AWAY FOR A HOLIDAY AND SERVICE

I have been away to Scotland to spend a long weekend with my Uncle and Auntie who are serving a mission in Edinburgh. I will post some photos and tell you about my coming and going soon.

But more importantly this week I have been helping my neighbor who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer early summer. They think that they got it all. But they are having her do Chemo just to
make sure. She has lost her hair and is now wearing some beautiful scarves. She is so tired so I am trying to help her with some things on a daily basis. I hope that you will add her to your prayers that she may have the strength to carry on through the chemo regime and that they really and truly did get the cancer before it spread.

So while life is busy I have been busy taking some pictures to add to my post. Hopefully tomorrow I can have a few minutes to add a post.

Hope you have a great day!!

Matt and who he is!!

Such a unique kid!! Sure am glad he is my son. He brings a lot of uniqueness to our family.

Every Body Loves Rooster
Rooster is our Border Collie Dog. He came into our family summer of 2007. Matt our son and Justin my nephew went out to a ranch in Wyoming to help someone with Branding. They called me while on the road and said "Hey will you pick up some dogfood we have brought a gift home for Hal (a close friend). Oh NO I thought.

Well Hal lives on a busy road so Rooster stayed at our house and everyone fell in love with him. Alex who was still in Norway told her father that she wanted the dog. And of course he said yes. So after shots and waiting for days. Matt brought him across the water to us. And I am telling you EVERYBODY LOVES ROOSTER!

He is so obedient, loving, and fun. Alex plays hide and go seek with him. She tells him to stay in the kitchen then runs off and hides the calls him. He races around the house looking for her. Then barks a funny bark when he finds her. He never lets her out of his sight and follows her everywhere. If you try to hug and love on her he barks and barks. Especially is she is calling his name. I am telling you EVERYBODY LOVES ROOSTER!!

Even Grandma Susan loves him. She even let him into her house this summer while I was outside painting her house. I am telling you EVERYBODY LOVES ROOSTER!

Thanks Matt and Justin for bringing him home, Thanks Alex for asking for him, and Thanks Steve for letting us keep him. He sure makes my days less lonely. He goes every where with me. I am know as the lady in the red van with the dog who looks and acts like a human.
I am telling you EVERYBODY LOVES ROOSTER!!
(He even flies home with us in the summer to be on the ranch because EVERYBODY LOVES ROOSTER!!)

Alex Our daughter and what she does!!
I promise that is her under that costume!!

Well you ask what doesn't she do? Well she doesn't babysit, she doesn't cause any headaches to her mom and dad, BUT the best part is she DOESN'T CHASE BOYS!!!! (yet?!?!?)

A Few Norway Beauties
Norway is one of the most beautiful countries that I have lived in or visited. The vast ruggedness of the fjord, the cultured farm lands, and the many waterway are amazing. I hope you enjoy these pics.
This is a fresh water lake up in the mountains.

The farms are very efficiently run and are tidy, organized and clean.

Almost every little village has a white church with a steeple and graveyard surrounding it.

This is just small taste of Norway. Hope you enjoyed it!!

Sprinkler Pipe Moving Day Hooray!!

Each summer before the sprinklers can be turned on, they always have to be adjusted and moved. During the winter Dan ties them off to the fence, but the snow and wind move them so that they are not evenly matched up and cannot be connected. So out comes the work crew to accomplish the task. In the picture above Dan is instructing us on what needs to happen. Of course he isn't sure that anyone listened!!

Dan is probably thinking "Rooster you are the only one who is paying attention to what I said!"

Grandpa is probably thinking man are my grandsons growing up. They are all of them way taller than me!!

Wait!! What are these two up to? Are they riding off into the sunset, taking a joy ride, or sitting down on the job! No way not these two they are some of the best workers. They are being "goofers" They are going for this and that. Actually they are going for the big hammer that is needed to get the pipes undone.

Ok Now that Dan has the tool we can get the show on the road!!

Grandpa is thinking Boy do these young pups take forever to get anything accomplished!! I had better have a rest. What do you think Rooster would you agree? Grandpa all I am thinking is being a black dog out here sure makes it hot and is it time for my nap yet?

I will get this one Janson, No Steve I will get this one!!

Ok we are going to move it to the South on the count of three. Everyone in position?

One, Two, Three. Shauna where are you? Well someone has to take the pictures!!

One last tug!! Well done guys. Couldn't have done it without you!!

Rooster that is hard work!! Let's head home!!

A Morning Step Thought
This morning I was sitting out on my front steps (pictured above) and looking out into the harbor smelling the fresh air, listening to the sounds of our little area come to life. Many thoughts were running through my head. But the main thought that kept coming to me was..
HOW GRATEFUL I AM FOR...

A man who appreciates thinking about things that are important in this life.

A man who loves the same things I do and enjoys doing them. (not sure how much Alex was enjoying this ride though)

Who looks handsome in his work clothes

A man who loves the Norwegian people and loves to be a part of people's lives through visiting, listening and helping.

A man who loves my father dearly and loves just being with him, laughing with him, sharing ideas with him, sitting quietly and enjoying the simple things that life has to offer with them.

I am grateful for a son who has the love of horses like I do. (although it is getting to the stage now of where he knows way more than I do about them)

A son who has chosen an honorable profession that of being a cowboy and that he works so hard at it.

That he always has a rope in his hand.

That he is courageous enough to try new things and works at being good at them.

A beautiful daughter.(who I might add is a great gate opener!!)

For a daughter that will open a new door and broaden her horizons with a smile on her face.

A daughter who is funny and will tease her brother and love her dog. (those are Matt's boots and he has been looking for them!)

A daughter who when she smiles the whole room lights up because she truly knows that she is a daughter of God and lives that way.

What a blessed woman I am. Of course there are so many more things that I am grateful for but this blog is getting really long this morning so I will save those other things for another day!!