1 Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day has come and gone for another year, but we captured these Valentine posts from the blogs of various family members:

From Kay (serving in Peru)


"Yesterday was Valentine Day. I went to the grocery store for Karen and picked up this floral arrangement.

"Flowers are quite reasonable. On our way to the stake presidents meeting last night, Sister Elmer bought 92 roses from a street vendor for about $9.00. Where could you do that back home on Valentine's Day?"


From Kira (Dale and LeAnn's family)

"in honor of this special day i just ate a heart shaped sugar cookie for breakfast and now i am going to treat myself to a nice relaxing bath. i think the best part of today is the fact that things are crazy at work and it is my day off! life is great."


From Andrea (Kay and Claudia's family)


"I love holidays some more than others but I am a fan of Valentine's Day. I don't know if it's because how much fun it was for me as a kid or if it's just because i think it is awesome to have a holiday where we celebrate our love for the ones we love.

"When I was a kid we would deliver our Valentines to all our friends and cousins and we would get to door bell ditch as we left them. We would get cup cakes from Grandma. And sugar cookies from our cousins. and my Mom made popcorn balls shaped like hearts. We would have a Valentine dinner with a heart shape meat loaf and all. When I was younger my Mom would help me make my Valentines. I remember when we started buying them and we thought how cool that was."

"Anyway, the kids and I had a great time making our Valentines. We made i-pods, 106 of them to be exact. They were really cute and everyone helped. The i-pod is a box of sweet tarts and the ear buds are peanut butter cups.

"Marshal really did have fun helping. When I pulled out the camera he would do the teenage 'Mom's making me do this' face.

"Charly got to do a Valentine's box this year at school. She made a stop light that said 'STOP in the name of Love.' Her box won first place in her class contest.

"Hope you all have a Happy Valentines Day!"


From Eliza (Dean and Claudia's family)

"Our original plans for Valentine's Day were a bust. We were planning on attending our Ward's Valentine's Dance. The dance was for adults only. What we didn't fit into our love day plans was sick kiddos. Peter has come down with a nasty cold. It started with a fever and has moved on to some serious coughing and congestion... Aaron also has quite a bit of congestion (making for some loooong nights) and a bit of a cough too.

"Paul and I had been really excited to go to the dance. But we didn't feel right leaving little sick kiddos behind. So, our plans changed.

"Paul and I still got all dressed up to stay in. And the dance came to us. I strung up some white lights and cut out hearts (Peter called it a 'heart Christmas') and we dimmed the lights and turned on the music. A sampling of our dance playlist included: Two People Fellin Love by Brad Paisley, Calling You by Blue October, Lovers of Loving Love by The Aquabats, I Just Called To Say I Love You by Stevie Wonder, Love Song by Sara Baraeilles, Bless the Broken Road by Rascall Flatts, etc.

"And you know what, Valentine's Day 2009 now ranks as my favorite Valentine's Day to date! I loved every minute of it. It was so fun + sweet + romantical to dance in the living room with Paul and Peter and our make-do dance decorations and music... something about the simplicity of it all and being with the ones I love the very most. I told Paul last night how much I love the stage of life we're in right now with our young kids. I know one day I'll miss these moments, snotty noses, coughs and all.

"Oh yeah, and the ward dance party was going to have couple photos taken too... so we did one ourselves. Here is our prom-style Valentine's Day pose. I seriously heart my eternal boyfriend and date. He's so handsome and just so gosh darn fun to be with. I'm a lucky girl.

2 Quote of the week

"Despite the changes which come into our lives and with gratitude in our hearts, may we fill our days—as much as we can—with those things which matter most. May we cherish those we hold dear and express our love to them in word and in deed" (Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, Nov. 2008, 87).

