Our family gathering ...

Sunday morning Brunch ... all of the faily (except for Ryan, Alisa and 3 day old Owen Scott ... we miss them ~ but send our love and congratulations!!) We had a hard time finding a time to meet ... so after Mike and Jodi and boys arrived from Henderson, NV on Sat. night we gathered (in our pj's) Sunday 12/27/09 at 9 a.m. for a yummy breakfast and gift exchange. Here's the family: front: LtoR
Talmage, Dallin, Carter, Sydney, Peyton, Kelly, Jacob. Seated: Wendy, Jodi, Ruth Ann, Jen w/ Zachary, Amy w/ Spencer. Standing: McKay, Mike, Tanner, Dennis, David, Tyler, Dave w/ Seth, Nathan and Bailey. It was a fun morning. Thanks all for the effort to come and for the happiness you bring to us. Happy Holidays!!

Christmas 2009 !!!

This is a picture of our new Christmas tree ... it is 10' tall and not as big around as the old one. We really LOVE it!! We decided not to decorate it with the traditional family ornaments this year ... and I just put berries, ribbons, poinsettias, and a few balls on it. Not sure that it will always be this way, but it was fun for this time. Next year we plan to have it in the family room where we can enjoy it all through the season. (We needed the space for our BYU kids this year ... so we'll see what happens!!)

On Christmas morning we broke tradition again and journeyed out and visited the kids in the area instead of having them all come here (they had many places to go, and we loved seeing their Christmas goodies!!) Here we are at David and Jen's ... plus 10!! There was a lot of excitement in their house and it was fun to be apart of it.

Next we went to Dave and Amy's ... not sure why I didn't get a family picture there ... but here is Seth putting together his new tool bench and Dave is helping him. It was nice that they didn't have to leave home early on Christmas day either ... so changing tradition was a good thing for everyone. We (Wendy, Dennis and Ruthie) then journeyed home and fixed a nice dinner. It was a fun day.

When we did get the family together on Sunday morning (the gathering where we all came in our pj's), David and Jen planned a present game/activity for the kids ... and this is them learning the rules and getting ready to start. They had a great time.

Thanksgiving Day

Here we are at our Thanksgiving Feast ... notice we are eating on regular dishes ... not paper AND we are all sitting at one table!! This is one of the smallest Thanksgiving meals we have had in our marriage ... and we really did enjoy it for a change. Having lots of company is fun, don't get me wrong, and we love having the family together ... but since we had Ryan in Washington with Alisa having their baby in just a few weeks, Mike and Jodi in Las Vegas working their new Great Harvest Bread Bakery, and David and Jen went to her parents for dinner, so we had a quiet (but delicious) meal. We had Dave and Amy and Seth and Spencer ... and Wendy and Dennis and I!

When we cleaned up, the amazing thing was we were able to get everything in the dishwasher!! We are used to spending quite a bit of time in the kitchen before and after the meal ... so this was quite a change. We all commented on how easy it was!

Here's Wendy ... our weight loss queen (she's lost 58 pounds so far) ... so I wanted to document that with her picture ... BUT, this picture is also showing her finger ... she just got back from Urgent Care where she had to get 8 stitches. She was cutting the yams and the knife slipped. She bandaged it and we had dinner ... but then Dennis insisted that she go and have them check it out. It was a good thing she went ... it wouldn't of healed correctly!! (At least she is smiling!!)

Two out of Three Isn't Bad!

When Dennis and I decided to make the move to Utah nearly 5 1/2 years ago, I had 3 regrets (besides moving away from family). #1. We wouldn't be 50 miles away from our favorite get-away place AKA Disneyland, #2. There were no Kohl's department stores, which I had learned had amazing sales and discounts, and #3. No In-n-Out Burgers!!!

I am here to say that wishes can be granted! Kohl's came to the area about 3 years ago ... with a store opening in Orem last year. YEAH!! But the best news of all came today ...
In-n-Out Burger

opened in UTAH!!! This really is amazing news. We had heard they wouldn't come this far from So. Cal. - but many of us had been sending them emails that they should check us out ... and they did!!! Two stores opened today and two more will do so in a few weeks. We have heard if these go well there will be even more in the future.

