From the Hilltop

Blogger You Make Me Crazy!!!

2012-01-21T10:17:00.002-05:00

Why won't you post pictures where I put them??? This is nutz!

Random Family Pictures

2012-01-21T09:44:00.012-05:00

Mark and Gabriel.

Gabriel, Brittany, and Tyler.

Mark tossing Eireann in the air. She loved it.

Brittany and Alex with a peanut between their teeth.

Avery and Blaine. Both had missing front teeth for Christmas.

Hooray for Mark!!!

2012-01-17T18:13:00.003-05:00

Mark was offered a teaching job at Dandridge Middle School. He starts tomorrow. Yesterday we celebrated with dinner at Texas Road House. The food was tasty, and we all had a good time.

Happy New Year 2012!

2012-01-01T11:53:00.003-05:00

Laddie and I wish you a happy new year. We hope 2012 will be a great year filled with many good things. There are so many happenings from last year that didn't get posted. Melba fell and fractured her back. She spent almost 3 weeks in the hospital and a rehab facility. She's home now, but must have someone with her 24 hours a day. That means I'm at her house for the night shift (4:30 pm to 9:00 am) and the weekends. We are trying to find additional help, but it's been difficult. I go back to work on Wednesday so dad will have to do the 5:30am-to 9:00am shift. Wish us luck.

Wisconsin Mills

2011-10-20T10:36:00.007-04:00

Man, I'm so annoyed at Blogger. It absolutely WILL NOT put pictures, captions, and text where I want them to go, as you have undoubtedly noticed on the last few posts. So, with that in mind, let's see how this post will turn out.

Here are Ellie and Savannah on their way to school.

Next is Ellie at her cheer lesson.

Finally, Savannah at ballet.

Fall Break 2011

2011-10-17T21:13:00.008-04:00

It's time for Fall Break. That means a trip up north to visit family. We are taking "Flat Avery" with us to meet the cousins in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Benjamin getting ready to play the saxophone.

Andrew played the cello

Kristi and Rachel posing.

The whole family lookin' good!

Woody and Jessie

2011-10-03T23:21:00.002-04:00

Oh, look! It's Woody and Jessie! Or maybe Alex and Avery in their Halloween costumes. There was some talk of daddy Josh dressing up as Stinky Pete. I'd sure like to see that costume.

Happy Birthday, Eireann!

2011-10-03T23:10:00.004-04:00

Eireann turned one year old on September 29th. We had the party at our house so Great Grandma Melba could attend. Eireann was more interested in putting her feet on the table and chewing on my refridgerator magnets than blowing out her birthday candles. She's a cutie, though, and we are so glad to have her.

At the Carnival

2011-09-25T21:25:00.001-04:00

For a fun family outing, we went to a little carnival that was set up in the mall parking lot. Mark and kids, except Brittany who was at a band competetion, Mandy and kids, dad, and I spent an entertaining hour wandering around the grounds and riding rides. Hardly anyone else was there, so we got good long rides. I haven't been to one of these things in years! Ticket prices were exorbitant, but we had a good time.

Group picture, only the whole group isn't in it.

Avery and Alex on the kiddie roller coaster.

Kirk on a parachute ride.

Alex and Mandy on the carosel.

Kirk, Blaine, and Gabriel at the pirate ship.

Cousins on the carosel.

Eireann and I rode on a sled. They wouldn't let us on a horse.

Alex on a boat ride.

Mandy, Avery, Alex, and grandma on the ferris wheel. If you look closely, you can see grandpa and Eireann standing in the shade of the snack bar.

Kirk and the Band

2011-09-22T22:31:00.000-04:00

Kirk got to play at his first school
football game on Tuesday. He plays
the tuba. Find him on the back row.

Here he is next to the sousaphone.

He is to the left of the sousaphone,
waiting for the game to start.

Who Doesn't Love Uncle Mark?

2011-09-16T23:28:00.000-04:00

Alex, Avery, and Eireann came over about 4:30 this afternoon while Mandy and Josh went out. Uncle Mark is so much fun, and the kids love him. He even got little Miss Eireann, the non sleeper, to take a nap! While he was at it, he took a nap himself.

How Does the Garden Grow?

2011-09-16T22:55:00.001-04:00

We put out a small garden late in June. We've had green beans, radishes, tomatoes, green peppers, peas, and now, corn. Avery was very excited about the corn as you can see from the video.

