2015 ... time flies when we're having FUN!

In the last 2 years we have had so much to be busy at... and so very Thankful for everything the Lord has blessed us with. How to begin? We have watched and prayed from deep in our hearts for our grandson Austin on his mission in Idaho Pocatello  Mission. Our hearts swell with pride and love for him as we become weekly aware of his growth and hard work for our Savior and the Gospel.  He will be home in July of 2016.
We have been blessed this year with the birth of a new grand daughter born to Ashley and Sam on September  29. Skylar Jo Simons. Brad and Tiffany will celebrate birthday #2 with Adam in December.
We will be in our new home a year on December  19th. We have really enjoyed our home. 
Allen is happy with work at Redhawk. I have just been asked to come back part time at the Real Estate office.
We just celebrated our 40 th anniversary  by taking a British Isles Vacation. We loved it!
I will post pictures when I have got back home. We are in Las Vegas for the Rock n Roll half marathon 2015 .with Kourtney and the girls. This is Allen's 3rd run in Vegas. 

Hello to new "Adventures"

Allen has received a promotion, which brings us new beginnings and adventures in our life. He will be the Plant Manager at Red Hawk a gas and oil plant located near the Palo Verde Nuclear Plant. We have rented a home in the "Active Adult" community of Sundance which is located in Buckeye AZ. Allen started work on   Monday the 7th of October. We are sad to say good-bye to our beautiful Joseph City but hope to be back someday. We strongly feel that we have been sent here and will work hard to do what is required to serve here, and we know we and our family will be blessed for following the promptings of the Savior.

Our latest trip to Logan

Last Friday Allen and I went to Logan Utah to visit Blaine, Amy and Logan. It is an 11 hour drive and Allen had a eye dr. appt. at 7:45 so by 9:30 we were on our way. You loose an hour because they are on Day-light-savings-time, but you get it back on the drive home. We had missed a trip to Logan for the "Handcart Days" half- marathon because of the second surgery on Allen's eye and I had told Blaine we wanted to come to see the Brigham City Temple with them. we got our tickets for Saturday afternoon and saw such a pretty temple. It was about a two hour wait which was long for all the little kids waiting. Logan did remarkably well compared to others, and with the cookies at the end and a ride on the big bus he was content. When we got to the end I asked the man counting "How Many"? He told me I was number 10,032 and it was 4pm in the afternoon, WOW!

It seems to rain every time we go to Logan. And it was raining most of the whole weekend. Sunday we went to church, they have a very friendly ward. How about the picture of nap time for Allen and Blaine?

Amy is such a great cook and she always takes good care of us when were there. Sunday afternoon we drove on up to Kemmerer Wyoming , mostly to say we had been to Wyoming. Stopped at Bear lake on the way home for AWESOME Raspberry Shakes and good pizza. The canyon from Logan to Bear lake is so beautiful and because it was Labor day Weekend there was more traffic through it than when we drove through to Idaho the last time we went to visit. Logan is one of the prettiest places to go too! I envy Blaine and Amy living in such a beautiful place. We just wish it wasn't so far away.

Allen's two eye surgeries

Allen was suppose to have had routine cataract removal surgery in July (I know I'm a slow blogger) and by the next day his vision was 20/20. This was a Wednesday he was doing well and felt pretty good, so by Saturday morning he was ready to run, he ran about 7 miles that morning. By Tuesday of the next week he had a cloudy spot in his eye and black spots also. We back to the Dr. and they informed him he had detached his retna in his eye, and would have to have emergency surgery but we would have to to Mesa for this surgery. We went on Wednesday morning to Mesa and he had an exam by Dr. Graff. Yes he had a detached retna and they would do surgery the following morning. Because we live at a high elevation his option was to have oil put in his eye till it was healed and then another surgery to remove the oil in a few months. The worse part about this surgery is you have to hold your head down (as if saying prayers) for 24 hrs following , sleep on your stomach . This was very uncomfortable for him, but he's a trooper and kept that head bowed. Needless to say he had quite a neck ache after that 24 hr period. Also he wouldn't have hardly any vision through that eye till the oil was removed. Dr. Graff said it's like looking through a jar of salad oil. His vision was 400/20 at his post op. appointment. He will have the Oil removed the first week of October. Then they will remove the cataract in his left eye. And he won't run till they tell him he can this time.

