Well today I spent all day running around with BJ helping him work out the details for getting a phone and a car with no credit. He was able to get a cellphone through the company he works for and he had to pay $100.00 for it today but he gets a $50.00 rebate and he earned $60.00 dollars commission on the sale so when he gets his money back he will have earned $10.00. He was able to get a loan from the credit union to buy a car from Jacob. Because he was not wanting as much as a new car they were willing to lend him 80% of the price of the car and then he can pay the extra money to Jacob himself. So he was happy to get a phone and wheels.

I also had to take Kirsten to the foot doctor to check on her foot. She still has a chip in there but he wanted to wait one more week before deciding on surgery.

Larry is busy working on his homework after Family Home Evening.

Erick went to his student ward Family Home Evening. BJ decided to stay here again tonight before he goes to Logan because he has a meeting with his work early in the morning in Salt Lake City.

Last Monday was the 24th of July and a holiday in Utah. We didn't do much in the morning we did some yard work and then the boys made Gelato from the recipes in Erick's Italian cookbook. BJ made Chocolate and Erick made Cantaloupe. Then we went to Kathy and Gary's for the annual barbecue and fireworks. Erick and BJ went. BJ had a date named Whitney Rose that we all met. Michelle and Daniel and their family there. I had fun holding the new baby, Kalisse. Maren and Landon and Brinlie also went and we all had a good time together. We also had a good time visiting with Larry and Leslie and their family and Kathy and Gary and their family and friends.

Tuesday and Wednesday I took another dreamweaver class at UEN. I got a few things accomplished on my website but I basically found out what it feels like to be in a class where the teacher does not have time to help everyone. I felt a little overhelmed.

Larry started a new class on Tuesday so he is back doing homework. He has been stressing because he was supposed to work with a team on a presentation and one person took all the emails and was supposed to send it to everyone else and didn't so he didn't know how to contact the others, so he has been planning his own presentation.

I have been tending Brinlie also on the days I don't have school. She is so cute and funny it is fun to tend her. Maren had some pictures taken of her at Kiddie Kandids that are so darling but I can't show them to you because our scanner has not been working.

Michelle and Daniel invited us to dinner on Saturday night. They had invited Jeannine Cobb also and we had a good visit with her. Michelle served a wonderful dinner. It was attractive and well presented and tasted wonderful. Ethan and Hailee wanted us to play Uno with them so we did that for a while. Jeannine hadn't seen the baby and their new house so it was good that they could show her. Ethan played us a piano solo. He is doing so well. Jaron and Hailee had great fun teasing Grandpa Larry and Me. Larry was really in a good mood and had fun with them.

After dinner we left for Logan to pick up BJ to come home for the weekend. We had a nice ride up and picked BJ up at the mall then went to Steve's and got his things and came home. It has been nice to see Steve some also. This week BJ will move in with Aunt Marva until his apartment is available August 26th. I have enjoyed the rides to Logan but I am glad that BJ has a car now and can transport himself.

Erick was a little frustrated because his date for Saturday night canceled out on him about an hour before he was supposed to pick her up. He was a little discouraged but he went to the group family home evening tonight and came back in a better mood. He said they played wiffle ball in the rain.

Jeff and Misty were cooking for a company party that Chelly had this weekend so they were busy with that. Jeff's birthday was this month but we couldn't come up with a day to celebrate it so we will celebrate it with the August birthday's

Jon took the kids to Lagoon today so that is why I was taking Kirsten to the doctor. It was a good day and a little cooler so I hope they had fun. It did rain this evening though. Mom and Dad said it really rained in Lehi.

I talked to Sara on the phone and she said that Nathan is working a 3-11:00 p.m. shift on the border by Brownsville, Texas. That is about a 7 hour drive from Houston where they are. He can call them every night so that is good. He has orders to do this for a year or until he hears about helicopter school. She said it is hard but it is better than if he was in Iraq. She also let slip that they just found out that she is pregnant. She is about 7 weeks so maybe another February baby. She said I could tell everyone so I am. She need your prayers because she is really sick right now.

