Deer Poop, you stink!

Robin was driving home from Kerri's late the other night and as she crested coming up a hill there in the road was a deer. She hit it. When she got home she came stumbling in, groaning and wailing (it was 12:45 A.M.) "I HIT A DEER, WHERE'S DAD, I NEED DAD, I HIT A DEER AND KNOCKED IT'S BRAINS OUT!" I called 9-1-1 just so an officer could drive by to see if it was in the road and needed to be moved. Being too curious Robin and I got in the car and drove over to where it happened. No road kill of any kind. (Unusual around here) Robin was relieved she hadn't killed something that lived and breathed and ate the buds off my tulips and roses. Upon inspection for damage there was a sizable crack in the bumper with a big tuft of deer hair. Proof of impact. What we didn't noticed in the dark that night that was discovered in daylight 2 DAYS LATER was that Robin had not knocked it's brains out, she had knocked the crap out of him. On the passenger side you can see right where the Jeep and the deer's patoot met, smeared and sprayed. Daurell noticed it first as he was driving out of our driveway one day and called on his cell phone laughing so hard I couldn't understand him. I just love when real blog worthy things happen.

Why there are 2 of the same pix, I cannot explain.

WHUT TH.............

IT IS SO EXASPERATING TO NOT KNOW HOW TO DO WHAT I WANT TO DO. I JUST SPENT 2 HOURS TRYING TO DO A NEW POST WITH PICTURES. THE CURSOR WOULDN'T GO WHERE I WANTED IT TO, THE PICTURES TOOK ON A LIFE OF THEIR OWN AND WOULDN'T STAY WHERE I PUT THEM, SOMETIMES HIDING WAY UP AT THE TOP AND I EVEN CALLED AMELIA TWICE (with no sympathy I might add). IN THE END WHEN I WAS READY TO PUBLISH. NOTHING. GONE. DISAPPEARED! AARRRGGGHH! @#%&*#$"~{+!@^&$!!!! AND IT WAS SO BLOG WORTHY TOO!

Funeral Festivities (Oxy moron, I know)

Look at that BYU professor in action! Nothing like a good knowledgeable professor to teach the delicate details of how to drive a Deere. As the saying goes, "Nothing runs like a Deere" and this tractor proves it. Good thing Travis was hanging on nice and tight!

Grandpa Bell's funeral was an ironic one. As most funerals go they are usually sad, however, Grandpa's was a celebration of his life. Amanda felt badly that no one seemed to mourn his passing. I feel like because he had such a rich full life that to celebrate him was more appropriate. The mourning was for those of us living who feel the loss and the sadness is for those who loved him and won't be able to hold his hand, serve him and visit with him. That is where the good memories come in. The Indian H'ach Lebl'eck'um dialect he spoke so fluently, his practical jokes, his High Council nick name "5 Minute Phil", his love of ice cream and grandkids and always wanting updates on certain peoples love life's. Memories of him in his cowboy hat and big belt buckle, Louis Lamour novels, using Grandma's raspberry jam as a side dish not as a condiment, (but then who didn't?), being fully dressed in suit and tie 2 hours before church, his love of the gospel and his close friends and I speak from experience when I say that the memories only get sweeter and sweeter as the years go by until one day no one can ever remember one cross word or bad memory. It was a good funeral and Grandpa would be happy to know that most every one actually had fun in honor of him...ie tractor rides and introductions of possible new families members (Grandpa would have thoroughly enjoyed some Q and A there)

Daurell and I posed for an unusual moment...it has been years since we have had our picture taken together. We look just like we did on our wedding announcements........plus a little.(At least we can say our teeth are straighter. We've both worn braces since we got married.)

Thank you Robin for joining Nalani and I in our photo. It was going to be a definite delete until we saw you in it.

"Why did she post 2 of that picture?" you ask and I say "I don't know, it just happened and if I knew how all this worked I am sure it would be a lot easier."

Many pictures were taken and this one of Nalani and I did not come easily. It took many takes, angles and poses to get one that looked candid and without effort. We were looking for a "one-chin" look. Most of the fun family pictures are on Robin and Amanda's cameras so until then I use what I have. The one I wish I had was of David in his brand spanking new suit he got to wear to General Priesthood Meeting and General Conference. My next posting will be of Daurell and David in their suits and matching PINK ties.

