The voting is SUPER close...if you haven't voted yet...pretty please?

New voting again today. I'm getting closer to the Western division finals - ALL the competition is so tough at this point! I'm going to be so lucky for every vote I get! Won't you please be one of those votes?

VOTING HAPPENS HERE


You are awesome! Thank you!

Please Vote !

Our house (well the front room) - is still in the running for this contest! PLEASE consider voting - voting on this round is only open 24 hours!

VOTE HERE

If you didn't vote before, you have to create an account first - but it is super quick to sign up - all you really need is an email address!

I'm competing against a girl from Denver right now so in this particular round it's just between me and her and she has A LOT of friends!!!

Thank you for allowing me to be obnoxious about it!

Tea Party

Grandma Watterson was sick so we brought a picture of her. The Tea Set is Grandma Hays's
The table was set with little treats and beautiful flowers
It was fun to have Nicole and Kristi there.
Ahley
Jessica
Tammy was sick and we missed her a lot
Sarah was dress up so pretty
Hannah looked like a real doll

Elder Hays is now In Bulgaria!

(photo of Elder Hays with his MTC companion Elder Spencer)


Tuesday Holden was able to call us from the Salt Lake airport before boarding his plane to head out on the long trip to Bulgaria. Flight/travel time is 29 hours. It was so great to be able to talk to him. We were able to conference call in Noelle too and I let the kids wait to head to school until after the call was over. He was very excited about getting to finally go to Bulgaria after his 2 months in the MTC. He really did love the MTC though and he loved his companion Elder Spencer. He said that he and Spencer felt like that had been friends forever even though they just met 2 months ago. That even though they are very different in a lot of ways, they just totally got along.

He talked a lot about things they had been told about the Bulgarian people or what to expect on his mission. He said that there are times when you might be the only members (almost) in a pretty big area. The missionaries are often called to be Branch Presidents of the areas where they serve because there are not enough members to hold those callings all the time. The Bulgarian people have trouble with the idea of becoming baptized, even when they have felt the spirit, read the Book of Mormon and believe in what they have read. They are very attached to the idea of being Orthodox - when the church split originally between the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox church it was the Bulgarians who were all Orthodox and so it is a big part of their cultural identity. Asking them to become a member of the LDS church is like asking them to not be Bulgarian anymore. The two things Bulgarians are most proud of is their alphabet and language (St. Cyril started the Cyrillic alphabet which is the alphabet both Bulgarian and Russian use) and their Orthodox religion. The only problem is that many of them who consider themselves to be Orthodox, never go to church at all and are, in fact, actually atheist. So it is an interesting dichotomy.

When he finally had to get on the plane he said that he might be able to call us from JFK in New York, but he wasn't sure. So we waited around by the phones all afternoon and finally, he was able to call for about another hour. They had stayed up in the MTC all night the night before leaving and so you could hear in his voice how very tired he was becoming. He was trying really hard to stay awake so that he could sleep when it was night time in Bulgaria and attempt to get adjusted to Bulgarian time (they are 10 hours ahead of us). The time with him on the phone seemed to fly by so fast. We all had questions for him - it feels like, even though he is able to email every week and send letters, the communication is hard because you never quite feel like you get the whole story or he forgets to answer questions you ask in your letters - so it was really nice to be able to talk to him and have an actual conversation.

Finally he had to get on the plane.

I was so pleasantly surprised yesterday morning to get another phone call from him! His mission President had each of them call their families to let them know they arrived safely in Bulgaria. I was able to talk to him for maybe 5-10 minutes. He was still exhausted. He said he had slept maybe 4 hours total on the planes. He flew from JFK to Vienna and then they had a couple of hour lay-over until they could fly to Sofia, Bulgaria. He estimated he had been awake about 60 hours at that point.