It was good to visit with Jake and Nikki tonight. Lexie is back in school but she had come home. She had great fun teasing BJ about poking him and saying "Jump start. BJ taught that to her last week so she was poking him this week. Ashton's nap had been disturbed so he was a little grumpy but he is really showing that he is learning. He knows how the rider moves on the horse and he can tell you what an elephant says. Jacob spent a lot of time going over the car with BJ and even included 4 snow tires with it (which I am sure BJ will need this winter in Sardine Canyon.)

The Michaelsen reunion is this weekend in Mayfield so I hope that we will see some of you there. Sweet dreams.

As usual we had a busy week. Erick left on Sunday for Wyoming with the Equipment crew from trek. Larry and I left on Monday morning about 6:00 a.m. and helped make sandwiches for the first snack of the day and then we drove with 5 other people in a suburban to Wyoming. The first night we stayed at a ranch area where the church has a campground. We had dinner ready by about 8:30 p.m. but they didn't make it in from their first trek until about 9:30 or 10:00 p.m. We stayed under a canopy that they had for the kitchen but the wind blew part of it all night long and made it hard for many to sleep.

On Tuesday the kids were bussed to Sage creek and started a trek over Rocky Ridge to Rock Creek where the cemetary is for those who died from the Willey handcart company. Some of our crew went to hike over Rocky ridge and then serve lunch to those on the trail. I wanted to go but did not feel good that morning so I stayed behind. Four of our group went to feed a second group lunch. and then we had 5 of us cleaning up the kitchen so we could move on. We had the canopy fall on us before we were ready and it spilled 5 gallon of punch all over some of the coolers. It also spilled 5 gallons of water that we had just filled. So we had a little more mess to clean up than planned. When we got everything packed and sorted Rich and Paul two of the guys with us went to Lander to buy some supplies. Then our leader David left to get the kitchen set up for dinner at the next campground. He left Larry and I and Denise Wright waiting for the others to pick us up. It got so hot that Denise and I pumped water on each other's heads to cool off. Larry just sat in the shade. David, our leader, thought that they should be back within the hour but three and a half hours later one of the surburbans came but it was full of people. However, they made room for us and took us to another van, then we started the hour and a half trip to Rock Creek. We ended up getting lost, however, and three hours later we made it to camp. Where dinner was almost over.

Wednesday we served breakfast at Rock Creek and then we drove to Lander to pick up more groceries and go to the dump with the garbage. Then we drove on to Martin's cove and got there about noon. Just in time to serve lunch. They had a really nice picnic area at Martins cove that made it easier to serve.

After lunch Carol Richens made arrangements for those on the food committe who wanted to go to Martin's cove to ride to the bottom of the hill in the missionaries golf carts. We walked up the hill to a pre cove area and they had a presentation about the Martin Handcart company and then we walked up the hill to the cove where the pioneers stayed to protect themselves from the winter weather. Then we walked past the area where they had buried the bodies of the dead in the snow. We were walking down the hill and I was going slow because I walk slow but I thought I was doing okay but a member of the Bishopric, Brother McKinnon called for me to have a golf cart ride down. I started to walk down while we waited and a group of kids and the parents of a youth that had a downs syndrome offered me his rick shaw typed wheel chair. I protested but they insisted saying he could walk. I must admit it felt good but I was embarrassed. I ask Larry if I looked like I was walking that bad and he said, "yes" so I guess I was not aware of how I looked. They took us to the golf cart and then we rode down. I realized that perhaps I could have walked down but it would have taken me most of the night and this way I made it in time to help with dinner.

Thursday we served breakfast and then made about 400 sandwiches and sack lunches for the trip home. Then we packed up and started home. It was almost 7:00 p.m. when we made it to Kaysville. It was really good to have a shower and be home. BJ took my phone to Logan with him so that was a little frustrating but we worked it out.

Friday morning we had to meet at the 2nd north church to help unload equipment and divide it up to the areas it went to at 8:30 a.m. After getting all of that done we went home and unloaded what was our equipment. Then I talked Larry into helping me in the yard for about an hour. In the afternoon I went to Fran Brown and had Maren cut and blow dry my hair, wax my eyebrows, and give me a manicure. It was great fun and gave us a chance to talk. That evening we had Maren and Landon over for Pizza and we played Pirates of the Carribean Monopoly. They got the game while they were at Disneyland when they went to Los Angles. We played for about 6 hours but still haven't finished the game.