In-n-Out has been apart of our family since I was born ... now 61 years !! (the year they were started) I want to record the story for our posterity. Back in 1948 my parents, John and Marie Moore, rented one of their one bedroom rental homes to Harry and Esther Snyder. Harry was opening a drive thru hamburger stand just down the street in Baldwin Park, so the little house was perfect. (FYI - there were NO such places in existence ... fast food had not be heard of ... and a Drive-thru? What was that?)

My dad was a practical man and thought he was crazy ... but wished him well!! Harry's idea was that the hamburger would be made fresh ... with fresh ingredients, and made with his special sauce, a family secret. Needless to say, my Dad was wrong ... and the concept of a drive-thru was a huge success. His menu was simple ... a hamburger made fresh when ordered - a toasted bun, hand leafed lettuce, a pattie, and a generous slice of tomato and sliced onion, if desired (later the cheese burger was added as well as the double double, etc.), french fries (made fresh from real potatoes), and either sodas or thick shakes (made with real ice cream) were all they sold. As a young girl I remember going there and Dad talking to 'Hamburger Harry', who was usually on the grill. We loved watching the men work in such a small area ... and of course getting to eat the amazing hamburger. (Note: back then he hired only men - probably because they worked in such tight quarters and they had to work so quickly, often lifting heavy objects. Women were hired later on in its career) In-n-Out was noted for its consistent quality ... and speedy service. We went there after school, after football games, and whenever we could. We were appreciative that they kept opening additional stores so we could have them wherever we went in So. Cal. - and loved it when they opened in Las Vegas so we could have them on our way to and from Utah.

To summarize our deep LOVE for In-n-Out Burgers, our children insisted that we stop at the closest one to the airport when they returned from church missions! They are all genuine fans and join us in the appreciation for them opening here in Utah. All I can say is ... we are truly blessed ... and ... Two out of Three wishes granted isn't all bad!!! (I know there is NO way we will get the 3rd wish ... which is OK ... we still need a place to visit that is special.)

Halloween

Dennis and I went to Las Vegas for a quick trip before he started his new job (to visit Mike and Jodi and the boys and to see them working at the bakery~!)... and we came home on Halloween and then hurried up to see the kids in their costumes. Dave and Amy and boys were all pirates - Spencer was a treasure map - they looked great!! Their pumpkins were amazing as well ... and Dave even had smoke going out front of their house.

We stopped by Jen's house to see their kids ... but only got pictures of Kelly, Sydney and Peyton. They were busy trick or treating and were having a great time. It was fun to see all of their costumes.

October Happenings ...

On our last quad ride of the season ... we went up on Skyline Drive ... and just before we got to the top we found some snow. In the snow Dennis found these fresh cougar tracks. They were from a large cat ... and we decided not to stay around and see if he was still around. It was a beautiful day ... getting kind of cold, but still fun to be out riding.

A few days later we went back up and got another load of firewood. This is the 3rd big load for this year. We found a place where we could get OAK wood and Dennis likes the way it burns in our stove, so we kept getting more and more. It is great to have a good supply of wood stacked in the woodshed all cut up and ready to burn.

We had a GNO (Girls Night Out) in October too, thanks to Amy for planning it. We always eat some yummy new foods and have a good time visiting and catching up.

A Visit from Family ...

Ryan and Alisa came from Lacey, Washington ... so that Ryan could go deer hunting with his dad and David ... and then Alisa stayed a few days longer and her mom and sister in law put on a baby shower that we had here at our home on Sat. 10/24.

Here are the Harrison girls ... Amy, Ruth Ann, Alisa (with baby boy due Dec. 23rd), Wendy, Jen (David's fiance) and Jodi (who came up from Las Vegas where they now live).