3 This week in our family

Mon, Feb 16: Presidents Day holiday
Mon, Feb 16: Cassidy's birthday [Kay]
Tues, Feb 17: Emily Real's birthday [Gene]
Wed, Feb 18: Dale & LeAnn married 1984
Fri, Feb 20: Louis Real's birthday [Gene]
Mon, Feb 23: Lyle & Barbara married 1954
Mon, Feb 23: Next issue of newsletter

4 Bits and tidbits

Off to Iowa
Our son-in-law Robert flew to Des Moines over the Presidents Day weekend to attend a Drake University basketball game. A young man from their Malad ward went with him, since Rachael found it logistically more than she wanted to deal with, having a nursing baby and all. Rachael and their three girls spent the long weekend visiting at our house. She was able to visit with most all her other Utah siblings (Rebecca and Cade, Talmage and Louise, Anna and Pete, and Mary and Vince) at Sunday dinner at our house last evening. Michael and Shauna did not come to dinner, since nearly everyone at their house have confirmed cases of strep throat.

A new house
A week ago, on Monday, February 9, Kate and Brian (Gail and Lynda's family) posted the accompanying picture with this note:

"Here is a picture of our new house. . . . It's a fixer upper but we're getting a SUPER deal on it. We'll post some before/after photos when we get some work done on it."

We think the house is in South Weber, a small community in the very north end of Davis County, Utah. Her blog site profile lists Kate as living in South Weber.


A first haircut
The Burdetts (Lyle and Barbara's family) posted the following on Tuesday, November 10:

"Tonight after work we decided it was time to get Shanel's hair cut. I had been putting it off because I didn't want her to have bangs. I kept trying to put bows, clips and headbands on her but she would just rip them out and her hair would then end up in front of her eyes. So our baby girl got bangs. . . . This is AFTER. Too cute huh !!! I love it!"


Breakfast time
And Chad and Nicolle (Kay and Claudia's family) posted the following on Wednesday, February 11:

"Gretchen really enjoys having a bowl of cereal in the morning. She does pretty good with the spoon. For those of you who have had the exciting experience of eating with our family know that Easton still has a hard time using the spoon, so this is a big deal for us. Easton did pick up on how to drink out of a cup after only spilling on himself a few times. Gretchen has not figured the cup thing out to good yet. Gretchen prefers to drink her milk like a dog.


"Yes, this happens every time she has a bowl of cereal. She does get every drop of milk though. I have been wanting to get a picture for weeks but she always catches me with the camera and just smiles. This morning however I was very sneaky and got the picture."

5 Our family 50 years ago

What our family was up to during the early months of 1959, based on entries in Dorothy's Oregon Diaries during January 1959. The full text of her diary can be found online and is updated daily, exactly 50 years to the day after it was originally written. It was the final month of the family's living on an 80-acre farm in the Big Bend area of eastern Oregon.

Mon, Feb 16. Ivard & I went back to work tonight. Kids went to school. Kay & Gene left early for Seminary. We went to Nampa & saw Real Estate guy & Ivard went & saw lawyer about our deed to place so we can hurry & settle up our deal then we went to Ontario to Bank where we had our first escrow & to Land Title office. Kay went ward teaching.

Tues, Feb 17. Ivard had to get up & get cows in & fix fence so me & Jacke went to bed. at 2: we got up & went to Caldwell to see lawyer & over to real estate at Nampa. came home & Gene was in bed sick with feaver & sore throat. Dean was in programe at P.T.A.

Wed, Feb 18. I changed the beds & washed 5 batches of clothes & fed Gene. Gene & I helped Ivard load 3 calves & at 2: Ivard & I went to Karcher Junction & took them to sale. made a tamalee pie for supper & we ate after Kay went & got kids from Primary. Ray & Kay went to Mutual.

Thurs, Feb 19. Gene is still sick in bed. At 3: we went to Caldwell & saw lawyer, (Giggray) then went to Nampa & saw real estate guy & got a few more days time on our new place then came & saw Mr. Bishop & he said he'd advance us $10,000 until title is clear at 5% Int so we can get our place.