He said President Roth and his wife were very nice. President Roth is from Austria and so English is actually a second language for him. Holden said he speaks very fluent English but that he occasionally would use a word and then ask them if there would be a better word that conveyed his meaning more - like he used the word 'concentrate' and then Holden suggested 'focus' in the context is was being used and he said "Thank you! That is the word I was looking for".

Holden said he spent some time getting know each one of the missionaries individually so that he could get a feel for their personalities, strengths, language capability, etc. and then make assignments to new companions accordingly. They would be staying in the mission home (which is the former Cuban Embassy) overnight and then the next day they would be going to a park where the mission was actually dedicated and they would be praying there in the park to consecrate their mission. From there they would meet their companions and travel to their new areas.

They had already been to a park shortly after getting there - they were actually taken to a park and practiced street contacting, which is a lot of what they do in Bulgaria.

I asked Holden if it looked roughly the way he imagined it would or seemed from his the photos he had seen of it before. He said "yeah, kinda except it looks a little more bombed out than I thought it would - but it's COOL!"

One thing I think a lot of people don't understand about Holden is the more it seems different or interesting or totally unusual or not the norm or something he hasn't experienced before, the more excited he is about it. He is looking to have an adventure on this mission. To him, that's part about what is exciting about going somewhere else. So he was not disappointed that it looked bombed out - that actually made it more interesting to him. He said the housing is soviet bloc style block after block after block of it. He said it sort of looks like they said "we need a box to keep to all these people in" and they just built a concrete box. Later someone threw a bomb at the box and broke the windows. But the people still live there. He said there are stray dogs everywhere. We had heard that before - that there are a lot of stray dogs everywhere, that the woman all look like models and the men all look like Italian maffia. He said the stray dog thing at least is very true. He said they do not look like the stray dogs in Mexico (those of you who have been to Mexico know that there are a lot of stray mutts - stray skinny mutts - roaming the streets of Mexico) but he said these looked more like people's pets. He said there was a stray Chow Chow in the park - so it almost looks like people just decided they couldn't feed their dogs and just turned them loose.

We do know that the maffia does control quite a lot there. Somehow the church has managed to have a good relationship with them. Holden said that they were told that the maffia like that they the missionaries are well dressed.

He had to get off the phone, they were going to be having dinner and going to bed soon (it was about 6:30 pm there at the time I talked to him - I was thinking they probably let them sleep longer than a normal night on that first night to try to get them rested after that long travel).

The other thing was he was super confused about what day it was. Since he hadn't slept it was all very confusing to him. He said he felt like he was missing an entire day somewhere. I said something like "Yesterday you said..." and he said "YESTERDAY!" "What do you mean yesterday? wait? What day is it there?" - he was having a hard time wrapping his head around it all. He said it felt like he had talked to us from Salt Lake 2 days ago, not yesterday. Hopefully they let him have enough sleep that he is less confused about what day it is!

We love him, we miss him, but we are so excited for his new adventures!

vacation 2010

I've been checking with everyone I can get a hold of about dates for Granby. It looks like the best time would be early August. Eric will be available after 8/4. I couldn't get Kirk today but the last time we talked he said August looked o.k. but the kids need to be in school around the middle of August. So, it looks like we should shoot for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday etc. the 6th, 7th, 8th 9th etc.
Please respond to this blog. We need to tell Russ Watterson. Love you all Dad

Pics from our Most Recent Outing

Recently, our family spent the weekend camped near Currant Creek which is not too far from Strawberry Reservoir. We were in fishing territory, however, there were no fish caught on this trip (mostly because we forgot the worms).

Fifth-wheel, Sweet, Fifth-wheel (we wouldn't be camping without you!) And no, that little truck did not pull that big trailer. Thanks to my dad for getting it up there so we could sleep warm and comfortable (and eat without the flies).

Sarah, presenting our view from the trailer . . .

More lovely views . . .

Gotta love that sagebrush (and check for them ticks) . . .

