Way past due for a blog?

Disney still rocks ! ! !

January

Started off the year with Pam’s daughter Leisha and family staying with us for the first week.

Their hometown in Arizona was –20°, but with the wind chill, it felt like -38°

Weather in Utah was cold, but not that cold !!!

Daughter Vanessa was in Utah and we were happy to attend her baby shower the last day of the month.

February

Pam and I were called to be Spanish Language Missionaries and now attend 

a Spanish speaking branch of the Church.

Our main focus will be teaching English to those that want to learn . . . in their homes.

We made a short four day trip to Arizona for the baptism of Kameryn and took Pam’s brother Jay with us.

I applied for Social security on birthday in Dec and this month got my first check !

Man, how old do I feel now ???

March

Lots of birthdays this month, 9 family members !

. . . and more snow !

Finally got one of my Christmas presents attached to the car !

April

We have a new grand daughter (#13 !)

Congrats to Rick and Vanessa on the birth of their daughter Bridgette Vera Zinke.

Oh  . . . and Bridgette has her own blog too ! ! !

This picture was taken later when they were in town.

And one more recent picture with her mother

I started treating some solar keratosis on my forehead  with Efudex

This stuff attacks the pre cancerous parts only and catches about 80%, so may be doing this again in a few years.

This picture is about 3 weeks into the program . . . ouch !

My skin was so dry and itchy and then my eyes started swelling up

May

Another trip to Arizona and then to Disneyland !

California Adventure is all torn up with construction of the entrance and the new “Cars Land”, but were able to get a great view of the spectacular  “World of color”

We also got passes to go on the new “Star Tours” three  days before the actual reopening.

We also had a great view standing on the bridge (above Pirates of the Caribbean) for “Fantasmic”

June

After Disneyland, we got to spend the night with Morgan and her family, plus a trip to the beach in Malibu !

Pam froze at the beach !

Finally (late because of the trip)  got the garden ready to plant !

Here are some sequence pictures.

Ready to plant !

Planted

Ready to harvest. Tomato plants at the back are about 5 feet tall !

Have been eating spinach, zucchini and first 2 tomatoes this week.

Peppers and tomatillos will be ready soon.

First good year for Concord grapes.

July

Leisha and  family were up for the 4th  and we had a great time at the

Provo “Freedom Festival” Balloon Fest, Fireworks and  Parade.

. . . and later that week a trip to the Zoo !

Parker, Leisha, Kameryn, BJ, Jackson, Addison and Kennedy at the balloons

One on the perks turning 62 last year was being able to get a lifetime pass to all National Parks (yep, $10.00)

So we used it and made a stop at Arches National Park in Utah on the way down to Arizona.

It was about 95° and we only made it through about 1/3 of the park.

Coming back on the way home it was 105° !

Spectacular would be an understatement !

above . . . World famous “Delicate Arch”  . . . a 3 mile round trip hike to get up close . . .

On the way home we did a little side trip (44 miles) to Needle Point Overlook of Canyonlands National Park

August

We have made a few trips to visit Pam’s father who is now at “Stonehenge” in Richfield about 100 mile trip, and the latest trip last week was for a family reunion at Pam’s brother’s home.

Pam’s dad still rockin’ on the harmonica at age 87 !

Funny thing that he has started doing lately . . . at the end of a song or the end of a sentence,

he will end it with the (Expedia) “dot com”

I’m working on a freestanding 12’x12’ pergola this summer and just finished digging the main post holes.

Finished project pictures next blog.

We have been blessed with a great summer (not so crazy hot . . . yet!)

and lots of spectacular thunderstorms and rain.

Oh  . . . and sunsets and rainbows like the pictures below.

Until the next posting !

(click on any picture for a larger size)

I started a part time job (20 hours a week)  the end of September working for Santaquin City. I do the custodian work for three buildings: The City Center (Old school building built in 1938), The Library (built 1901 as a church and restored a couple of years ago)  and the Public Safety building. (Fire Dept , Police and the Justice Court, (new building a couple of years ago) The 1.5 mile commute is great !