Saturday we slept in. Larry went to work about 11:00 a.m. Erick and I started our day. We had invited Lexie over to stay and she came about 11:30 a.m. with Jake and Nikki and Ashton. Ashton let me hold him when we took them out to see the fish in Erick's pond. They Jake and Nikki and Ashton left and Erick and I played legos and Barbies with Lexie. Later we went to Cherry Hill and played minature golf. Erick went home after that because he did not want to go swimming (even though it was 103 degrees) Lexie and I went through almost all of the water attractions at Cherry Hill and then had dinner. Lexie wanted to see BJ and when she found out he was coming home from Logan that night she decided to stay for the night with Jacob and Nikki's okay.

Lexie and BJ got up early and did some things. BJ told Lexie that they better wake Grandma up so we could get her back in time for church. Lexie said, "Do, you have to do that everyday." We drove Lexie down about 9:30 a.m. When we got there Ashton had just fallen and cut his gum on a table. He had been crying for quite a while they said.


We had to wear our trek outfits to church today. They looked much better clean. We sat on the stand and sang a song called "Carry Me" which is on the trek website at www.trek2006.com it is a really beautiful song that some ladies in our stake wrote for our trek. It talks about how Christ can carry us through our trials just like the four young men that carried the handcart pioneers over the sweetwater.

We took dinner to Kirsten and Jon tonight to give Kirsten a chance to be off of her broken foot a little bit. Jon has a bad cold and has slept most of the day. Kirsten's hands are getting sore from using crutches. Larry wanted to stay there tonight because their house was cooler and he liked the feel of laying on their love sac. But we finally came home.

Erick and BJ went over to Maren's this evening to get their hair cut. Erick was invited to dinner by a girl in his U of U ward but he didn't tell me who. We got to see him at meals on the trek but that was about the only time. He was busy picking up and delivering sleeping bags and buckets (that they used for luggage) He seemed to have a good time working with Roger Tuttle who is also in our ward.

BJ had the car this week and also my phone. He decided to ask this girl out that he thought was flirting with him at different times at his work, but she looked shocked and told him, "but I am married" when he asked her. He had another girl ask him out and he has been out with her twice this week and is bringing her to the Shaw's barbeque for the 24th.

Maren and Landon had a great time in Los Angles especially when they took Brinlie to Disneyland. Evan and Shirley helped tend Brinlie when they went on rides so they had a good time. They also got to ride the roller coaster on top of New York, New York in Las Vegas.

Kirsten and Jon have no children this weekend because the girls went with their mom and Kyle is in Vernal. It is probably just as well considering how they both feel.

Jeff and Misty have been doing things with Misty's cousin Clay. They have been to several attractions in Utah that he wanted to see. Matthew fell the otherday and cut himself and had to have stitches. Clay goes home in about three weeks.

Michelle and Daniel went to Pioneer state park yesterday and had a good time. Ethan's piano teacher wants to move him to the advanced class he is doing so well. Michelle is going to help part time with Hailee's class this year at the school they are going to in Syracuse.

It is too late to call Nathan and Sara but I will post and update soon.

We have had an interesting week since I posted Tuesday. Wednesday Kathy called and said that she had some Iris starts if I still wanted some so I decided to go get them. I was also tending Brinlie so we packed up and went. I stopped at school because Mark Enomoto said he could help me get my username and password for my school website which I need for my class in two weeks. Then we went to Kathy's and picked up the Iris and I decided if we were that far we might as well go and visit Dad and Mom. Brinlie had great fun talking to all the people going down and rolling on Mom and Dad's floor and talking to them. We visited for about 2 hours and then I started home.

Wednesday night I went to Teresa and Darrell Bowman's to work on Chicken for the Trek. We were putting the chicken into Ziploc bags and puring marinade on it and then putting it back in the freezer. That took about 2 hours.

