OF SNOW, RAINBOWS, & MIRACLE GIRLS

     Catch up time.  I'm genealogied out!  Attended TWO confereces in February.  The Roots Tech Conference in S.L.  (Who in their right mind schedules a conference in S.L. in the WINTER???  It was freezing the whole time and I was sick as a dog!).   This conference was where the techy geeks reuned with the genealogists to make programs work and let us know that life as we have known it will only get smaller, more handheld, and more portable.   Amazing stuff in the works technologically!

     The last weekend of February found Victor and me in St. George at the Family History Expo.  Rainy there, but a conference I could follow a little better.   There is nothing quite like going to a conference to show you how little you REALLY know about your favorite hobby!  The bonus was visiting with great friends and family at the end of each day's sessions.   Spent a couple of delightful hours over taco salad with Colleen's mom and stepdad, Sandra and Larry Wright, met with Victor's cousin Shawna Poulton and her husband Mark for some genealogy and catch up chat, stayed with my former missionary companion Bindy Boylin and marveled again at how frugally she lives and how actively she stays close to the hobbies that she loves.   Also got to visit with Chilean mission friends Arnold and Diane Wagner down from Salt Lake along with Richard and Carolyn Wilson who live in St. George.   Victor and Richard got to compare "Bishop of Hispanic Wards" stories since Richard has also been given that calling there in St. George.

     Left early Sunday morning to head up to Twin Falls to spend the week with Nathan and Colleen and their miracle girls whom we haven't seen since Thanksgiving.   What we didn't expect was the huge-o, thick-o snow storm we would get to drive thru in Southern Utah.  Any thoughts of making a side trip up to the cabin to check things out were quickly abandoned when we couldn't even SEE the mountain from the streets of Cedar City.  Fortunately the roads were in pretty good shape, but it was an amazing winter experience for this time of year.  The snow also reached into St. George, thru the Gorge and into Nevada!


You can't tell it very well, but that is a freeing statue in the lower right corner with 8 inches of snow on her head!

     Weather was not much improved in Twin Falls.  VERY cold and snowy, rainy most of the time.  We had a great visit.  Our purpose was to come early so that 1 yr. old Tara would get used to us so that later in the week her mommy and daddy could take off for Sun Valley for a Continuing Legal Education Conference while we stayed with the girls.   It was a successful couple of days.  Tara has finally accepted us into her life and loves do her puzzles and read books.  Loved being with the girls.  They have grown up so much since last year.  N & C had a great couple of days away and we loved being with them as always  (and shopping at my two favorite stores that LV doesn't have:  Grocery Outlet and WinCo!!!)



Tara doing her favorite thing - climbing onto the table.

Amaya showing Tara how to eat a snowman

Noelle doing the "cute face" all the girls have learned for posing!

In an effort to do fun Grandma things with the girls and to surprise Mom and Dad for St. Patrick's day we made awesome rainbow cupcakes.  You should try it!  Am not sure what all the colored dye does to one's digestive system but it is pretty fun.  (White cake mix made to box specifications, divided into 6 bowls and mixed with food coloring.   The neon colors seem to work the best).  The trick is helping little hands blop in the colors and not have streeks all over their clothes, faces and the muffin tins!   I repeated the project back home in Vegas with Audrey whom we hadn't seen in several weeks.   She was interested, but happiest when she could lick the dishes!

Every cupcake comes out with a unique pattern. 

Most of them got eaten without frosting, but I'm sure you could be pretty creative there too!

From Twin we went on to Boise to spend a few days with my step-mom.  At 92 she is in remarkable health even though she has a few issues that get to her from time to time.  Did some genealogy together and got to participate in another sealing session (did one in Twin Falls too) which resulted in my completing the work for about 60 individuals that have been sitting at my house for almost a year!   Felt very good to have that work finished.

I like family time.  Had hoped to take Mildred on a trip later in April up to see the Tulip displays in Oregon or Washington, but since the price of gas jumped 40 cents per gallon (!!!) in the time we were gone we decided we just couldn't afford it this year in the wake of two other trips already taken.   We'll see what the rest of the summer brings.