Friends are Forever

2011-08-16T23:29:00.001-04:00

I haven't seen my friend, Royce, in over 15 years. I got to visit with her tonight, and we had a delightful time. Royce knows everything there is to know about camping and outdoor survival. She and I worked together with girl's camp for a few years back in the '80's. She is the one who taught me how to rappel, and then took me rappelling with her. She now lives in Alaska, and is the director of 8 clinics in the Aleutians. She has had many interesting experiences, and I love to listen to her stories. I hope I don't ever lose track of Royce again. She is one of my favorite people.

Broken Thumb

2011-08-14T22:00:00.000-04:00

Kirk attended a church youth activity with me on Saturday, and came home with a broken thumb. He says he got it playing tetherball. The ER doctor told him not to tell anyone about the tetherball. He said to claim it was a football injury.

Back to School and Chicken Pox

2011-08-08T00:47:00.000-04:00

It's back to school time again. I went back on Thursday, and the students return Monday. Mandy's and Mark's kids went back on Friday. So after one day of school, what did Mandy discover on her children? Chicken Pox! Alex and Avery both broke out on Saturday. I fixed them a Chicken Pox care package to help with the boredom and itchiness. They will both get to miss the first week of school.

Happy 87th Birthday Melba!

2011-08-01T21:17:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, July 31st, Melba celebrated her 87th birthday. Here are a few pictures.

Birthday cake

Presents

More From the Beach

2011-07-22T21:23:00.001-04:00

This is the view from our window. What a beautiful location.

Light House Times Two

2011-07-22T21:04:00.000-04:00

We went out to see the Cape Henry Lighthouses. The old one was built in 1791, the first public works project of the new United States. The 'newer' one was built in 1881, and is still in use today. When the old one was built, it was 500 yards from the water. Today, it is only 250 yards. There are 191 stairs to the top of the old lighthouse. I climbed up to get a view from the top. Kinda cool.

Blogger won't let me put captions under these pictures, so from top to bottom they are...

Both lighthouses

Spiral staircase looking down

Me on the stairs

Me at the top looking towards the new lighthouse

The light is supposed to be seen up to 15 miles away.

Aquarium

2011-07-22T20:37:00.000-04:00

We went to the Virginia Aquarium, which has an IMAX theater. Saw a great movie on life under the sea. Then we toured the exhibits

Military Aviation Museum

2011-07-21T14:51:00.000-04:00

B-17

Dad by the B-17

Yesterday we went to the Military Aviation Museum. They have a collection of WWI and WWII planes. Some were originals, some were replicas. It was really interesting. I got to look inside a B-17 like grandpa Bruce used to fly, and walk among the other planes in the hanger. They had the real plane belonging to the Duke of Windsor. He's the one that abdicated the throne. It had a ZIPPER! that opened the fabric to access the engine. Very unique.

At The Beach!

2011-07-20T21:04:00.000-04:00

Mike and I decided to take a quick vacation this summer. After trying in vain to find an affordable motel in Myrtle Beach, I decided to try Virginia Beach. SCORE!!! I got a great deal on a beachfront motel, so here we are. We have a room with 2 queen beds and a view of the ocean.

Big Band Fun Fest Dance 2011

2011-07-20T17:53:00.000-04:00

Mike and the Has Beens played in the Fun Fest afternoon dance. It's so much fun. Mandy's kids had a ball.

Youth Conference 2011

2011-07-19T00:03:00.000-04:00

I attended Youth Conference which was held July 14-16. It was great. The activities were fun-2 dances, a swim party, singing at the nursing home, 3 workshops, and a testimony meeting. We stayed at the homes of members in the Bristol/Abingdon area. The youth are awesome!

Youth pose for a picture.

Birthday Celebrations

2011-07-09T21:27:00.000-04:00

Today we celebrated Blaine's and Brittany's birthdays. What a wild afternoon.

Independence Day Parade 2011

2011-07-04T13:36:00.000-04:00

Happy Independence Day! Went to the parade this morning to see Mark and Mike play with the Kingsport Community band. Mark is in the white shirt with the saxophone, and Mike in the yellow shirt with the red trumpet.

The Farm

2011-06-25T22:36:00.001-04:00

This week Mandy helped out some friends by feeding the animals on their farm while they were away. She invited me to come out and see it. The place is called Mini Meadows, and it's a petting zoo with gem mining. Lots of fun.