We had such a wonder garden and a great crop of tomatoes (picked over 60 pounds of green tomatoes and we ate them until Christmas, as the ripened up) There were too many to eat, so I thought it would be a great idea to make some ketchup. Wrong !!!!! It took 25 pounds of tomatoes and almost a day of cooking, seasoning, straining and more staining, more cooking to reduce and then canning for 1/2 hour ~ for a quart . . . yes, a quart of ketchup ! I figured that even with the free tomatoes, that quart probably cost me in time and labor $30.00 ! ! !

Fall weeds from the garden

I also entered a photography contest at the Utah County Photography & Digital Art show.

The one on the left (which I posted last blog) took 3rd place and won a cash award!  Almost enough to pay for the prints and framing ! ! !

Fall pictures in Payson Canyon

Fall flowers Provo

We made our second annual excursion to the Black Island Farm in Syracuse, UT and had a great day with Shane and Lori and grand-kids.

Went through a couple of corn mazes and we all got to pick out our own pumpkins in the pumpkins patch.

Jessie, Scotty, Jaida and Jorja

Scotty and Jorja in the Maze !

Halloween Flag

We traveled to Disneyland the week before Halloween and had a great time !

Some fabulous Disney pumpkin carving !

Kate on the Carousel

Morgan and Charlie

Was fun to meet up with Morgan at Disneyland with her two youngest. (Henry, the oldest was in school . . )

The California Adventure Park is having major renovations and new attractions coming in 2011 and 2012.

We able the see the new World of Color show on the lake. Will not post here, but if interested check it out on youtube.com

November I received the Employee of the Month from Santaquin City, so I guess they like what I do !

We traveled to St Johns, AZ for Thanksgiving and we left a day earlier than planned and were able to miss the blizzard of 2010 and also another storm on the way home.

Temperatures at the end of November were in the single digits and we had 15 days in December that never made it about freezing !

Christmas 2010

Pam’s family Christmas Party in Provo, and several are missing ! ! !

Dec 22 we had 22″ of snow ! ! !

BBQ and table on the deck

Snow blower doing it’s best on the driveway !

We celebrated Christmas with Pam’s children and grand-kids a few days after Christmas. Leisha and grand-kids drove up from AZ and Shane and Lori and grand-kids drove down from Clearfield. Had a great dinner and all had fun time opening all the presents.

Grandkids making “Build-a-Bear” they got as presents.

Me and Pam with the grand-kids.

We gave everyone microfiber blankets with their name embroidered. Only one missing in the picture is BJ and we are hoping to photoshop him in somehow !

We tried to do some sledding (a couple of runs !) while the kids were here, but it was just to cold. The high for that day was 18 degrees!

Only sad note over the holidays was the 4 alarm fire of the Provo Tabernacle on Dec 17th. Completely destroyed the roof and interior. Tabernacle was built-in the 1880′s

2011

Happy New Year !

On  1-11-11 and we were 1 degree for the low !

I need to back up a little in July and recount some summer activities.

We had our house number painted on the curb and then I added the mouse ears !

We also got a hummingbird feeder and that has been a great purchase.

I think we have at least 4 hummingbirds that we see each day.

They drain the feeder about every 3 days !

This one is cleared for landing !

They are territorial and will defend their area by making hi-pitched chipmunk sounds.

July 3-5 we went to the Freedom Festival in Provo and volunteered to help with the breakfast at the Hot Air Balloon field.  The weather was windy on the 3rd and this shot was made after the sun came up and they decided to fill the balloons.  Normally they would be up in the air before the sun comes over the mountains !

More about this photo later down  . .

Made another annual trip to the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake

Macaws

Ostrich

Fruit Bats

Do you think I like things that fly ? Well, the Ostrich is a bird, but doesn’t really fly !

Grandkids L-R  Kameryn, Addison and Parker at the Zoo

While they were here we also visited the water park in Payson a couple of times

I was listening to the 10:00 pm news and they reported a storm cell over American Fork, which is about 30 miles to the North of us  . . . so I went upstairs to the deck with tripod and camera in hand and got this picture after trying about 50 time exposures.  Mt Timpanogos Temple centered between the bolts !

