Update

It's hard to give an update when I have no idea what we are doing! Going? Staying? Staying? Going? Either way I'll be fine.
In the Army way, our mobilization orders officially ended September 30. However, we got a set of AT (annual training) orders to keep us going for another couple of weeks. Then we received another kind of orders to keep us going for ANOTHER couple of weeks. I don't much care what the orders say as long as they say we're getting paid! The apartment is under lease and we still have a roof over our heads so we're not very worried about that. Basically, it would be nice to have orders that carry us until the boys end the semester. They still want to keep Mike until at least March but they would love to get a waiver and keep him until next September. The bottom line is that we'll continue to enjoy our surroundings for as long as they let us.
We hope to make the drive to Utah for Christmas. With two babies, one that I've NEVER seen (Isaac) and one that's grown alot since the last time I saw her at her blessing (Kari), I have alot of catching up to do. To add to our joy, Sara's baby (sex unknown) is due in just a few days. It will be nice to be all together even for a week.
So, until we know what we are doing, or better yet what the Army is doing, we'll just stay put!
Much love, VZ

Paranoid? I think not!

As a parent/grandparent, I watch with wonder at what is going on in our country and think to myself, who can survive? Yet, I am at peace with the knowledge of Who is in charge.

It wasn't so long ago that our generation (for the purpose of this article "their" means Grandpa Mike/Grandma Alice, "our" means Mike and Vicki and "your" means our children) looked at our parents and thought they were crazy in many ways; they didn't "get" our music, they didn't like our hair, they paid cash, they nosed into our business at school, etc. With age comes wisdom and as we grew older, what we perceived as crazy, turned into admiration, for we saw in our parents a moral compass that helped us eventually figure out who we were and what we wanted.

I know many of your generation think that your parents are sheep who blindly follow. Let me assure you, for most of us, nothing could be further from the truth. We do have our concerns, however, about where this generation is being led and by whom. So your perceptions of "conservative" miss the mark. We are terribly vigilant! We have seen, with our old eyes, what is happening and want to shake your generation and shout, till we are hoarse, "Where does this path lead? Do you see what you are giving up? Who will defend your rights when we of this generation are gone?

The word paranoia now creeps into conversations being held nationwide and young adults are again shaking their heads with the claim that we are paranoid. Again the mark is missed. We are vigilant! And we are sad, so sad, at what we watch unfold because we aren't vigilant enough.

I wish that words like liberal and conservative were gone from politics. I wish that we had elected officials who didn't think their job was more than a temporary position. I wish that we didn't have a nation so indebted to foreign nations that even our great-grandchildren will be dealing with it. I wish that we didn't have poor or hungry. I wish we didn't have homeless. I wish that our education was the best in the world. I wish the sick could be taken care of. That isn't liberal thinking! It's Christlike thinking. The problem is that Christlike people aren't in charge. We are in the latter days as foretold in the BoM.

I love to read, and I love to keep track of politics both world and domestic. I feel I have the intelligence to discern for myself what is praiseworthy and of good report. So, I was especially fascinated by the article I recently read in an LDS based magazine. I thought it important enough to share. Again, it is vigilance that motivates me to share this, not whacko paranoia!

http://www.ldsmag.com/ideas/090903disease.html

Welcome Baby!

A few weeks ago I posted that I had a hole in my heart; this week, the holes been plugged up and blessings abound!

First of all, our lives have been blessed with the "more than temporary" return of Trevor and Kyle. Their mom is headed off to school and it was decided that it would be best if the boys had a more stable situation, so they are living here with us in Texas. The only way you could top this is if somehow I could have the other grandkids (age almost 8 and up) with us too. Ah, heck, send 'em all! I can take it!

The boys are excited at the prospect of going to a new school and making new friends. I was very nervous about this but our first impression of the staff is favorable and they were most welcoming. Trevor has discovered that he can keep his AP classes AND play in the school band with a much coveted duel valve french horn. Kyle is doing something I've never wanted him to do; he's going to play football! Well, what's the harm? I say to myself... all of the other kids I saw were the same size as him! Besides, I'm reminded that we are living in Texas and kids here start playing football early. I noticed that the end rails on most cribs look like the cross bars of a goal post!

As you can see above, Jana and Chris welcomed their little Izaak (I think that's how it's spelled) earlier today. He was over a week early but you wouldn't know it by his weight; round as a football, he is. Maybe he's part Texan. It is hard to be away from these kinds of events but I'm willing to let Chris' mom enjoy her first grandchild for awhile.