Avery's Dance Recital

2011-06-25T22:06:00.001-04:00

Avery has taken dance lessons this year. Today was her first recital. She's so cute in her costume.

Avery Plays T-Ball

2011-06-25T21:55:00.000-04:00

Went to Avery's T-Ball game yesterday. She plays first base, and is a good little athlete.

Camp 2011!

2011-06-20T23:18:00.000-04:00

Watching the canoes

Stake staff skit

I'm on the left.

Getting back in the canoe

Swamping the canoe

Waterslide

Speed Limit sign at entrance to camp. Really?

So much fun at girls' camp this year. New location with air conditioned cabins, lake, and waterslide. Awesome!

Newest Fashion Statement

2011-06-06T23:34:00.000-04:00

Melba's latest fashion trend is a purple cast. She broke her wrist on May 27th. I won't lie, it's been really, really hard, but we all hope she will heal well and without complications.

A NEW CAR!!!

2011-06-02T16:42:00.001-04:00

This is MY new car, and I LOVE it!

It's a 2011 Hyundai Elantra. I've named her Ellie. Isn't she cute when she smiles? See her dimples? This car is supposed to be the best vehicle in the country for gas mileage, getting 47 mpg on the highway and 35 mpg around town. I can't wait to take a trip. The question is...whom should I visit first???

Dollywood!

2011-05-26T21:15:00.000-04:00

By the Fountain...

At the Entrance...

Today I went with Mark and his kids to Dollywood, and I realized why I haven't been in so many years. I don't like amusement park rides. I have trouble with motion sickness, and getting into a contraption that spins me around and makes me dizzy on purpose is just plain silly. Anyhow, I had a pretty good time just watching. I did ride a log flume type thing that got me wet, and tried a different type of attraction where I was harnessed into rock climbing gear, and got to climb ropes and stuff. I liked that one! We stayed about 5 hours and the kids rode all kinds of things. Just as I got in line to ride the ferris wheel, they closed the ride. There were thunder storms in the area, and the rides were shutting down, so we decided to head home. We got caught in a pretty vicious storm, but we sat it out in the car and were able to get home safe and sound. Maybe someday I'll get to go back again. Then I'll ride the ferris wheel.

Storm Damage

2011-05-11T22:26:00.000-04:00

Last night we had a BIG thunderstorm with hail and high winds blow through our area. Mark and I were at Melba's place, dumping her garbage, when her lights flickered and went out. The lights came back on, then flickered out a couple more times. Finally, they came back on and stayed on. It was after midnight before Mark and I left for home. When we got home, our power was out. The reason? A neighbor's tree fell across the power lines. The power company says they won't get out here to fix it until Saturday. That's three more days!!! It's a good thing we have a generator.

What Are Those Splotches?

2011-05-03T21:18:00.001-04:00

See those red splotches on my leg? That's cellulitis. It's a skin infection caused by a bacteria. If left untreated, it can get into the blood and cause sepsis, which can be deadly. This is the second time I've had cellulitis in less than 6 months. Both incidents seemed to stem from an injury to my leg. The first time I ran into a cabinet door; this time I hit it with a chair leg. Nothing happened for a week, then, suddenly, the red blotches appeared. I thought it was a blood clot, but an ultra sound proved otherwise. This can be treated easily with antibiotics, and I've been taking them, so I should be good as new in ten days.

End of an Era

2011-05-01T22:15:00.000-04:00

I love this picture!

Fun pictures of my class this year.

Today marks the end of an era. I was released as an Early Morning Seminary teacher. I've been teaching since 1996. I will finish out this year, which is only 2 more weeks, and then I'll be done. I was called to be the second counselor in the stake Young Women's Presidency. I was in the stake YW presidency for a few months back in the 80's, so I'll feel right at home. Plus I know many of the girls from camp. So, in short, I'll still have 3 stake callings, I'll just get to sleep in until 5:30 now.

Hailstones

2011-05-01T22:10:00.000-04:00

Last week we had some very strong thunderstorms and a few tornadoes go through the area. We are ok, just lost a little siding. Here's a picture of some of the hail.

More Pictures of John and Claire's Visit

2011-04-27T20:04:00.000-04:00

Bronson is so happy to see Grandma and Grandpa.

Bronson and Eireann are friends.