The next morning I sent it to the weather girl on channel 2 and they ran this picture on the news during the weather report. Sweet !

Pam doing some go-carting in St Johns, AZ during our trip on July 24th

Heading towards Moab just out of Monticello on the way home

Posted this Wilson Arch earlier during the winter and this one now to show the relative size

Square Foot Gardening this past week. The tomato plants are almost 6 feet high !

Lavender in full bloom

Already harvesting Peppers (bell, Anaheim and jalapeno), zucchini, Roma tomatoes and sting beans.

I decided to enter three pictures  in the Utah County Fair photography competition at the last-minute.

The picture of the Hot Air Balloon took First Place and Best of Show in my category.

The other two (one of  the lightning bolt and another time-exposure of the Carousel at Disneyland) both took a second place!

Congratulations to Matt on the purchase of his first home.

We helped him move on one of the hottest days this year.

It is a beautiful townhouse end unit 3  levels in Saratoga Springs with great windows and  views.

This has been a great summer for weather.

Not to terribly hot (didn’t make it to 100! ) and lots of active thunderstorms, which have been absent the past few years.

Sunset from our deck.

The trip was extra windy and warm. Red dirt was blowing across the road and in  some areas almost like snow whiteout conditions.

Also his 14th birthday is Memorial day, but we will be traveling home on his birthday Monday and will be bringing back grandkids  . . . Kennedy and Bubbers.

A barn picture going through Monticello, UT on our way to Arizona

We ordered some dark chocolate bark (10 cubic yards !) for the front and backyards and as promised in the  last blog, updated pictures of the just planted and finished garden area.

Almost ready to plant

Planted !

Mickey Hill

Front Side

Front Street View

And just because Disney Rocks !

Rear deck of the Prius and Mickey Fuzzy Dice  . . . .

We were also glad to see and have Vanessa and Rick and Morgan, Chris and kids stay with us for a few days a couple of weeks ago and to celebrate Kate and Henry’s birthdays also !

Vanessa and Rick

Kate, Chris, Henry, Morgan and  Charlie

We went to my sister Diane’s for a BBQ a couple of weeks ago and when she opened the grill this is what she found !

Scenic Interstate 70 View  (all pictures are clickable for larger version)

Cold and rain/snow mix for the last week !

Between doing our  taxes and my mom’s estate taxes, selling her home, trips here and there, so many other things have happened these last few months and I’m finally getting around for an update/catch up.

Sadly, my sister Cheryl Lohrke Kolling passed away Feb 20th, two days before her 55th birthday

Started with a stroke around Thanksgiving.

She was buried close by in Santaquin, UT

We received the news from my sister Ellen, while we were at Disneyland  in line for “Peter Pan”

Kolling Family, Santaquin City Cemetery

Cheryl, we miss your smile !

* * * * * * *

The Disneyland trip (Feb 18-21) was eeeerrrrriiiiiieeee !

Check out the crowds  ! Fast pass not needed !!

Haunted Mansion

Splash Mountain

Loading dock,  Splash Mountain.

We loaded Splash Mountain and when we got back there was no one in line so we stayed seated and went again !

Train Station, New Orleans Square,  where is everyone ? ? ?

Time Exposure -  King Arthur Carousel

Met up with Morgan and the grand kids on Friday Feb 19, 2010

Morgan and Kate on Dumbo !

Henry, just waiting to be a Jedi !!!

* * * * * * *

We finally sold my mother’s home in Provo  (lost  $135,000.00,  ouch !), but glad that is finally settled !

Soooo many birthdays in the last two months !

So happy Birthday to: Ellen, Leisha, Annika, Vanessa, Diane, Rod, Jessie, Jorga, Jaida, Scott,  Pam, Morgan , Megan, and  Jay Jolley !

Probably forgot someone ?

* * * * *

Made a trip to Phoenix to see Parker compete in the Arizona State Spelling Bee.

A little side trip to beautiful Sedona, AZ

Parker Greer ended up 11th out of approx 100,000 students. Way to go Parker !