Our life has been busy since we moved back home. We recently went on vacation to San Diego with Kourtney, Zach, Brigette,Tera, Sam, Ashley, and Austin.Allen and Kourtney were running the rock and roll half marathon. We went to Coronado Island to see the ocean, had a hard time finding it from where we were staying, Austin made the comment "why it was so hard to find something so big", Sam looked it up on his I-Phone and we were soon enjoying the beautiful pacific ocean and then on to the San Diego Petco park to watch them play the D-backs, we won 6-0 and had a great time. The next morning we went to the San Diego temple and could have stayed ALL day it is the prettiest temple we have been too, the second time we went to a Spanish session, Sam enjoyed that!

twice while driving to our destinations Allen turned into the MCRD they took his DL till he made his u-turn to get out. brought back amazing memories to tell Austin, (Austin wanted to take his picture on the lawn emblem in front but we didn't want the Marine's  to haul us all to the "brigade").She said his foot prints would cover the yellow ones that Jennifer held him on top of  over 15 years ago. We ate dinner that night in a little Italian restaurant, and invited a marine to eat dinner with us, and bragged on Austins dad and he also being a Marine.

Allen and Kourtney did good on their half-marathon and will receive an  additional medal for running three Rock and Roll half-marathons in a calender year, cool huh!!

There's no place like home...

We have been "transferred"!

Allen has received a job promotion to Production Manager and will be back at Cholla power plant. We are very excited to be going home, we love Joseph City and the great little town it is! When we drove down main street on Tuesday evening I wanted to honk the horn I was so happy to be home.

There are good memories to reflect upon from the 7 months we stayed in Mesa, Our time together was ours I didn't have to share Allen with cows or hay or the APS cell phone.

Along with Allen my friendship and love grew with the awesome time spent with my sister Diana, she is amazing, she helped find me a job came and supported me when I gave my lessons in Sunday school Gospel Principles and the time we spent going to Sonic oh the fun we had!! I will miss her the most when I reflect upon my time there. For I have followed my sweet husband home and I will follow him to the ends of the world.

Another sadness is we are far away from our Ashley and Sam, it was so nice to be two hours from them.

We also got to spend time with Blaine when he made a run to Phx. that was great!!

We were in a really great ward the Center Park Ward, everyone welcomed us with open arms and we enjoyed our time spent there.

We have seen many rainbows and our lives have been blessed abundantly while we were there. And we never know what the future holds for all of us.

Our Austin

This morning in Fast and Testimony meeting a man gave a quote that is written BOLDLY in my Sunday journal now
"We don't just believe in miracles, We rely upon them."
Through the power of the Priesthood and the faith, prayers and fasting of family, friends and even strangers our grandson Austin is alive and home again.
We are forever grateful for the tremendous blessings our Heavenly Father has given to Austin for his life,health and strength that He has restored.
Thankful for all the support and love that has been shown to our family. Thank you
We love and appreciate so very much what you have shared with us through this experience.

Oh the places we will see...

Allen is going to APS Corporate Headquarters for a year. His new job will begin July 11th. On my birthday we went to the Valley, he had a Peer Group meeting on Wednesday and we spent most of those tree days looking at places to rent for our year in the Valley of the SUN (hot weather!!!) Oh the places we saw, expensive and then places we didn't even get out of the car, just turned around in the parking lot and went to the next place.Allen wanted to live in downtown within walking distance for him to work, well there wasn't an apartment available at the "Met" till August, this is the place that his co-workers had suggested in their move to "Corporate"... so the next place had a one bedroom that the window faced a wall for almost $1,200 a month w/o utilities.. so Allen said we could look in Mesa close to the 202 and see if we could find anything less than that... We have rented a condo in Mesa and it is quite, off the beaten path and even next to a corn field! We are a bit overwhelmed by this latest challenge in our lives; the hour is fast approaching to our arrival and the boxes are slowly getting packed. We will return often to JC and take grandkids for a stay. I use to tell Allen I wanted to go back to Mesa but came to the conclusion it wasn't going to happen; and our lives and hearts have grown around this little bit of heaven that we love so much, the people make this town the place you want to live we have been so blessed to live here and raise our family here and I have never regretted that choice to live here. So now we will get to have a different adventure in our lives... till the next post