John opens birthday presents, while Mark watches. And yes, that is a bowl of banana pudding.

Bronson 'helps' Eireann with her Binky.

Mandy holds Bronson and Eireann.

We had a girls day out to get our nails done. I had promised Mandy french nails for her birthday. She waited until now to have them done so we could all go together.

Nails

Surpriiiiiiiiiise!!!

2011-04-26T22:37:00.000-04:00

Grandpa, Grandma, John, Bronson

Bronson with Uncle Mark

Melba and Bronson with Corduroy.

Claire, John, and Bronson

Look who showed up on our doorstep unannounced! John, Claire, and Bronson, along with their puppies! I was speechless. What a wonderful surprise. While they were here, we celebrated John's birthday and Easter. Mark and kids joined us, as well as Mandy and family. What good times. I tried to post a video, but there was some problem, and it wouldn't upload. More to come later.

Mandy's Birthday Dinner

2011-04-05T17:58:00.001-04:00

Dinner at the Roadhouse

Mandy's birthday tower

Mandy and birthday tower

Tomorrow is Mandy's 29th birthday. Because she has church responsibilities on Wednesday nights, we decided to celebrate her birthday yesterday with dinner at Texas Roadhouse. Dad and Melba got her a special gift, an Eiffel Tower. Happy Birthday, Mandy dear. We love you.

Eireann's New Trick

2011-04-01T23:14:00.000-04:00

While we were gone to Wisconsin, Eireann got her first 2 teeth and learned to sit by herself!

Home Again

2011-03-31T11:49:00.000-04:00

Mana, Ellie, Violet

Toenail painting time

Savannah and Ellie in dance costumes

Papa and Madelyn are best friends

Mana and Papa with 4 girls

We made it home from our trip to Wisconsin at about 1 A.M. this morning. We loved visiting with our northern families. I'm posting a few pictures of our trip. Mandy had picked up Laddie and Moses the cat, and they were at home waiting for us. Laddie looks and seems to feel better than he has in a long time. I'm glad our dog is still with us.

I'm still trying to figure out how to move pictures around and put them where I want them. Any ideas?

Piano Concert-Part One

2011-03-27T21:04:00.000-04:00

Mike and Nicole's kids all take piano lessons from a former Russian concert pianist, and are very good. They are practicing for a recital later this spring. Moroni is teaching his girls piano, and they are just beginners. We had a concert this afternoon. Here are three of them. Rachel

Andrew

Ellie

Violet's Blessing

2011-03-27T18:32:00.000-04:00

Violet Elaine

Mills/Hoffer family

Sleepyheads

Violet was blessed at church today. Moroni gave her a wonderful blessing. There were lots of Mills and Hoffer relatives here to celebrate. Violet and Moroni were very tired after it was all over.

Wisconsin At Last

2011-03-26T21:45:00.000-04:00

Grandkids at Quaker Steak and Lube

Benjamin's Big Burger

Mike at Quaker Steak and Lube

Ah, Wisconsin. The snow flurries started almost as soon as we crossed the border. It was so good to see Moroni and Mike and their families. The kids are all so cute, of course. We started out with a fun meal at a place called Quaker Steak and Lube. The atmosphere there is spectacular, with cars and motorcycles hanging from the ceiling and walls. Very cool. Then everyone came to the motel to swim. Good Times!

On Our Way

2011-03-25T21:05:00.000-04:00

SPRING BREAK!!! After way too much drama with a poor sick Laddie dog, we finally left on our trip to Wisconsin. I know most people go to the beach for spring break, but we have a beautiful new granddaughter whom we haven't met yet, so that's where we are headed. We stopped for the night at a Ramada Inn in Sellersburg, Indiana. The accomodations are really nice. It's also right next door to a Cracker Barrel restaurant and a Dairy Queen. Here we are after dinner, sitting by the fireplace. I really like the picture of dad alone. Everyone has been so friendly that I'm tempted to stop by again on the way home. By the way, Laddie is at the vet's again with vomiting and bloody urine. He hasn't eaten since Tuesday. He finally started drinking yesterday, so that's good. The vet says they will keep him over the weekend and hopefully Laddie will start eating again. More to come on our trip up north...

Big Band Dance

2011-03-11T23:15:00.000-05:00

Dad and his red trumpet at the big band dance. Sorry the picture is fuzzy.

Melanie's Birthday!