Leaving the Spelling Bee in Phoenix. beautiful warm weather.

* * * * *

Made a short trip last weekend to see the newest Cub Scout, Scott McClellan compete in his first Pine Derby.

* * * * *

We’ve been working on the yard and garden (weather permitting) and are anxious to get the veggies going !

First year for starting seedlings

I’ve been placing rocks and built another raised garden box.

Now getting ready to replace the old bark with new. We’ll need 11 cubic yards !

Finished garden project will be in the next Blog !

The trip down was uneventful and we were grateful for that.

Weather has been pleasant.

Today it was 64. Perfect for a car wash !

Today was the Apache County Spelling Bee and we arrived about a half hour early.

There were nine students competing and about that many alternates.

Parker did great and won again!

Second year in a row !!!!

Congratulations Parker !

He is now off to the Arizona State Spelling Bee to compete March 27th

Tomorrow we are off to Disneyland, about a 600 mile trip.

We’ll be back in town Sunday with more pictures of the trip !

Here are the latest pics of the Greer grand children.

Kennedy

Kennedy

Parker

Addison

Kameryn

Bubbers

Was cold (18) for most of the drive, but the roads were dry. It started snowing a little about 1/2 from our destination.

This is the wrapping aftermath !

Jackson and Addison (Kameryn missing!) making a birthday wish !

When we arrived Pam said “Do you know what we forgot ?”

Well . . . . we forgot all the birthdays presents !

This is where we spent most of our time . . . in front of the wood burning stove!

I cleaned the glass door and wha-lah! a mickey icon magically appeared !

Only in Arizona (on the reservation) will you see a sign like this !

We did stop in Chinle to do a mystery shop at the Grocery Store and felt a little out-of-place being the only white people shopping !

Scenics along the way . . .

Twin Sisters in Bluff, UT

The skies were clear and there were so many jets leaving contrails in the sky !

Wilson Arch near the "Hole in the Rock" Moab, UT

The trip home was uneventful, which is good  . . .  no deer in the headlights !

Now that Christmas is over . . . time to put up The Winter flag . . .

Jorja

Snow White says,

Happy New Year to all !

We just got back from Disneyland this week and had a wonderful trip.

We left Friday and one hour into the trip the outside temp was -8 degrees.

We decided to go on my birthday so I could get the  equivalent of a one day pass in a gift card.

We got rained out Saturday afternoon (Dec 12), but had pretty good weather the remainder.

We got to see the newest grandson Charlie and had a wonderful dinner and Christmas lights Sunday with Chris, Morgan and the grandkids.

Charlie has been to Disneyland three times and he is only 2 and 1/2 weeks old !!!!

Disneyland Main Entrance

Sleeping Beauty’s Castle all decked out

The Castle at night was spectacular !

Mickey and Goofy on Main Street

Snow falling in New Orleans Square !

It’s a Small World

Main Street USA

Merry Christmas to the Grand Children !

Jessie                               Jaida                                       Scott                                  Jorja

Henry                                                        Kate                                                    Charlie

Kennedy                  Parker                  Addison                   Kameryn               Jackson

View of our street from our front door Monday Dec 7,2009

View of the deck. Snowfall this morning ! with 5 more inches on the way !

Congratulations to our daughter Morgan and her family on the birth of #3 “Charlie”

the day before Thanksgiving (see her blog   morganmoore@typepad.com)

We are trying to dodge the storms so we can make a trip south to Disneyland this weekend for my free birthday @ Disneyland !

Haven’t been for the Christmas Season at Disneyland for a few years so we are looking forward to all the decorations.

Sleeping Beauty’s Castle decked out in Winter.

Small World Holiday Facts:

Crew of 20 work 17 days straight 10-12 hours a day just for the interior.

The facade is dressed in 50,000 lights in 6 colors + and additional 2,000 clear lights.

All that equals 350,000 Watts of Light !

+ an additional 150,000 mini lights are placed in the tress, hedges and topiaries!

OK, how many Disney ornaments can you find on our tree?