Grandpa Bell

For my 2 blog fans (a generous estimate, I'm sure,) outside of the Bell family, I just wanted to say a few things about Daurell's dad, Phil Bell who passed away Friday March 16th, in Quincy, Washington where he had lived the majority of his life. This picture of Grandpa Bell was on his 80th birthday. The leather working gloves were his signiture. He loved new leather gloves. Daurell laid an honorary new pair on his casket. Phil's cattle brand was called "The Lazy P" and at the mortuary Daurell fired up the old branding iron and burned it onto the casket. It was very fitting and touching. First thing that comes to mind about Phil Bell is that he was a funny, funny man. I always enjoyed a visit with him because there would inevitably be some good laughs. Our first good laugh together bonded us for life. His fun loving nature was a main theme at his funeral as well as his dedicated service to the church. When ever outside, he always wore a hat, cowboy, baseball but usually something with a tractor logo, fertilizer company or some farming emblem on it. When he would be laughing about something he would take his hat off, rub his hand over his head from front to back and put his hat back on. One summer when our family was staying at Lake Chelan, Grandpa and Grandma Bell drove up from Quincy one evening to have dinner with us. It was a warm evening and after dinner we were outside, the girls were fishing just below the bridge and we were all enjoying watching them. Amelia cast her line behind her ready to throw it forward and just as she did a car came by up on the bridge and her line hooked the car and took off. Due to the fact there was a forest fire down the lake in the mountains and the wind was blowing the floating ash in our direction, everytime Grandpa took his hat off and rubbed his head as he laughed at Amelia hooking a Ford, the top of his head got streaked more and more with the black ash falling from the sky. When I pointed it out to him once we got inside he was the one to laugh the hardest, next to his granddaughter fishing for trout and catching a passing car. In his humor though he was always inclusive, cared about others and made everyone feel at ease with his jovial nature. Even being paralyzed and unable to speak, he was still able to maintain his sense of humor. He was an active Stake Patriarch up until he had a stoke two years ago in April. Dedicated church service was his life.

Spring in Sammamish, I love it

To me Spring is the best time of the year. The earth starts waking up, neighbors emerge and we start greeting each other again. Our Weeping Willow has budding leaves, the Wisteria has furry grey buds erupting and of course the bulb flowers. Our daffodils came up beautifully only because the deer don't like them. The tulips haven't been so lucky. Up here where we live a very common tree is the cherry blossom trees. The pink blossoms are everywhere and it is such a beautiful sight. Everyday I notice more and more trees. A couple years ago a developer bought up a huge portion of wooded land and leveled it for hundreds of home. It was sad to see all the old growth trees falling and the land being excavated. The development is far enough along now they have put in the entry and done the landscape. They a have partially redeemed themselves by lining the new streets with young trees bearing pink blossoms. The land doesn't look so scarred with the young trees and the new growth of pretty pink blossoms makes me feel like there is a possibility the people will be nice and friendly that move into those new houses.

The Process of Purple Paint

Last April we painted the living room purple. All along I planned to do a light color wash over it to make it mottled and suade looking. A year later I finally got back to it. I did half the room one night and the next day it looked so coarse and splotchy I didn't like it. I needed natural day light to see what I was doing. It took me the rest of the week but I finally got it done. I really like it but now I need new furniture and drapes. A great discovery I made was something called Scott Rags. They are handy dandy painter's wipes that I got at good ole Home Depot. They were amazing. I had to add a picture because everyone needs to have them around. It got paint out of the carpet, dried crusty paint. There were places where my sponge flopped over the tape and got paint where I didn't want it and the wipes took the dried paint right off without taking off the undercoat. A must have for any painting project with such a light lemony smell too. (They should pay me for my testimony and endorsement)

Neither picture of the room shows what the paint really looks like. The one with the ladder is the part I did at night and had to do over. The other picture is blurry and if I knew how to take the pictures off of here I would. Amelia.......? Help!?!?BUT I STILL BY THE SCOTTS PAINTER RAGS!!!

What It Is Like to be 12 or The Joys of Mothering a Boy

David is very sensitive. He is 12 now. He would will himself to disappear if he was ever caught not wearing his North Face jacket. I suggested he wear a different fleece for a change and he let me know, "No one wears fleece! They only wear North Face's, everyone would laugh at me if I wore a fleece." Then there's his hair. He goes the rounds with his dad about hair. I reminded Daurell he and his dad went the rounds too. Let's hope David never goes for sideburns, Daurell will have no ground to stand on. Amanda, David and I were at a restaurant Friday night and David, ultra concerned with his appearance and considering he might see some one he knows, wore his "North Face" however, check out his hair....... But as we were walking into the eatery I noticed his fine leg wear. I started to laugh and asked him what was up with the socks and he said he was cold. He has on his PE shorts, baseball socks and Amanda's shoes but at least he's wearing his North Face if any peers should spot him. One thing is for sure, he is a good looking boy and I am in no hurry for him to start caring about all the other stuff yet to come.