Here's the mighty hunters ... Ryan, David and Dennis. They had a great time - but did NOT get a deer. (I know they all want the joy of shooting one ... for the sport of it, but I am kind of glad we don't have to deal with all of it!!) They saw a few, and had a good time hunting together. David actually shot one yesterday - but they were unable to find it after searching for 3+ hours. They all said it was worth it - deer hunting is a great family activity.

Here is a picture of Jen and David ... just a few minutes after they got engaged!! (Sun. 10/18) They had gone up Hobble Creek Canyon to take some fall pictures with the kids before coming here for dinner so that Mom (Grandma Moore) could meet Jen and her family. David actually proposed in front of all '10' children ... and we hear there was quite a yell of support from them all. It showed the way they all feel about their marriage ... they are EXCITED!! Jen has 5 children (4 boys and a girl) and David has 5 (3 girls and 2 boys). They will have challenges, for sure, but we have seen a lot of sincere caring and support by all of them and we wish them the best. They make a darling couple!! We are happy to welcome them all into our family. The wedding is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2010.

We had company!!

(We always seem to blog 'eating' pictures ~ not the most flattering!!) Carol came to visit from Prescott, AZ and Mom Moore flew up from So. California ... here we were having dinner with the Crook family. It needs to be noted that we were eating outside, on a beautiful fall day ... late in October. We had beautiful fall weather while they were here. We had a great visit and loved having them come!

Tending Seth and Spencer

Amy wanted to surprise Dave and have a night away ... so Dennis and I tended their boys. Here is Wendy feeding little Spencer ... he is so darling ... and a great little eater!!

Amy's birthday was Saturday and so Seth helped me decorate a cake for her. He called it a pumpkin cake ... because it was orange and he loved getting to put the sprinkles on it!! They are active boys ... but they seemed to enjoy having Grandma and Grandpa with them!!

Quad ride with the High Priests ...

We went on a quad ride with the high priests from our home ward ... up over Strawberry Peak and then down to Daniel's Summit (where we had a yummy lunch). It was a ROUGH trail ... but a very beautiful one. You can see Deer Creek Reservoir on one side and Strawberry Reservoir on the other. AMAZING!!!

Pictured are: Brent and Candi Bown, Ann and Howard Eves, the Reidheads, Wendell and Carol Gadd, Scott Finlayson (our guide) and Dennis and I.

We had some company !!!

Debra has wanted to come out and let the girls have a 'camping' experience in our bunk house. We finally made it happen on 9/11/09. They had a great time and didn't want to go home. (Of course they enjoyed riding the quads the most!!) We did a treasure hunt for them to find the marshmallows for the evening treat!!

Proof that they got to ride ... at least a little bit!

Dennis had lots of chairs set up for the activity ... Wendy came out with Janna, Jason and Claire for the evening. We roasted hot dogs and then marshmallows and had s'mores. ***Note that Abby and Brenna are in the background ... they LOVED the little rope swing Dennis had put up for Seth ... sometimes its the little things that matter!!

A ride with the Rosevear's

We haven't had many opportunities to ride with Ron and Judy this year ... our schedules just haven't matched up. We finally took the time and went on a picnic over the Labor Day Week-end and rode to Smith's Reservoir. It is not far and a fun ride.

David and Jen and 'tribe' came for a visit!

David and Jen brought their '10' children out for a visit. We enjoyed having them come. They are (l to r): Tyler, Sydney, Nathan, David with Carter, Peyton, Jen with Zach, Jacob, Kelly, Dallin and Bailey. Thanks for coming!!

We Caught Fish!!

Yes, we actually caught some fish ... 8 total, 3 we threw back to grow a little longer. Dennis caught the biggest one, but we did good!! It was fun ... and I am learning how to cast the line out better. There is definitely an 'art' to fishing ... we are still learning.

Wednesday was my birthday ... and so we came home to celebrate. When we got home there were decorations in the kitchen. Amy and Dave and boys had come down and left a birthday sign, the pirate decoration and a treasure map for us to follow. The Crook's also left some brownies (in a great new 'crust lovers' pan) and a sign as well. It was fun to come home to all the surprises! Thanks guys!