Fri, Feb 20. Gene tended Jackie. He feels a lot better & got up today. Ivard milked & got an hrs. sleep and at 1: we went to Caldwelll to Giggrays office & Mr. Bishop gave us 10,000. on place so we can get our new one. We have to pay Int. on it until Title is clear. At 2:30 we left there for Baker to District Basketball Tourn. Adrian played Jordan Valley & beat them but they still didn't look like themselves. Kay was high point man.

Sat, Feb 21. We came home from work & went to bed until 10:15 then at 11: we met real estate office in Nampa & made the down payment on our new place., $10,000. Ivard went to Baker & had supper & went to game & saw Adrian beat Halfway 64 to 49, back to their old form. Kay was 3rd high point man with 10, fouled out.

Sun, Feb 22. Came home from work & got ready & we all went to sunday school. came home & ate & Gail & Lynda & Debbie came & ate with us.

6 What in the world

Utah telephone changes
Last week we mentioned that those of us living in Utah in the 801 area code need to begin using the full 10-digit number (area code + 7-digit telephone number) when placing local calls. It will become mandatory starting March 1.

Some things to note: The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services will not change because of the new 385 area code. What is a local call now will remain a local call regardless of the number of digits dialed. And you will still dial just three digits to reach 911 emergency services.

Darwin awards
The Darwin awards are bestowed each year, honoring the least evolved among us. Taking this year's number six spot: A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter, and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer, the man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk promptly provided. Than man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of money he got from the drawer? $15. (So, if someone points a gun at you and gives you money, has a crime been committed?)

7 A final word

I liked this reminder from a recent column, "Sites and Insights," published in the Mormon Times section of the Deseret News on February 12, 2009. It was written by Wayne Brickey, and I share excerpts from it here.

The next time you see a pickup truck, you could remember one of the stern and persistent themes in Church history: the need for migration.

Changing location. Circulating among the Father's other children, setting up house in strange surroundings. Moving. And, of course, leaving the familiar behind.

Nineteenth century wagon boxes were normally about 3 feet wide and 8 or so feet in length. The sides could be a foot or more deep. In other words, about the same capacity as a modern pickup truck. . . .

So, how many possessions could fit in the back of a small truck? Bedding—blankets, quilts, tick mattresses—will take more space than you hoped. So will will your precious food supply: things like a barrel or two of grain or beans; a large basket or two of potatoes, carrots, or apples; a box of salt-cured bacon; tins of molasses or sacks of sugar. That doesn't leave much room for your small collection of clothes, tools and implements, a basin, a few pots, and cooking utensils to fit in there somewhere. . . .

A 3-by-8-foot space will keep your personal belongings simple and few. There will be repeated wagon boxes in your future [if you were Joseph Smith or his wife, Emma]. Moving on with a few things, leaving the rest behind—this will be a part of life. But not the important part. Wagons and lofts—or trucks and warehouses, for that matter—will all perish, as do whatever things we can stuff into them. The treasures of heaven are not containable in earthly places.

On your watch, priesthood has come down from heavenly courts, a pristine testament of Christ has been published, and His own church restored in purity. The personal possessions of deity have been in your care in Palmyra, in Harmony, and now in Fayette.

When the master of the vineyard asks that you relocate to Ohio, His goods will multiply in your hands and grow brighter with your labor, though you must leave yet more of your own things behind.

Again and again the wagon box will carry your family about in the Kirtland area. Later comes the long haul to Missouri. There you will start over again and then again, ever setting your goods down on unfamiliar floors in humble spaces.
Missouri will not be the end of moves. Next will come appointments with cells and a dungeon floor. And less than a wagon box full of things . . . will end up with you in Illinois, on the boggy banks of the Mississippi.

God, who will not suffer losses because of you, will show His appreciation as only an infinite being can. To those who lose cargo in the journey of faith—losing not only things, but intangibles such as health or strength or education or time or even friendships—Joseph testified: "All your losses will be made up to you in the resurrection, provided you continue faithful. By the vision of the Almighty I have seen it."