Whale Watching

It has been a long dream of mine to be able to go and see whales out in nature. So we decided that we would go to Friday Harbor and go on a whale watching tour. We went up to Anacortas and then took a ferry. There is so much beauty around us to enjoy, and as must of you know how much I love rivers , oceans, and the sound. It does wonders to my soul, next to being with my children and their spouses and our grandkids. We got their early so we were able to walk around and see the the Rouche Harbor where we were going to take off. It is a nice little town.

We got on the boat. They told us that we would be out until we saw a whale. Just a couple of days ago they had to go out two hours before they saw any. We had to travel probably 45 min and then we saw a lot of other boats, and that meant they had a spotting of whales. Their were three pods out. We had to stay a ways from them because of regulations (1/4 mile). But you could see spouts of water going up and water splashes from them breaching. That was exciting. So we kept looking at the shore line to see them. Paul used binoculars to see any of this, he was real patient because I would point out what direction to look and he would occasionally spot some. For that reason we wished that we had gone about 15 years ago so Paul could have seen them easier. Occasionally we had one close enough to see a fin, or be on its back and that was exciting. I didn't get any pictures of whales because they came up and down so fast that I didn't want to miss anything.

Thought for the Day plus outfits for grandkids for Wedding

Since all the grandkids are out of town. I thought I would post a picture of what the outfits look like. We're still deciding about the boys pants if they should be brown or Khaki. I need to talk to Kelsie to see what will go best.

As I was preparing materials for May 24 Sacrament Meeting, I ran across a wonderful quote by Elder Marvin J. Ashton I would like to share. "Perhaps the greatest capacity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don't judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone's differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings, having patience with someone who has let us down, or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn't handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another's weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other." April 1992 General Conference
I hope this quote will be as insightful to those who read this as it has been to me. As soon as I read this, I thought of instances where I could of used such inspired wisdom. The clarity that comes with the promptinsg of the Holy Ghost is amazing.

Here is the picture of Paul's new hair cut we told you about. I have been wanting him to change his hairstyle for awhile. So he told Ashley the girl who cuts his hair. She was so cute. She called before Paul got home and she said that she think I''ll like it, and I did. It makes him look handsome and debonair. Thanks for being so adventurous and going beyond your comfort zone for me. Love you Much!

Christmas with Family

We had such a wonderful time with our children and grandchildren. We think the world of them and are so proud of their accomplishments. We left on Christmas Eve. It had started snowing here in Kirkland by the time we left for the airport, because of that we had a 3 hour delay at the airport. Then off to Utah. We spent Christmas with Erin's and Ryan's family. Then we went up to SLC to Chuck a Rama for dinner on Friday evening. My dad got us all together my mom, all my brothers and sisters, and most of the grandchildren and great grandchildren. I believe there was like 45 of us all together. Which was lots of fun!. Then Ryan, Amanda, and Alli left to go to Colin and Cori's place in Rexburg, Idaho. Erin, Jeremy, Paul, and myself and the kids left on Saturday for their house. It was so much fun to see them. Even though we only had a day and a half with them. The last time that we were able to be with the grandkids was in April. So of course we needed a picture of that moment with the grandkids. So I took lots of pictures and they are now on my frig and table so I can see my family whenever I want too. Blake stayed home in Kirkland and spent Christmas their. We missed him, he had work and he couldn't turn down getting double time in pay. I'm so greatful for families and the joy that they bring into our lives.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Since living here we had snow at least once a year and it would stay for awhile. Most people in Washington aren't well practiced in dealing with snows storms. For the first time that I can remember since living here we have icicles hanging down from our roof. We have Christmas lights decorating our house and our Christmas tree in the front window. So it creates a beautiful picture.

The amount of snow we get here would not cause problems elsewhere, however, there are so many hills and steep roads that any amount of snow can cause instant problems. Most municpalities are not equipped to handle snow removal, except for the major roads. Our snow storms on Thursday of last week combined with Saturday and Sunday have given us a total of 9 inches. It has also been below freezing for much of that time. All this snow is creating some havoc here in Washington, especially with the airport. I'm concerned because we are scheduled to fly to Utah on Christmas Eve and many flights are being canceled because of the snow, ice and eastern winds. The news just announced the airport has run out of de-icer.

We are really looking forward to seeing our kids and our grandchildren, The last time we saw them was in April of this year. Plus will get a chance to see some of our other family.