Out and About

We have been on a few trips lately , of course to the valley for Allen and work. Then on the 19th we headed up to Logan Utah to spend the weekend with Blaine, Amy and Logan. we always enjoy the time we spend together and it's even better when we are spending time with our family! It is an 11 hour drive and we planned on going to "Black and White Days" in the town of Richmond, but there is a disease with the horses in Utah so any event they had with horses was cancelled, it rained alot while we were there but we drove up to Bear Lake and then up and around through Preston Idaho and back down to Logan. It is some of the prettiest country around, it's so green, and still alot of snow on the mountains. We stayed till Sunday morning and then headed for home with a side trip to Hurricane to visit my Aunt Evalyn, and family. It was fun! On monday we were home and I was busy getting Allen and I ready for a trip to San Antonio Texas on tuesday, as he had a conference for work to attend. We flew out of Sky Harbor in Phx. for a two hr. flight. Our hotel was really nice The Valencia Riverwalk in downtown San Antonio. about 5 blocks to the Alamo and all kinds of shopping, yeehaw!! We enjoyed every bit of the trip except the HUMIDITY...yuch :( why fix your hair? Allen didn't have this problem with his hair;)We flew home Friday afternoon and then Allen had a meeting with the boss at "Corporate" in phx, so by the time that was over and we finally had dinner at "The Keg" (Tempe marketplace) awesome food!! We were so tired we stayed the night at our favorite Hyatt Place in Mesa and headed home saturday morning. We had a bit of jet lag needless to say. but it was worth it, we'd do it again in a heartbeat, I love spending time with Allen~ he's the best.

Two "New" additions to...

First we got a puppy she is a "shorkie" half shih tzu and half Yorkie she is a toy and will be 4 months old on the 4 of may, everyone just loves her and she has become a favorite of the grandkids. Her name is Coco because her face looked like it was dipped in chocolate.
Then our next addition is the truck GMC sierra slt 4x4 diesel. We love it, we sold the Tahoe which we had bought new in June 2003 it had been a good SUV but I was ready for a change-- When we bought the Tahoe, Allen had tried to convince me to get a truck then but I thought we needed the extra seat and room since we still had the last two girls at home so we went from a Suburban to a Tahoe. And since I don't like going places in Allen's truck (a cowboy truck for sure!)We bought a new truck for the empty nesters! We both like it and yes I know I'm spoiled but isn't that what wives are for is to spend money on? Allen is just the best, and I love him sooo much :)


*definition of a cowboy truck:
always dirty inside and out, full of hay , manure on the wheels, no air conditioning, and when you sit on the seat you get hay & dust on your britches!

page two: Our House...

another page to copy and add to your scrapbooks. We built our home in the year 1978, in fact Boyd Westover poured the basement floor the morning Blaine was being born and we moved into the home right before halloween. Allen built it himself and we loved the 23 years we spent in it. Keate Despain did the block work on the basement walls and we contracted out the plumbing, electrical & heating, drywall. The rest we did ourselves quite an accomplishment for a 20 year old. We all have such good memories of the house that Allen built his family.

The House that Allen Built

I told the girls I would post pictures of our home on 3rd in Joseph City. I have some others and will post in a day or two.

Two more birthdays to add...

Two little boys in our family are getting to celebrate birthday's this month Logan has turned three on monday, with Mason turning 5 (wow time flies) on the 25th. These litl' guys add the sunshine to our days, grandkids are the best, and we have some of the most amazing ones in our family! love you both, Logan and Mason, Happy Birthday to you both we love you sooo much!

our litl' Ashley is...