So, again, the Lord has seen fit to bless our family once again. And again this mother's/grandmother's heart is as it should be; mended again.

The Hole in My Heart

Yesterday (29 July) at 7:13pm the last of our visitors left on a plane for home. At 7:14p I was left with a great big hole in my heart.
Starting way back at Easter, Sara and Matt brought the family and spent almost a week with us. We had a great time going to a baseball game, eating at Pappadeaux's, going miniature golfing and playing Wii. Last month on the 26th of June we began hosting two groups of grandsons. Alex Zollinger, Andrew Mortensen and Luke Moroz were the first group to come to Texas. We had a great time swimming, going to a baseball game, going to a movie, playing Legos, playing Wii, eating at Pappadeaux's (seafood), eating at Cousin's BBQ, eating at Nina's (mexican), eating at Appleby's, eating at Trail Dust (steak) and hanging out with Grandpa Mike at the Army. What made it so exciting for them is getting to fly by themselves to get here.
After a two week visit, the boys and I flew back to SLC and I spent a week there with the family. Well, actually, I stayed part of that time in a hotel which the grandkids love because they can go swimming. We also had a two hour family reunion at Famous Dave's BBQ. We were only missing Michael with Taylor, Jamie and Matt (who had to be at a school conference). It was lots of fun and more importantly it was easy! I just ordered six of those garbage can lids filled with different kinds of bbq, beans and coleslaw. Grandma "Hair" (Zollinger) joined us and we had a great time basking in the noise of the grandkids/great-grandkids.
On the 15th of July I came back to Texas joined by Trevor and Kyle Zollinger. They had a great time playing Wii and Legos. We ate at Pappadeux's, Nina's, Johnny Carino's, Cousin's, Cheddar's (bbq) and IHOP's. We went to a baseball game, an aquarium and played miniature golf. Do you see the pattern of entertainment? Eat and play, play and eat, then eat and play some more!
It's been a really great summer. Now, I realize that it's been five weeks since Mike and I were on our own...and we're really BORING!
Thank you to the parents who were willing to part with their children and entrusting them to us. Thanks to the boys who kept us on our toes and helped us have a really great summer. We miss the noise and look forward to being home with all of you. Actually that may be sooner than we thought...but that's another story. We will enjoy the time we have left here in Texas. After that, onward to a mission!
Much love,
Miss Vicki (the name comes from my good friend SSG Joe Stephens who hails from the great state of Arkansas)

Fifth Day in Texas-Kyle

So the first thing we did yesterday was wake up eat and then go to church. Church was fun the lesson was cool too. After church we went to my grandpa's work and stayed for a couple hours. So then soon as we got home to the apartments we took a nap and watched t.v., oh and I beat Ratatouille. So then we played three games go, phase 10, and Zarahemla. As you guys all know I lost every single game so that just proves I suck at bored games. And that is what I did that day.

The End

Fifth day in Texas-Trevor

Sunday, was a game night day. We played three games: Go, Phase Ten, and Settlers of Zarahemla. You could tell my grandparents and my brother were scared. They know I'm the bomb, or King of the Board Games. I guess it turn out how I wanted it though, seeing that I was one of the ones losing, but hey that's life.

While we played games we had ice-cream. Chocolate, thrice chocolate, and cookies and cream. Delicious! My brother and I also played some video games on the Wii, that was fun too. Just another day in Texas, guess the heat must have something to do with it. Well, got to go and act like a Texan. Yee-ha!

Fourth day in Texas-Trevor

OK, so this is my fourth day in Texas, but before I can get to that I have to say yesterday was an awkward day, I wake up and I get ready as usual, but this time my Grandpa tells us raccoon! I think he's kidding. It turns out he wasn't I saw a raccoon outside the apartment just hanging there on the door. Now, that was a surprise. So, back to the fourth day in Texas it's morning now and were just waking up.

There you have it, our fourth day in Texas! Just kidding. I'll just go back to the third day in Texas, we ate out at some seafood restaurant. The food was great, seeing that I had the fried shrimp, my brother getting the boiled, my Grandpa getting halibut with potatoes, and lastly my Grandma getting chicken and mashed potatoes, a lot of mashed potatoes. I have no idea what we're going to do today. I guess all I can do is wait! Well, blog ya'll later.