The first thing we found at our campsite was, of course, a snake! Nate saw it first (good eyes!) and was thrilled. Hannah wanted her turn to hold it too, but would Dad hold the snake? Nooooooo. Kyle doesn't much care for snakes. It was mom that had to pick it up so the kids could all get a look. (Mind you, I did make sure there was no little rattler on the end of this one before I got too close.)

Even though my parents kindly let us stay in the comfort of their trailer we did have to pitch a tent to pass off a scout requirement (the whole purpose for the trip to begin with). However, when it came to actually sleeping in the tent, let's just say the nice warm, comfy trailer was too much of a temptation.

We had a great time together playing games, getting dirty (because it just isn't camping if you aren't getting dirty), going canoeing, and roasting marshmellows. And, as a camping trip really should be, it was short and sweet. By the way, you should ask Sarah some time about the ride in the canoe and just how much she enjoyed it. (She was convinced we were all going to die and anyone even remotely near the lake could hear her proclaiming this fear over and over. Boy, am I glad there weren't many people at the lake that day!)

Waynes 50th Class Reunion

These are our friend from Alabama. Wayne guided them through Yellowstone Park. We took them to the Joseph Smith Building and to the show on Joseph Smith. They had lots of question about the church. Our Church is fun to talk about. Their favorite thing was when they went to see the Tabernacle Choir Broadcast.


Ruban and Sandra Gallegos, Ruban was the President of the Class of 59.

Paul was Wayne's best friend at Granger High School. It was held at the Grand Hotel.

Swiss Days

We celebrated Debbie Watterson 50th Birthday at Swiss Days. There are some picture of Grandma and my sisters.

Other stuff we did that we forgot to mention...

So we had a few odds and ends of things that we've done lately so I thought I would combine them all into one post.

In July, right before Holden left we spent some time at the beach and took the kids to Disneyland & California Adventure one last time (well not the LAST time, but the last time before Holden will be gone for 2 years) - Noelle went with us as well. We had a lot of fun. It was the first time Jordan wasn't afraid of any of the rides - she actually went on the Tower of Terror which was a major accomplishment for her!









We also had the chance to babysit Julie's baby Audrey - she is so cute! We watched her while they were at the hospital with their little boy - if you don't know what I'm talking about check out her blog on the side-bar. Anyway we couldn't resist taking some photos of her while she was here - darling little girl!




Good News! Our house is going to be featured on one of my favorite online magazines - it's called Apartment Therapy and they do occasional home tours online and our house is going to be one of them - I'll let you know when we have a firm date.

Choose the best TIME to go on vacation

We can go Grandy August 3rd (Tue)-Aug 7th (Sat) we can probaly say Sunday and travel on Monday if you would like too. But the main events will happen Tuesday through Saturday. The other week is the 10th (Tue) through 14th (Sat). Kirk's kids start school early. So this one many not work.

Tomorrow I am going to Swiss Days with my sisters and Mom. Friday we leave for Yellowsone. It should be a fun week.

Last week we went to Rockport. It was great. Eric took off a few days and we went camping. Mom and dad took their trailer up to Rockport for us, our RV was still getting fixed. The kids loved swimming in the lake. They had a blat with the canoe. Michael loved to get in it by himself, he was very good at steering. Jessica, Michael, and Ashley were canoeing when Ashley lost the oar. So Michael decided to jump out of the boat after it, needless to say they all got wet. The new rule is no jumping out of the canoe. Mom and dad came up and joined us for a BBQ. Then we went to their place and had smores and rode the Rhino. On Friday night they moved their trailor down to the house, all the camp sites were full that night. We roasted starburst that night. Matt learned that trip at his Cross Country Camp. The kids loved it. We had a great time. This trip was Jessica's choice. It has been a lot of fun this summer. We have seen Eric a lot more than usual during the summer and we were able to let each child choose a place they wanted to go.