How blessed our family has been because of her, she is what every parent dreams their daughter will grow up to be;lovable, talented, and just fun to be around all the time.In the three years before she was born I was experiencing the hardest trial of my life with the loss of my mother, life is hard without your mother around and death is such a hard experience to go through it takes along time to get through it, I had Allen and I had my children and that helped me each day, and the knowledge that I would see my mother again was always comforting. But that sorrow in my heart was lightened beyond my comprehension when on March 1st 1990 I gave birth to Ashley Lois. She has so many things about her that just brighten your day and add sunshine to your soul. Thank-you my sweet Ashley Lois for choosing me to be your mother. I know your grandmother Lois was there beside you teaching you, and she has shown you that she is always close to you.
I have been so richly blessed by my children and the happiness they have brought to me each and everyday, I am very proud of each of them, and love them so very much! Happy Birthday Ashley, you were definitely worth waiting for.

The House I grew up in...

My children always think it's funny when the question is asked, "Where did you grow up"? And my answer is Mesa Arizona! my family moved to Joseph City when I was a sophmore in high school, if I wanted to go back to the house that holds my childhood memories it would be our home in Mesa, 1532 West 7th Avenue. My memories are of walking 5 houses to the corner to school, riding my bike to the corner of longmore and broadway to the U-Totem for some candy bought with a quarter or some pop bottles turned in for the deposit back and more money for candy, Yeah!!! Spending saturdays at my grandparents with uncles, aunts, and cousins. The ward we were in was Alma Second, in the Mesa Stake, swimming at carson jr. high in the summer, movies at the theater on saturday afternoon when our chores were done, all those walt disney movies through the 60's, WOW, what memories. Ever so often through the years I like to drive by the house that I grew up in, it still is about the best cared for home on the block and i have shown the house to my children, I reflect on happy memories I'm not one to remember the bad, the Lord has blessed me in that respective I remember only good times, and how richly blessed I was to be raised by such good parents, and a loving brother and sister to share those memories with me. I love the song that Miranda Lambert sings... "The House that Built Me"I know they say you can’t go home again
I just had to come back one last time
Ma’am I know you don’t know me from Adam
But these handprints on the front steps are mine

Up those stairs in that little back bedroom
Is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar
I bet you didn’t know under that live oak
My favorite dog is buried in the yard

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself
If I could walk around I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me

Mama cut out pictures of houses for years
From Better Homes and Gardens magazine
Plans were drawn and concrete poured
Nail by nail and board by board
Daddy gave life to mama’s dream

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself
If I could walk around in I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me

You leave home and you move on and you do the best you can
I got lost in this old world and forgot who I am

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself
If I walk around I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me.

Our Boy's Birthday is

HeRe!!!We love him so much, he is such a kind, loving man, a good father. Words can't begin to express our love for this gentle giant of a man. Our prayers and desires for him are daily expressed, we love him and want only for him to have the righteous desires of his heart. He has an adorable little boy and a wife that cares and loves them both. He loves family, home and friends, and loyal through and through to you if you are part of that circle you have a friend forever! He loves his heritage and the little town he was raised in, we are sad that he is not close, but always close to our heart and thoughts each day. May this year bring you the desires of your heart and all that will bring you happiness. Again, we love you Blaine and are so very thankful that you chose us for your family. Love you forever and ever....

3 birthdays wishes 4...

Three special people have had birthday's Tera turned two even though when you ask her she says three, she's such a cutie! Tanner turned 8 and was baptized on his birthday by his dad, it was such a special occasion and the spirit so strong we are very proud of him and the choices he makes in his life, he is a good brother and very tender hearted. Our newest member of our family is Sam we are so very proud of him and the choices he has made in his life, too! He fits right in with the family and so easy to love, welcome to our family Sam, and thank you for loving our Ashley so much!!we love you all so much and hope you all had "HAPPY BIRTHDAY'S!!!

Listen to blog love songs

ramblings of Terri Alice...