Second day in Texas-Kyle

The first thing I did on the second day is read, and then I played Wii. Then a couple hours later we went to the army training center to go see my grandpa working, after that we went to go eat at a sea food restaurant. After dinner we went to the apartments and went swimming. And then we went to watch t.v. Then went to bed.

The End

First time in Texas-Trevor

Well, this is my first time is Texas. As soon as we got here it was like BOOM! The heat hit me like a speeding bullet, I was guessing it was over 100 degrees. As soon as we actually set foot on Texas ground this strange feeling came over me, I looked in the distance and what's this? No mountains! Yes, it was strange, but at the same time it was cool. This just tells you how flat Texas really is.

Not only do they have nice flat area, but I hear they have great barbecue, only we didn't have barbecue, we had Italian food which was still good. I had pizza with an almost vegetarian style. I had five toppings to choose from I chose four vegetables and one meat, Italian sausage. Then after we had fun in the afternoon we went into the evening, time to hit the stores! We had ice-cream, and wow as soon as we stepped outside the ice-cream started to melt like a snail moving, I guess even in the shade it's still hot. After the ice-cream we went to another store Wal-Mart.

The parking lot there was filled and when you go inside the amount of people in there is, I guess the proper term is a lot. After Wal-Mart we went home to the apartments and watched some good old television. Soon after that I got a little tired and decided it's time for bed, so with that I took a shower, brushed my teeth, and went to bed. First time in Texas not so bad, I guess I'll see how it passes the Trevor test.

First day in Texas- Kyle

So we are in Texas and we took a plane to get here. So the first thing we did is eat at a restaurant and I ate lasagna. And then we went to the apartments, so while we were there we played Wii and we had lots of fun, and then I played with bead stuff and made a L.A. Dodgers sign. So after we played Wii we went to Cold Stone and I got bubblegum flavor with gummy bears and sprinkles in it. After that we went to Walmart to buy stuff. And we went to Kroger to buy milk. So then we went home and watched T.V until we went to bed. And thats what we did that day.

The End

Life in Texas

For the next couple of weeks Trevor and Kyle will be using this blog to write of their activities while here in GPTx. So...enjoy!

Construction Traffic

I'm visiting home (SLC) and when I'm here I stay at the Baymont Hotel over by the E-Center in WVC. It seems that everytime I'm here, the city is doing major road work. Usually I bypass the traffic by driving around the construction mess. Yesterday I made the mistake of driving through it!
I didn't really stress over three lanes of traffic merging into one. I had nothing but time so I just went with the flow, the very slow flow. But an interesting thought popped into my head and here's what I found myself thinking. There was a gospel principle at work in this construction zone and I wanted to figure out what it was...and I did!
There are basically two types of drivers in this situation; those who are extremely territorial about their place in line and those who are gracious. The first group is pretty focused on getting where they want to go and they do this by subtley ignoring (and sometimes not so subtley)those who want to get into the line and quickly close any gap between their car and the car in front. The second group (sometimes to the chagrin of the car behind) will let a car after car come into the line. Where is the gospel principle? Well here it is.
Our life as a Latter Day Saint is kind of like the road in construction. It's the road that will get us where we want to go. It's the "forever family" road and we get so focused on the journey that sometimes in our rush (gotta get to ?, gotta go to ? you fill in the blanks) we ignor, subtley and sometimes not so subtley, those who are looking to get on the road with us. For example; how many times do we turn our head to avoid making eye contact with someone of different status (you know what I'm talking about; beggars, tattooed/pierced wonders, those who "just don't look the type") essentially closing the gap between the cars, so to speak, so they can't get on the road. While there are those who would stop to give a coat to a homeless man and say, "Here, get in front of me, I'll let you in".
Yesterday, I let as many cars as I could get on the road. Tomorrow, I will pay more attention to others who want to travel the same direction as me.
It was just a thought while driving...

Lost Video

I was cleaning out my video storage on the computer and came across this clip. It was too good NOT to share. By the end of two weeks, I should have a lot more; Luke, Alex Z and Drew have come to visit us in Texas for the next couple of weeks. It was the first time flying for Drew and Alex but Luke is pro.

The first thing they said was, "It's HOT!" Welcome to Texas! They were very grateful for air-conditioning in cars and homes. They spent the afternoon chomping on the bit to go to the pool so they could cool off. I didn't have the heart to tell them, it's so hot that the water is NOT cool but tepid. I also won't let them go out in the heat of the day because, I told them, "You'll burn!" The truth is, I'm not dumb enough to sit in the heat to lifeguard. I make them wait until 4:00 AND their grandpa is home.