Also pictured is our gift ... which is 3 different maps of things for us to do in the area ... one to Salt Lake to 'This is the Place', another up to Park City to see the Olympic park, and another that takes us over the Alpine Loop. It was a cute idea Amy had (we are always wanting something fun to do) and we loved our Pirate Party. Thanks for the yummy dessert as well.

This is the map we found on our table. We had a great dinner at Road House ... and the best part for Dennis was our little trip up American Fork Canyon ... where he got his Senior Pass (since he is now 62!!) ... aka Golden Age Passport. It gets us into all of the National Parks for free for the rest of our lives!! There are some things it is great to get old for!! He has been planning this for a year now ... and would of got it ON his birthday had he not wanted to go out to the property MORE. We had a great time. Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes. Amy had David and Jen over for the party too.

Dennis' 62nd Birthday!!

It was his special day and so he got to do exactly what he wanted!! (Don't we all wish we could do that? It only happens once a year!) Here we both are at Huntington Reservoir ... FISHING!!! We drove the truck up on top of Skyline Drive and pulled the quads and then rode a great trail down to here ... It was a beautiful place to fish. There were storm clouds all around us and we heard the rumble of thunder for hours ... but not a drop on us!! We were blessed!

Another shot of our fishing spot. We didn't catch any that day ... but learned we needed WORMS ... so we got some for our next trip.

On our ride we went through a pretty campground. This is where we ate our lunch ... it was a perfect day for a ride.

Later that night Ron and Judy came out to surprise us (their picture didn't turn out!) ... and we had a yummy steak dinner. We look like we have had our helmets on most of the day, which we did ... of well. Happy Birthday Dennis ... you are now old enough to draw Social Security YEAH!!

Look What's Coming ... we're so EXCITED!!!

We heard a month ago that In n Out was coming to Salt Lake and Utah Counties ... and that one was going to be built on University Parkway in Orem ... and IT'S HAPPENING!!! We would drive to CA just to have one ... and this past year they have been in St. George ... but this is a dream come true - right here in our backyard (sorta)!!! We truly are excited!!

This picture was taken today ... Sat. Aug. 22nd ... and, as can be seen, they are working hard to make our dream come true. When In n Out does something, they don't mess around ... it happens, and we are VERY EXCITED!!! Look out for traffic jams in front Outback on University Parkway and State Street ... they will happen!!

Sydney is baptized!!

Here is a picture of Sydney and her dad, David, after her baptism. We are so proud of you Syd, you are such a special young lady. We are excited that you get to attend the Temple Dedication tomorrow. How special that is!! We love you!

Mike and Jodi and Boys move to Las Vegas!!

Here's a picture of Mike and Jodi and Tanner, McKay and Talmage ... taken on the 4th of July ... at the BBQ at their home in Provo ... just a few weeks before they moved to Las Vegas. We are going to miss them, but wish them the best in their new adventure with a Great Harvest Bread bakery!!! We love you guys!
Here is a view of the MESS ... their whole house on the front lawn, waiting to be loaded on the moving truck. They had lots of wonderful help with the load. David and Dennis were the masterminds behind the big truck, and it was utilized completely (great packing guys!!). Believe it or not, they got it all in either the big truck, Courtney's truck and trailer, our truck and trailer, Jodi's Tahoe and trailer, or Mike's car!!!

Here's all 3 of the boys in their new family room in Las Vegas. The owner decided to tile the entire downstairs of the home at the last minute ... and didn't tell Mike and Jodi ... so when we got there they were still setting tile (a bit of a gliche in the move, but we managed to work around it!!). Luckily we were able to help them get a few rooms organized before we left.

A view from the front door of Jodi ... Mike is sitting in their office (aka formal dining room) the living room is to the left.

Their Las Vegas home from the outside. This is the home they are renting for a year until the banks will allow them to buy a home of their own (because they are starting a new business banks won't lend $ for that long). They will have some time to find the perfect home and hopefully get the swimming pool the boys all want!! For now, this is a nice home and they like their new ward. We miss you all ... but want the best for you!!