanksgiving cold snap has caused the leaves to drop in numbers we haven't seen since we arrived. It does remind me of the Midwest. I even went out and took photos. Before the rain began I even enjoyed walking through the leaves and causing a rustle. One day as JoAnn and I were driving by our local park we saw a couple of small boys jumping up and down in a leaf pile their dad's had made. On the downside, no one has a clue how to remove leaves efficiently.

I took this photo at our local park on Saturday while
JoAnn and I were out for a walk. It was a dry moment.

Yes, we do get fall in Las Vegas! And yes, here we call that winter. It's not over and we may even get a little snow this year. However, that idea strikes fear into the heart of all of us.

Have a Merry Christmas you snow dwellers!

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Birthday Krissie

Happy Birthday youngest daughter. You have brought a lot of light into our family and we love you for that. It seems like you are always at the center - but that happens a lot when you are the youngest. Have a GREAT Birthday.

Wordless Wednesday

November Reflections

I was reading some Robert Frost poetry this morning and "My November Guest" reminded me of our falls in Indiana. The poem is from his 1915 book, "A Boy's Will." I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

My November Guest

MY Sorrow, when she's here with me,
  Thinks these dark days of autumn rain
Are beautiful as days can be;
She loves the bare, the withered tree;
  She walks the sodden pasture lane.

Her pleasure will not let me stay.
  She talks and I am fain to list:
She's glad the birds are gone away,
She's glad her simple worsted gray
  Is silver now with clinging mist.

The desolate, deserted trees,
  The faded earth, the heavy sky,
The beauties she so truly sees,
She thinks I have no eye for these,
  And vexes me for reason why.

Not yesterday I learned to know
  The love of bare November days
Before the coming of the snow,
But it were vain to tell her so,
  And they are better for her praise.

Wordless Wednesday

Birthday Doll 

Pulling the Train Whistle

Teasing the Cat