While I was at Mom and Dad's Annette had called and asked me to bring her a sweater to her hotel. She was staying in Layton for an education conference she was attending. Erick and I went to deliver the sweater and had to track her down at Sonic Drive In. We had a good time talking to her about Vernal and such.

Nathan called while I was driving to the hotel so I got a short talk with him and ment to call him back but we talked to Annette until about 10:00 p.m. our time and I didn't think he would want to be called back at 11:00 p.m. He said that he had a second chance to interview for a job in Utah so they were hoping that would come through. He also has been called up to help on the border with the National Guard so he had to go to Austin this weekend for a physical and other things. No word yet on what his job will be on the border or when he will be leaving.

Larry had class until late on Wednesday. It was a test for his math class. He came home early so I don't know if that was bad or good but this last class has been easier he said because it has been a review of an earlier class. Usually he has to start a new class the next week but this time he does not have to start for two weeks so he is off for the trek.

Thursday Larry had the day of so we worked on getting things ready for the Pioneer Trek that we are going on Monday. We worked on getting supplies found and shirt collars taken off and getting last minute supplies. I was tending Brinlie for Maren now she is back in cosmetology school and Larry helped me. We both did a lot of work on the computer. Brinlie had great fun trying to eat the cord for the internet on the laptop. Larry was not to happy about that.

In the afternoon I had to go to the family history center from 2-4:00 p.m. We couldn't find a babysitter so Larry tended Brinlie while I went.

After we went to Kirsten's to borrow a few things for the trek. Her ankle was really swollen on the opposite ankle from the one she broke. She has had to move her work upstairs so she can rest her foot while she works but she has to have one foot to pedal something so she has to have that foot down.

Friday I had to go help them get supplies at Sam's Club at 6:45 a.m. I thought Larry was on his way so I took off. I was surprized to find Larry in bed when I got home. He had thrown up and was still naseated so he had called in sick. I was quite worried about him as he has never thrown up since we got married and I have know him. He slept for a while and then when he got up his blood pressure was up to 169/121. He got on the computer and began reading again about what he needed to do to bring is blood pressure down. He got it down about 2:00 p.m. but then about 6:00 p.m. it was way up again. We went out to dinner with Jenny Tarbet and then we went to have her mom take his blood pressure at the doctor's office. It was pretty normal 140/80 so they had us bring the monitor in and check it but it was accurate so the doctor is sending Larry to some specialists when we get back. We had the home teachers and BJ gave Larry a blessing today so that things will be okay for trek.

Saturday Larry had to work. Erick and I got up and planted some plants that we have not been able to plant and I went up to get a manicure and pedicure from Maren. Erick mowed the lawn and made a new pump for the pond while I was gone. Larry came home and was testing the air mattress. We got our things packed that were supposed to be at the church early and then we went to get medicines and sunglasses.

We had to pick BJ up about 5:00 p.m. in Logan but we were late but, so was he, so we took him out to dinner in Logan and then we drove home. Everyone else went to bed but I was up until about midnight working on an assignment that needed to be submitted for my online class on the Pioneer Online library.

This morning Erick went to his ward and then he left today about 2:00 p.m. with the crew he is working with to go to Wyoming to set up for the trek. BJ had to speak in the 13th ward today but it was when we are teaching primary so we did not get to hear him. Larry woke up with his fingers hurting so he took an Indomethecin and it knocked him out so he only came for Sacrament.

Maren and Landon flew to Los Angeles to meet Landon's parents this morning. She said that they almost missed their plane because it was so slow through security. They will be there until Wednesday. Brinlie slept most of the flight so that was good. Maren needs manicures to do at school so if you have been thinking of getting a manicure go to Fran Brown and have her do it for you.

Nathan called and is in Austin tonight. The family dropped him off this evening and he has some things to do before they send him to the border. He and Sara celebrated their anniversary(which was today) on Friday and Saturday. He finished tying a quilt Saturday afternoon. Sara gave a baby shower for someone on Saturday morning.

Jacob went to girls camp as the priesthood advisor on Friday. Nikki has been getting Lexie ready for school which starts for her on the 26th of July. They also went to the acquarium. Nikki said that Ashton was really enthralled with the whole thing.