Every year I love having my Christmas tree up, from the moment it's completely decorated until its ready to put away the Lights stay on. I've always told my children and now grandchildren that the lights remind us of "The Light of Christ". You know I would never want the light of Christ to go out or even dim, especially when we are celebrating the birth of our Savior, in my own life or those who I love and care for.
I enjoy each ornament and the memories and symbols they represent in our families life. It is such a pretty tree all decorated, and when we put it up each year we reminisce of Christmas' past of childhood long ago, with mom and dad and Layne & Diana, and my Mesa family, Christmas has always been good to me if I had any bad ones they no longer exist in my mind, isn't time great that way. We always had such good Christmas' with our children when they were growing up, thanks to a Christmas Club we belonged to at our credit union there was always money put aside each year for Christmas. And, needless to say they always got what they asked for, no regrets there either!
Each Christmas is special because of Christ and the gifts he has given each of us. We know we can never repay what we have been given from Him, but we can try each and everyday to live the kind of life that our Father in heaven and Jesus want us to live. I am grateful that Christmas brings to mind the beautiful memories and the anticipation of more beautiful Christmas' to come. May we try harder each day to keep that Special Christmas Spirit alive within us all till Christmas comes again at the end of 2011.

From our house to yours...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
family and friends...
Our most exciting event of 2010 was the marriage of our youngest Ashley to Sam Simons in the Gila Valley LDS Temple.
We are very happy for her and she has chosen well, Sam is an exceptional man. Their home is in Tucson, Sam works for the mines and Ashley
is continuing her college degree from Pima Community College. We miss them so much. They will be here for Christmas as will the whole gang.
Blaine, Amy & Logan moved to Logan Utah last spring they have a beautiful home, Blaine is still trucking and Amy works also. Logan will be three in March, we visited them the first weekend in October and had such a nice visit. Logan is such a good little boy it is hard for them to be so far away, but we too realize you go where the work is. Our other three children live here in Joseph City. Brad and his family have bought a new home , even next door and down the street from his sisters. Austin is a freshman in High School he is playing basketball right now (he loves the sport) does well in school and is growing into an amazing young man, he is just as tall as his (almost) when he grows into those feet and hands he will be as his aunts say "gi-normous" he's already passed them up! Jacob is 8 and quite the boy, he watches over Tera as if she were his little sister, and puts up with Matthew MOST of the time. He is always on an adventure. Matthew is a very BuSy 4 year old, and loves playing with all his cousins that are so close now. Brad works for the Naval Observatory and Tiffany is a stay at home mom that is very busy at home.
On to Jessica, her little family is growing and she keeps up with them so very well, Beau has taken a job out at Cholla and is no longer trucking. Hayden is 10 and quite an amusing character, he keeps us all laughing , he loves to read and does well in school. All the grandkids that are in school do good at school work and behave themselves pretty good we are proud of them all! Tanner will be 8 in January he is quiet and shy, which we think is a good characteristic! (Just like PaPa) he too loves to read, and have adventures with his brothers and they love that little sister of theirs, she has them ALL wrapped around her fingers. Mason will be 5 in March and Emmaree will be 2 , so now you know why these girls are so busy.
Kourtney is here in Joseph City also, her husband Zach works in Williams so he has a far commute to work also. The girls are growing Brigette is 4 and Tera will be 2 in January, she shares her birthday with Tanner. Brigette's favorite thing is to stay the night at Grammy & PaPa's and now Tera thinks she is old enough to sleep over too, they are good sleepers so we don't mind the company.
Our nest is empty but not really, because we are so very blessed to have so much of our family here in town. Brad helps Allen on the farm so his brother Ralph and his family. Our Kourtney broke her elbow snowboarding last Feb. she had surgery, but it didn't repair her elbow she will have a titanium elbow in January this was hard last winter when she had her first surgery but we are praying she will regain full use of her elbow after this upcoming surgery in January. Allen is Operations Manager at Cholla and the first counselor in the bishopric in our ward, he is too busy. I spend time with the girls and grandkids and am busy also.
We love our Savior and we are very grateful for the gospel in our lives.
May the lord bless you and yours this coming year , We love you all!
Terri and Allen 2010