The kids are back in school. Yeah! They started back on Monday, the first week is always the hardest. We didn't have dinner until 9:00pm and we were still dealing with homework at 9:30pm. Usually homework is done by 6pm. Anyway by Wed. we were getting back on track.
We took our first trip in our RV on Friday. We went to Chrystal Hot Springs, Michael's choice. It was a lot of fun. The best part was the rv. It was so nice to not have to set up camp when we got there, and there was a place for me to rest. We also stayed longer than usual because we had a place to sit down and play games and relax. Eric and Matt gor up early on Sat. and drove 2 hours so Matt could race for Cross Country. Matt races again on Wed. and then on Sat. for the BYU invitational. That will be fun to go to.

Elder Holden Glenn Hays

For anyone who wants to follow Holden on his mission - we are posting any letters or photos we get at this site: http://www.missionsite.net/elderhays

I can't believe he's already been gone almost 2 weeks. Crazy. We miss him but we are so happy he is doing well.

Grandma and Grandpa suggest the last week in July for our Grandby vacation. What our your ideas?

GRANDBY COLORADO

2010 Summer Vacation in GRANDBY Colorado. We talked to Russell last night about setting a date. He said that July was open except for the week of the 4 of July. He gave me a website that has pictures but I am not smart enough to put it on the blog. Maybe someone can help me. The web site is www.homeexchange.com in the right hand corner you add the ID code 32961. Here is some information about the Lodge its self.

BYERS PEAK LODGE

Byers Peak Lodge sits atop a rocky, wooded ridge on 43 acres, just 4 miles east of Granby Colorado. This magnificent, 5 bedroom, 7 bath, 5000 square foot, custom log home is a masterpiece of Colorado mountain architecture. Completed in 2002, the Lodge provides numerous amenities.

Custom rock fireplaces grace the great room on the main level and the entertainment room on the lower walkout level. The fireplace in the great room features two 6000-pound, lichen-encrusted boulders taken from a cliff on the property. One of these massive boulders is a natural replica of Byers Peak, the 12800 ft. , snow-capped peak oriented directly in the center of the Lodge’s panoramic great room windows. The Lodge’s unobstructed views are unparalleled in Grand County.

The dining area is designed for gatherings of friends and family, with a wide, family-style table and adjoining bar and stools. The kitchen features an enormous, wood-paneled refrigerator, two conventional ovens, a microwave, a vented cooking range, two dishwashers, a trash compactor, and two disposals. For outdoor cooking with a view, the Lodge offers a deluxe, stainless steel, gas barbecue located on the main-level deck, which wraps around 3 sides of the home. Or, for those not inclined to cook, restaurants in every price range are abundant in Granby, Winter Park, and Grand Lake.

Each of the five bedrooms features handcrafted, natural aspen log beds with adjustable mattresses. Adjoining bathrooms offer jacuzzi tubs; separate, seated showers with handrails; sink and toilet. The lodge boasts four sets of washers and dryers, one set in each of the main and upper floor bathrooms, and one set shared between the two bottom-level bedroom suites.

The entertainment room, quietly isolated on the bottom walkout level, provides the latest in home theater technology. Surround-sound Bose speakers compliment a ceiling-mounted projector and movie screen to provide the ultimate movie-watching experience. Guests can choose from a variety of videocassettes and DVDs, or browse through 500+ channels of satellite television, while relaxing on reclining leather sofas, loveseats, and beanbags.

Call or enter your best date on the blog.

How To Write Holden

We dropped Holden off at the MTC a few minutes ago. He was excited to finally be going. His best friend Austin was waiting at the door for him.

To write him go to the website dearelder.com you will see where you can write a letter to a missionary in the mtc for free - you just type it into the box on the website and enter his MTC box #and info. His box is 151-1013, his expected date to leave the MTC is October 18th (they ask for that too)

Write to him lots and soon - he will appreciate it, they get the dear elder mail every day except Sunday. If you feel like sending him something you can do that easily through dearelder and another website called2serve.com - or you can send something to the Mtc their address is 2005 n 900 e Provo ut 84604 or if you happen to be going to Provo you can go downstairs in the wilkinson center and send something to him for a couple of bucks - they will even package it for you!

