What You Missed

If you didn't attend the Power's reunion in Lyman, Wyoming on Saturday, here is what you missed.

Liv says, "It's a hat hangy thing you put in your car," surely created with love by a great-aunt with a beautiful, old-fashioned name like Nellie or Anna.

Also, Georgia telling all of our relatives "You may not take her home (Mae)," as she was passed around the group.

We also ate New York steak and baked potatoes and corn on the cob and salads of all varieties and desserts only great-aunts can make.

neener neener.

Jason McPhie

Our wonderful friend and example, Jason McPhie passed away yesterday. You can read his story here. He was a wonderful example through Middle, Junior, and high schools of exactly how to be. He was smart, athletic, and best of all, I never heard him say an unkind thing to anyone. He was crushed on by the majority of the female student body and we have missed him.

He is finally free from the limitations imposed on his body by his accident so long ago, and I imagine he is ecstatic as we should be for him.

AAHHHAGAHAGHHH

I can't figure out how to download the software I need to get my computer to download the pics of my little canon digital. If I could however, you would see pictures of delicious garden tomatoes, the first of the season, which Isaac and I ate in a matter of seconds. I'm sure there are other pictures on there as well, but what's most important? Home Grown Tomatoes!!!

Look how happy this girl is about her home grown tomatoes. I was just that happy and more. Maybe because we both have curly hair. and large foreheads. long noses. and easily sunburned necks.

**Exactly why you don't need to go public with your blog. Strange people will take your photos and use them for untold purposes.**

Becca's Family Pics

We headed up to Sundance for some good old-fashioned family pics with my cousin Bec and her family. Here's what we ended up with...

Didn't edit this boy's eyes a lick! I swear.

Awe Shucks! or Children of the Corn

Stephanie, Cj, Bailey, Ashley, and Isaac hard at work.

We were "puttin' up" this weekend. My Uncle David brought us 4 boxes of corn from ...somewhere, I can't remember. It's the best in the world though, according to grandma. So we shucked and shucked...

(well, lazy bones here didn't), and froze yummy corn for the winter.

Donations

To your right is a button that links you to something you can do to help the Nielsen family. Updates about the condition of the couple are at c jane run , her sister's blog.

As Per Your Request

I had a request that I affix a photo of the new furnishings even though said furnishings are not in a finished family room. But, it's looking fussy and I'm at a fault to find a fix. ???

In Your Prayers and Ours

I must confess (and repent of), a little childish jealousy of a wonderfully creative blogger whom I stalk. She is a high school friend of my friend Sarah and I've been reading her blog daily for about two years. She is hopelessly (and I have even said, irritatingly), cool and there has been a terrible tragedy over the weekend that will affect their family for a very long time to come.

Please keep this family in your prayers. We all hope for their full recovery, and pray for the comfort of family of the man who didn't make it. I hope that the close family of both Christian and Stephanie will buttress the children against the terrible fear they must feel.

Read about the accident here.

A wonderful interview by Stephanie's mother on AZ 3

ATTENTION!!!

I have recently been pulled a switcheroo upon. Jason swapped my computer for one at the office. Please send me all your blog addresses (either e-mail or in comments) so I can re-favoritize them all! I'm having withdrawals. AAAAHHH!!!

Just a few new pics

Our travels, lots of little Mae-toes (the object of our affection BIG TIME), etc. Because I know my adoring fans await my posts wink*wink and rather than wait until I can properly introduce the photos I thought I ought to just get them up.

Rock on

Good ol' George with some "skewy" bites on her arm at arches. Helen enjoyed her advanced vocabulary including, "beautiful", "amazing", and "filthy". Although, we finally had to shush her on the drive because this girl talks non-stop, singing twinkle-twinkle little star minus the third line every time, talking about what she sees out the window and how fabulous we all are ..."Mom, you are my bestest friend ever..." which bugs have landed where in the infested rental car, declaring her feelings, physical and emotional at 3 minute intervals...I swear, I don't know where she gets it.

