Monday, December 29, 2008

Good Bye '08...Hello '09



I am so ready for 2008 to be over...

2008 started out OK, we were all really busy with church, work, and life in general. In May, we were surprised to find ourselves moving, adjusting to a new ward and stake and callings. Sad to leave the Ogden house, but wisely downsizing.


The whole election/economy/war and rumors of war thing is a little depressing, although San Antonio does indeed prove itself to be recession proof, and that is a blessing.


We were able to travel a lot, to graduations (Chip and Kim) and birthday parties

(Ethan and Riley)

and baby blessings

(Emerson)


and even just for fun (Karen's family in Denver and a CRUISE). And Russell and Lindsay and Calvin came to see us over the summer.

The family has been super busy...

Kelly is expecting #4 in May, John continues to work hard at school, Katy's Dan has a new job in KS and the family moved there over Christmas. Katy is still an involuntary philanthropist...donating to lawyers and now, apparently, Walmart indigents.
Chip and Deb closed on a new house in WA to bring their third boy home to in February. Russ sends good news home from his first year in Medical School in AZ (he likes it, hopefully Lindsay and Calvin do, too)...and he diagnoses us long distance. Their new baby is due around May as well. Kyle moved to Seattle and begins the application process for graduate school, (hope she picks UTSA, no pressure) while she works as a special education teacher with a little boy who really knocks her out (literally, ask her). Kim and Mike and Rusty, their horse are moving back to SA, hooray!!! Kim interviews this week at several hospitals and Mike will go to UTSA for his Construction Management or Structural Engineering degree. HAL and Reese keep things interesting. HAL got to see snow on a surprise trip to UT and kept Kim company on the drive home to TX and Reese started his first job at "Order Up". http://www.orderup-sa.com/ Good thing...he owes me money.
They are in a play at school called "Into the Woods" in late Jan. Come see it!
December brought some surprises for Rod
(the scary kind, and also the all's well that ends well kind.)

As the year winds down, it is nice to look back on all the amazing things it has taught us and look ahead to the wonderful opportunities 2009 holds. (think positive).

The Young Women's Theme has added Virtue, I am surprised it has not always been a part of the theme, it is a perfect addition. Sis. Dalton has some scriptural advice for us...
“Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly." “Cleave unto [your] covenants.” “Stand … in holy places.” “Lay aside the things of [the] world.” “Believe that ye must repent.” ,“Always remember him and keep his commandments.” And “if there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, … seek after these things.” Now more than ever before, it is time to respond to Moroni’s call to “awake, and arise” and to “lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.”
"I believe one virtuous young woman led by the Spirit can change the world." (Sis D.)
The 2009 Mutual Theme is:
"Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12).
Here's hoping a bright and glorious 2009 for us all!!!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Cruise News and the blues...

Kim and Mike treated us to a cruise! We set sail from Tampa on the 30th of November. Our ports were; The Grand Caymans, Cozumel, Belize, and Isla de Roatan. The seas were very rough the first two days...so rough that we missed our first port call to the Caymans
and swimming with the stingrays, drat. (didn't one of those kill the Crocodile Hunter?) Rod and I were very proud that we didn't have any sea-sickness despite the 9-12 foot swells and we actually enjoyed watching the horizon go up and down and the whitecaps smashing into the wake of the ship. Pride goeth before the fall...but more on that later.


Rod and I look pretty steady here in front of the "Legend".

Kim loves Mike! He should have entered the hairy chest contest...

We dressed up and went dancin'. The bands and orchestra were awesome! (they didn't know too many two-steppin' songs...)

Kim went on a Push, Pull, Swim w/ Dolphins at Chankanaab in Cozumel. We enjoyed the beach and snorkeling. The water really is this blue, this is the ocean, not a tank.

Kim enjoys the warm weather...it was about 30 degrees in Provo.

The pool and hot tubs on ship were very popular. When the sea was rough, they really were wave pools.

Kim relaxes on her own balcony.

Kim in front of a Mayan ruin at Altun Ha.

Sailing away from Isla de Roatan, Honduras.

Mayan Ruins at Altun Ha, Belize

I think that's Kim and Mike at the top.

A street view of Isla de Roatan in the Honduras. You can't see the little boys who became our "guides". It took a few packs of gum and a lot of ignoring to get them to go away.

Kim and Mike on dress up night.

Rod and Karen dress up too.

He made this ice sculpture of an angel fish in the coral in about 15 minutes. It went from 300 lbs to 150 lbs.


Kim and the local wildlife...I'm sure this was our lunch later in Altun Ha.

Kim and Mike...still with the pearls...

Dad loved the spacious accommodations...

I thought the cemetary was very nice...

Kim tried to get away from the "corn hole " competition...

And Mike and I are the grand champions...and we have the trophy to prove it...maybe Santa will bring us a "corn hole"...

How did this get in here?

The LDS meeting house in Belize...under lock and key.

Indiana Rod

On the beach at Chakanab.

"They want us to climb up what...?"

And so we come to the end of our fabulous cruise to the exotic Western Caribbean. When we got home, we were understandably tired. Kelly brought the boys home and we crashed, needing to be at work bright and early next day. Then it hit...the world was still moving. And Rod and I began our next great adventure...Mal de Debarquement...such a pretty french name. Fortunately, we have no pictures because they would be too gross. Needless to say that the sea-sickness may have been a nice trade for what can hit you after 7 days on a rough sea when you hit, and I mean hit, dry land.


Until next post...I leave you shaky, but much better, thank you!
KarenR

Friday, December 12, 2008

New Look and Something to Look At

My daughter, Katy, is an expert blogger and she has set me up to blog away, as you can see. I am sure I will need some more tutoring, but this is the coolest way to share pictures, information and such, I can hardly stand it.

Katy is also very witty and somewhat verbose (in a good way). I am not so much, but I can see how sharing and rearranging on this thing could be pretty addicting. We'll see...let the blogging commence!
KarenR