A Weekend Trifecta in Omaha

Thank goodness the weather cooperated for Glen and me to drive to Omaha this past weekend. Despite the major dumpings of snow we had been getting and the insanely below-freezing weather for weeks on end, the roads were remarkably clear for driving. Wyoming was even kind enough to have clear roads nearly the whole way for us. We were very happy about that.

It was fun to see the adorable grandchildren and give them hugs upon our arrival. Steve and Jane had arrived from Oregon a little earlier in the day. First on the list of things to do was have dinner at Hu Hot.

We started our day off Saturday with Emma's baptism. Such a pretty little girl in her beautiful white dress.

Lunch after the baptism was at Culver's. Kevin and Melissa Brandvold and their kids were at the baptism and joined us at the restaurant. All the little kids wanted to sit at the corner table where they had a great time waving to all the drive-through customers between bites of food.

Triple decker anyone?

Afternoon fun consisted of Jacob's family swimming in our hotel swimming pool. The hotel had been dead the whole time we were there--until we went to the pool and then we got invaded. It looked like a family reunion when another whole family and all their children and grandchildren arrived and took over the pool. Our family still had fun despite how crowded it soon became.

After a pizza dinner, Luke and Logan played some Wii games with their grandpas.

Natalie and Emma played Clue with their mom and grandmas. Emma likes to do silly poses for pictures and this is one of them.

The beautiful white baptism dress made a second appearance on Sunday. Emma stood up straight and tall when her name was announced during church as being the newest member of the ward.

Emma was a good sport posing with Claire who was wearing her white blessing dress.

Here she is hugging her older sister.

Claire was a very good baby during her blessing.

Not only was there a baptism and a blessing this weekend, there was also a sustaining of Jacob to the bishopric. It was a huge blessing for us that we were able to be there so Glen could ordain Jacob a high priest.

What a sweet and special family!!!

Jacob and Laurie threw a nice dinner party for their friends and family after church. It was nice to get to meet some of their good friends.

We very much enjoyed being able to spend the weekend with Jacob, Laurie and their kids for not just one, and not even two, but three big events happening in their family. Thanks for the invitation to attend. We love you and your darling children!!

Quotes of the Week

"It's not what you say out of your mouth that determines your life, it's what you whisper to yourself that has the most power!"
-- Robert Kiyosaki

"I think happiness is what makes you pretty. Period. Happy people are beautiful. They become like a mirror and they reflect that happiness."
-- Drew Barrymore

"If you treat an individual as he is, he will remain how he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be."
-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Quotes of the Week

"The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy."
-- Kalu Kalu

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
-- John Wooden

"Renew, release, let go. Yesterday's gone. There's nothing you can do to bring it back. You can't 'should've' done something. You can only DO something. Renew yourself. Release that
attachment. Today is a new day!"
-- Steve Maraboli

A Literal Ice Rink

I had some excitement today. Driving around town in a freezing rain storm was not the best idea. Anyone who didn't need to be out today shouldn't. I had to be out. It was treacherous.

Everything was a sheet of ice. The roads. The parking lots. The sidewalks. The driveways. All of it. No escaping it. I should have worn ice skates.

Although...I'm not sure ice skates would have worked to help me maneuver out of the slippery slope I found myself on once the car slid down the driveway and lodged itself into the snowbank next to the mailbox.

It was terrifying getting myself out of the car and traversing the ice going uphill trying to stay upright while inching myself toward the safety of the garage. So little ground to cover, so much ice to navigate.

Where were my crampons when I needed them?

Fortunately I made it from the car up to the less steep side of the driveway and plunged into the snow (avoiding the yellow snow of course) as a safety measure. Despite the depth of the snow and the extremely crusty, top layer, it provided much more traction for getting from the end of the driveway to the top of the driveway in safety.

WHEW!! I have never been so ecstatic to travel the relatively short distance from the mailbox to the garage in my life! Safety! No fractured skull or broken hip! I did it!

Once my heart calmed down and my body quit shaking at my near-death experience (yes, I envisioned myself slipping on the ice and sliding down under the car and not being able to get myself out and no one seeing me to rescue me and that would be the end of me), I came to my senses and tried to figure out my next plan of action.

Salt! That was the answer to my problem. Down to the water softener I went to collect containers full of salt. I threw it all out onto the driveway and watched each little pellet slide around on the ice.

Ah ha! A few minutes later I noticed the ice becoming thinner in spots. I grabbed the snow shovel and started pounding on the ice to break it up.

Soon I saw a beautiful sight--a good Samaritan walking up the street carrying an ice scraper. Bishop Cowley saw my plight and came to my rescue.

He had already scraped his own driveway, scraped Dickson's driveway (on right--notice Stewart's driveway on left is a sheet of ice) and scraped Winder's driveway earlier in the day.

He scraped our driveway. He scraped underneath the car to get some traction for the tire wheels. He urged me into the car. He cheered me on when the car moved forward and up into its spot in the garage. His wife  came up to help chip our ice. Thank goodness for wonderful neighbors!

After work, Glen was able to drive right up the steep side of the driveway to get his car into the garage. The sign of a job well done!