Jeff and Misty went to Cheyenne this weekend to meet Misty's grandparents and visit with them. Jeff said they had a good time and visited the Western museum they have there with all different kinds of championship saddles.

Kirsten and Jon have the girls this week but Kyle is in Vernal with his dad. But then Kyle will come back and the girls go with their Mom for the weekend. Kirsten said that their dog Cooper is getting good at stealing food. He ate Kennedy's birthday cake, and took a bite out of the roast and ate all the hamburgers Jon made one day. They are having a time trying to keep him out of things.

BJ goes back to Logan on Tuesday. He is excited because he will have a car this week while we are gone so he is going to go on a date he said. He is trying to finish up his enrollment but somewhere the ACT scores that ACT sent did not make it to the school so he has to find out about that. He found an apartment for fall but can't move in until August 26th so he will probably live with Aunt Marva until then as Steve and Christy have family coming.

I talked to Michelle on Saturday but only for a few minutes. We called Daniel and teased him about getting a free taco from Taco maker as the name on their sign for a free taco was "Daniel" this week in Kaysville and Logan.

The picture is at the Heber Cemetary by Grandma sylvia and Grandpa Junius Jenkins's grave stones. Nathan and Sara and David and Isaac are on the left. Erick and BJ are on the right.

I thought I would post today to let you know that Larry is better. His blood pressure had gone up to 179/93 and his blood sugar was 280 but it was because he forgot to take his pills again. He went on line and read what he needed to do for the blood pressure and took his pills and he was feeling good yesterday.

I finished up the quilt that I started with Brooke. Brooke and Kennedy came over in the morning and helped me but they had to be back at their mothers by noon so we didn't finish but then I was able to finish it in the afternoon and get the living room cleaned up. The picture is of Brooke working on the quilt.

Maren went to the airport to see Amber and Nate and their new baby. I took her down so it was fun to see them again before they left and it gave her a chance to show off Brinlie to them also. The baby picture on this blog is a picture of Adalyn.

By the time I finished these things it was five o'clock so I was feeling a little frustrated but I did go and help package cookies for the trek for an hour at 5:00 p.m. and then I did dishes and spent time with Larry.

Erick went to his University of Utah ward for Family home evening. He took me out when he fed the fish in his pond and it was quite a sight to see about 30 goldfish and several coi come to the top when he put the food in. I told him we would have to let the grandkids do it sometime.

Well, I have finally repented and am writing something in my blog so you will know what is going on with our life.

Larry is really tired today, so I am worried about him. He slept 11 hours last night and says he feels exhausted this afternoon. He went back to bed and it is only 5:44p.m.

We had some great talks in church on keeping the Sabbath day holy. One in particular talked about the blessings of keeping the Sabbath day holy. She specifically mentioned peace as being a blessing.

Brooke and I spent yesterday making her 7 year old quilt. We almost got it done but we still have about half of the tying to do. She chose a bright pink flannel and a top with poodles on different colors of pink stripes. She had fun making her own pillow and quilt for her dolls while I sewed the border of the quilt.

I am taking an online class about the Pioneer online library for the next six weeks so I spent part of Friday and Saturday working on that. I worked on it after Brooke left last night about 10:00 p.m. I have also been trying to get things done for the pioneer trek we are going on as cooks this next week. I had to cook 18 lbs of hamburger into taco meat on Friday. I went to Kathy's on Thursday and borrowed some pioneer clothes that luckily fit. Tomorrow I get to go and help make 164 dozen cookies.

BJ just called and is adjusting to Logan. He has found a girl to tease at the mall and he is finding options for apartments for now and next fall. He is in computer withdrawals at Steve's though because they have a dial up modem.

Erick mowed the lawn yesterday with BJ gone so that was good. He is looking at several options for projects to work on this summer while he is off school. We got to meet a mission companion Jason Merrell and his family last Sunday. Erick just told me that Jason got engaged this week. Erick is going on trek as a truck driver. I bet the pioneers would be amazed.