2011-03-04T20:42:00.000-05:00

Today is Melanie's birthday. We've been blessed to have this wonderful daughter in our lives for 40 fantastic years. Where has the time gone? Where is the little girl I carried? Where is the little child at play? I don't remember growing older, when did they? (Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof) Happy Birthday, Melanie! Love you bunches.

Nobody Knows the Trouble Mark's Seen

2011-03-03T21:46:00.000-05:00

Monday, February 28th. It was a dark and stormy day in Knoxville, Tennessee. The rains fell and the winds blew. Mark drove his car to work, parked it in the lot, and took the company vehicle to deliver patients to their appointments. He came back to find his car under water, and no way to get to his office. A flash flood had covered the area with 5 feet of water. Some days it just doesn't pay to get out of bed.

Putt-Putt

2011-02-19T10:08:00.001-05:00

The day was sunny, so we decided to play Putt-Putt. Here are a few pictures of the outing.

Avery sinks a putt.

Blaine tees off.

Alex gets ready.

Alex tries the loop de loop.

The whole group at the end of the day.

It's My Birthday

2011-02-19T10:03:00.000-05:00

So, it was my birthday. Mark and kids, Mandy and kids, and Great Grandma Melba came to help me celebrate. The kids enjoyed birthday cookie, while the adults had strawberry shortcake.

Weekend Fun

2011-01-24T20:40:00.001-05:00

Mark came to visit this weekend and brought the kids. We went bowling. I haven't been bowling in over 10 years. We had such a good time. I won one game with a score of 113 or something ridiculous like that. The next game I lost with a score of 56, which is equally ridiculous. When we were all finished, and Mark sat down and leaned over to take off the bowling shoes, he split his pants. That meant we had to make a stop at the mall to get Mark some jeans. The ones he was wearing were the only ones he had. Brittany laughed and laughed. She immediately posted it to her facebook account right from her cell phone. I'm going to try to include a video clip of me bowling.

Laddie

2011-01-07T17:32:00.000-05:00

Laddie dog's had it tough this week. On Monday, he started throwing up. He couldn't even keep water down. He also had LARGE quantities of blood in his urine. I thought this was it, that the cancer had gotten the best of him and he was dying. I took him to the vet first thing Tuesday morning. The vet confirmed that he was very sick. They did tests and found that the cancer now fills a large part of his bladder. They kept him overnight on fluids and meds. I picked him up after work on Wednesday. He wouldn't eat or drink anything. On Thursday morning I stuffed some medicine down his throat, but he still wouldn't eat. When I got home from work Laddie met me at the door with his tail wagging. I asked if he wanted to go for a walk, and he got very excited. So we went for a walk. I let him lead and go wherever he wanted to go. He loved it. When we got home, I offered him some cheese, and he ATE it!! So, long story short, Laddie is now eating and drinking and seems to feel fine. I don't know how much more time he has, but he's going to be the most loved dog in the world until that time comes.

It's a new year.

2011-01-02T17:44:00.000-05:00

Welcome to 2011. Laddie and I were up early to welcome the day, which turned out to be rainy.
Mark and kids spent New Year's Eve with us to help us ring in the new year. Then they crashed like in the John Denver song about grandma's feather bed. They're so sweet when they're asleep.

Twas the day after Christmas

2010-12-26T21:12:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas! So, I figured it was about time to update this blog. Dad had done the previous posts, so now it's my turn. Yesterday was Christmas. We had a large pile of presents as you can see. Mark and Melba joined us to open presents, and we had a very nice time. The big news was the SNOW! It is really unusual for us to get snow for Christmas in Tennessee. Yes, I know it's nothing like the snow in Minnesota, but it's a start. It's been snowing off and on for 2 days, and we now have about 2 inches. Mandy had a scary ride home last night when the roads froze over while she was at our house. But she made it, only sliding a couple of times.

Mark and kids are spending the weekend. We've played Yahtzee, made Dirt Pudding, played in the snow, and now Mark is teaching the kids to juggle. I should have taken pictures. I'll do better next time.

Lord's Prayer (played in Church 13Jun2010)

2010-06-13T13:34:00.000-04:00

Hello, Hello

2010-06-08T00:17:00.001-04:00

This is our blog, I think.

Gabe 2010 B_Day Movie

2010-06-07T23:59:00.000-04:00

Here's the bday singing for Gabe.