This girl gets around. Helen and I and all the gals took off without the guys and did some touristing on the way to the rez. Poor I had to drive straight through with daddy.

This girl gets around!

and alas, the papparazi...what can you do?

Grey's Blessing

Sophia almost slept through the whole thing, halfway in, halfway out of the closet.

My cute cousin Becca had her baby blessed on Sunday. I was the official photographer. Thanks Bec. By the way, I need some more of those "official photographer" deals if you are in the market for a free semi-professional photographer who needs lots more experience before I have to start charging you late-coming suckers because I'm already so good at it I can make money because other people have kindly invited me to photograph for them and you were too late :(.

The man of the hour, Grey (great name, eh Karen)

You're the inspiration

This is where it all started. I fell in love with these prints and HAD to do my girls room to support their funk-a-licious style. The last room in the house that needed any "do-ing". But, you know me. Anything to create work where none is necessary.

So this is what I get.

A puss-filled split lip. YUMMY! Courtesy of the dresser behind Liv. Had Sarah stayed on the phone with me one minute longer she could have heard the entire unfortunate event.

But, this is where we ended up. OOOOHHH, OOOH, look at the school clothes on the chair.

SSOOO cute! Liv says she wishes I'd let her be pretty at her new school. To Liv that means belly shirts, tank-tops, short skirts, basically going to school looking like a Bratz doll. I guess I'm raising a hussy (what Liv calls a "honey") eeeew gross. She's already 15. Maybe that means when she's actually 15 she'll be as sweet and naive as a 6 year-old. I'll take it!

We also drew the sad conclusion that the classroom had to be less classroom-like and more Mae's bedroom-like. I'm hoping for some black-and-white bedding soon. I'm just avoiding toille(which I actully want), because I just bought a living room set that I had to settle for just a little, and I'm afraid I'm turning into a mom. You know, "Mom, that was cool like 2 years ago." That kind of mom. I love that cute toille, but I gotta stay cool. I can just see my mom's journal entry dated August 14, 1982 word-for-word. She was still cool though, she had an afro and a daughter that knew all the words to "Ebony and Ivory" (except I thought it said "kiano", a sophisticated synonym meaning something completely non-racist).

Moving on, this is the first peek you get at my living room. I have pictures of my mom helping me lay this georgious wood floor, but my little camera won't sinc with my new computer, so you'll have to wait. Just so you know, she doesn't still have an afro.

Our new living room furniture gets delivered Saturday. I'll keep you posted on the progress of the room. Just so you know, I sooooooo wanted the chic-est houndstooth chair that I couldn't afford. I'm cool on the INSIDE. and my mom told me that's what counts...as she cut down the afro.

Danger........I LAUGH IN the face of danger

Someone has been posting

somewhere they shouldn't

Brandy

Do you have anything to say about this????

I must admit I felt far from VIOLATED !!

Here is the CUTEST pic I got of MAE and Bran on my VACA

BRAN

I can't even begin to tell you how glad I am to have you ( and your blog) in my life

Still waiting for that promised VISIT!

In the meantime chew on this

Next time you wont see me coming

All my love SARAH

Traditional Wedding

We were priveleged to be invited to a traditional Navajo wedding by Jason's cousin, Albert Jr. It took place in Ganado, Arizona on the reservation. In this hogaan.

Festive touches.

The surroundings were beautiful.

The expectant groom, with Jason's uncle, the Honorable Judge Allen Sloan, the "Best Man".

It was swealteringly hot. The "Master of Ceremonies", brought some hot coals in and placed them in the center of the hogaan before the bride arrived.

The ceremony was very reminiscent of our beliefs.

A blessing was sung by the officiator, first for the groom, then for the bride. Advice was offered by married members of both families. Then the bride's family served the groom's a feast.

The couple ate cornmeal from a wedding basket, first from the east, then the south, the west, the north and finally the center. Other married members of the family were then invited up to partake.

Aren't they a beautiful couple?