We will update you with more info as it becomes available!

This summer we have decided to get out and see Utah a bit more. We went up to Moon Lake which is in Ashley National Forrest. You can guess who picked this spot. Ashley got to choose the first choice. It was a great little camp area by a great lake. We borrowed Kyle's canoe and had a great time. I was even able to get in it. Poor Eric got soaked helping me get in and out.
Last week Matt got to choose and we went to Kent's Lake by Beaver. Matt picked Beaver for thier icecream. They have a great creamery there. Eric picked the campground becuase all Matt cared about was the icecream. Eric bought a inflatable boat and kayake. They decided the boat was much easier to use and they didn't get as wet.
Our neice, Crystal just got married so we went to Rigby, Idaho yesterday to celebrate with her. They had a open house all day. It was nice, she got to spend more time visiting with everyone. They also had a ton of great food that I got to eat for hours. I went off my diet for a day. We also got to spend time with all of Eric's family. The kids were in paradise, the nieces and nephews found grasshoppers, a lot of them. They started bringing them up on the deck and putting them on the decorated table out there to show Eric and I. It was fun to see them get in groups and run around.
Matt is getting up and running with the Woods cross crooscountry team at 7am, which means I get to get up and take him. He is also turning 15 this week, which means he can get his learners permit. I can't believe I already have a kid who will be driving.
Jessica is taking summer band at ther school. She is devistated that the teacher is on vacation and she gets four days off---NOT. Jessica and Matt went and helped our a family this year for Youth Conference. They had a lot of fun. Jessica got to walk a lama.
Ashley had a rough month in June. She got very sick-- the flu we think. She was down for 2 weeks. Then the day she started feeling better she fell off a step stool and hurt her knee. Luckily we had crutches she could use. She used them for about a week. Just when I thought she was getting better she would reinjure it. Falling down the stirs twice didn't help.
Michael went camping with Eric and Matt to Crystal Hot Springs in May. He had a lot of fun, but didn't sleep weel. There was a train track right next to their camp site. They had about 6 trains come through and every time they would blow their horns, to make sure noone was on the track.
But Michael must not have been put off too much because that is the place he wants to pick for one of our family camp outs.
We also bought a 33 year old RV. You wlk in and it is a time warp back to the 70's. A lot of orange, Ashley isn't complaining. She loves almost anything orange. But the brown orange carpet has got to go, she doesn't even like it. I can't find my camera, so no pictures of it yet. It has been in the shop for almost two weeks, but it isn't passing safety inspection yet. Hopefully, next week.

Recent Events - While the Boys Where Away

While the boys were off fishing for BIG fish, the girls did a "little" fishing too. This was Sarah's first fish of the year. We went to Butterfly Lake (sounds like a girly lake doesn't it?). The girls enjoyed getting dirty, playing with the worms, and making sure the fish was good and dead (does that really sound like girls?).

While the boys were away we stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Bills while our floors were refinished (yeah!!!!!!!)

Grandpa Bills helped us do some work in our backyard to put in a place for a garden instead of weeds (darn weeds weren't producing very good tomatoes). We also have a spot cleared for another patio with a fire pit and a basketball court where the old sheds used to be (I'm not sure if this will happen in our lifetime or our children's but we can dream!).

The girls got to participate in the Days of 47 kid's parade in Salt Lake on the 18th. The North Canyon Stake's theme was "All Fired Up" which went well with the day's temperatures, but not the kid's attitudes (they were smiling for about the first 30 minutes and then all it was from there on out was "when is it going to start?" "I'm hot!"). The girls could have participated in the Bountiful Handcart Days parade on the 23rd as well, but when they told us it could be up to a two hour wait before the parade even started and we were expecting 100 degree weather we said no, thanks!