We all went down to Orem at various times last Sunday so we could see Nate and Amber Hadlock Robinson' new baby, Adalyn. Kirsten and her family and BJ went to the baby blessing earlier in the day. Erick and Larry and I went later just to see the baby. They live in Georgia right now so they are just up for a short time. BJ went to visit a mission companion in Provo and got stuck riding around with them until late and Larry wanted to go home because he had to work early on Monday so he left Erick and I to wait for BJ because we had other things to do. Then we took Erick to see his mission companion, that lives in Draper,that had some things for him from Italy and BJ and I went across the valley to Jacob and Nikki's to drop some things off at their place. After visiting with them for about an hour we went back to get Erick and were invited in at 10:30 p.m. to meet Jason's family which we talked to for about an hour. Needless to say it was late when we got home, but the visits were worth it.

On the Fourth of July BJ ran in the Kaysville Rotary 5k race and took third in his age group of 19-24. I went to watch him and was able to drive to 2nd North and back in about the time it took him to run it. Larry was stressing about a test in his Math class so he did not want to go to the parade or anything. Erick cooked us a hearty breakfast of Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Hashbrowns and Juice. Then we went to the parade. It was really crowded this year. BJ was disappointed that we had no water guns for the water part of the parade. We found Maren and Landon and sat by them and Landon's parents. In the afternoon we had a downpour in Northern Utah so the barbecue we had planned had to be brought indoors but it was clear by the time they had the fireworks so we were able to watch them...then we had our own fireworks display put on by Maren, Landon, Erick, and BJ. Brinlie fell asleep.

On July 1 was the Thacker family reunion. Larry had to work so Erick, Kyle and I went together. Maren and Landon and Brinlie and Jake and Nikki and their family also went. Ashton sat on my lap and let me hold him as long as I was giving him a drink of water out of a cup. Aunt Hilda had worked hard and all her family was there. It was fun visiting with everyone. After the reunion I went to Logan to get BJ for the weekend. Then we raced back to see Seth Jenkins in the play at the Rogers Memorial Theatre. We got there just as they were closing the doors. Seth did a good job playing Baby John. We had dinner at 10:00 p.m. at Taco Maker's

Michelle and Daniel had the Gibby reunion on July 1st also. They went to the Thanksgiving point gardens and then to Cabellas for the reunion entertainment and then back to Layton for the dinner. Michelle said that she talked with Jeff and they were going the same day to Thanksgiving Point Dinosaur museum but they never saw each other. They really enjoyed both activities.

Misty is starting training for her job tomorrow so she went to Montana to pick up her nephew to babysit for her for a month during her training. Yesterday, she took the kids and her mother went with her to help and she will be back today. Jeff had to work so he wasn't able to go. When Jeff took the kids to Thanksgiving point he took the kids with his friend Josh while their wives were doing something else.

Kirsten and Jon took Kyle out to Vernal to Aaron's and they decided to go fishing on the way back after dark at Strawberry. Kirsten stepped in a hole and twisted her foot. It started to swell and after a day back she went to the doctor. The bone that connects with the pinky was broken. She is in a soft cast this week and then has to go in next week to see if it is healing properly.

My sister Annette broke her ankle again. This time in three places and she had to have some pins put in because part of it was crushed. She just got the cast off of her ankle a month ago from the break in the spring.

Maren starts back to cosmetology school on Tuesday. She has enjoyed her month off. She has made several things for Brinlie and for Brinlie's room. I think that she got her father's flare for craft's and sewing through the gene's. She and Landon and Brinlie went camping with Landon's family on Friday. They went out on Flaming Gorge on a boat and they went down the Green river rafting. Maren said that they got sunburned but it was fun. She was able to leave Brinlie with Shirley for the river trip.

Nathan and Sara went to San Antonio last weekend and turned in some papers and did some work to get into helicoper school. Then they took the boys to Sea World. David was really excited about Shamu and watching the sharks and other things they had there. He also enjoyed the water mists. Isaac was not happy about getting splashed by Shamu. They got in late on Saturday night.

I finally figured out how to add a picture to a blog so I have added a picture of the family. This is one of the pictures taken on May 21, 2006