They're having a good time because Grandma let's them play Wii Fit. I do it under the guise of exercise but it's too funny to pass up the opportunity for a good laugh. Hula Hoop is one of my favorites but Soccer is right up there as well as Star Wars (not a Wii Fit but oh well).

I'm amazed at the ability of kids to know instinctively how to play a game. Mike and I have purchased a few games for the kids to play while they were here. We spend most of the time staring at the game and thinking to ourselves, "This will bore them!" I've noticed that KNOWING how to play a game makes it so NOT boring.

I bought the Tiger Woods '08 Golf game as well as the new '10 version. We love to play the golf game in the Wii Sports so I thought it would be really fun to play a Tiger Woods version and have more options. The '10 model even comes with an attachment that tells you how your swing is or what modifications to make to improve your game. We're not using it yet because, frankly, we haven't finished making our virtual selves yet. I tried and after completing my face, hair, body (all with options for birthmarks, wrinkles and age spots) I looked like my good friend, SFC Angela Burt. Only one tiny problem...she's black, taller than me and completely fit. I would be happy with that but then the computer would expect me to play like a young, fit person! Not to mention that I've completely offended my friend SFC Burt! So, I'll try again to get closer to the old, wrinkled, age-spotted Mexican that I am...but by then I'll be too tired to actually play the game!

Much love,

VZ

What it's All About

People ask what it is that Mike does. Yesterday I had a chance to go into the field and act as an imbedded photographer to see for myself what he does. Here it is! He and his staff teach soldiers to save lives! I've never had a chance to watch the class do this training in the field and was blown away by the reality of it. The gunfire sounded too real and the IV's were really real! I hope the video does it justice...

Much love, Vicki

  

     

The Things Kids Say

I love to read other peoples blogs when it includes some of the funny things their kids say. Sara's blog ranks up there with some of the clever things that her boys have said. So, after reading Sara's blog today about something Owen said (see her blog) it reminded me of some of the things my own kids said, years and years and YEARS ago.

Michael after the first day of kindergarden:
"Mommy, I can spell Billy. B-I-eleven-Y".

Four year old Kent running down the stairs from the bathroom:
Kent: "Mommy, there's a "shly" in the bathroom"!
Me: "A what"?
Kent: "A shly"!
Me: "Kent say fff".
Kent: "Thhh".
Me: "No, FFF".
After about 5 minutes of practicing the "fl" sound I asked him, "Now what did you see"?
A frustrated Kent responded, "A bee"!

But the following has to be my all time favorite.

I was standing by the sink washing dishes. At the time I was very pregnant with my seventh child. Eight year old Sara was sitting at the kitchen table watching me when her father came home from work. He put his arms around me and gave me a quick kiss on the neck. In a very disgusted tone Sara blurted, "Sex, sex, sex"! A little shocked I asked her what she meant. She drummed her fingers on the table, shifted from one elbow to the other and after a few moments said, "Oh, never mind. YOU wouldn't understand"!

I'm sure I'll remember other things that were said but have reached my max for the morning!
Much love, VZ

Happy Mother's Day (after all)!

Mother's Day has not always been my favorite holiday. I think it forces our children to sometimes tell "little white lies" about how wonderful their mother is. Truth be told, I haven't felt so wonderful many, MANY times. Mother's carry so much guilt about the "would have, could have, should haves". 

As I've been here in Texas without my family for awhile, I've had occasion to think about some of my experiences over the last 38 years as a mother.

It hasn't been easy, in fact sometimes it's been "I can't do this anymore" hard. I think we've all been there (if anyone has NOT been there, why are you still here? You should have already been translated!). However time and age have a way of changing perspectives about the way things were and maybe it's the Lords way of granting us respite from the memories of that difficult journey.

When I think of my own mother at this point in my life, I remember that...

1. My mom was always at school or in the community working on some committee.

2. My mother was quiet; she didn't yell, she didn't cuss, and she always took care of us.

3. My mother had more friends my age than I did. Kids wanted her for THEIR mom.

4. AND, my mother loved us! She never said it. I just knew it.

5. She was unmatched in her love for her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren.

Are these the things I always thought about my mom? Hardly! I thought my mom was so mean! She whacked us with a broom for heavens sake! Sometimes she used a belt. She didn't need to yell or cuss 'cause we knew when she was mad. I knew she didn't love me because she never did as much with me as she did with my sisters. In fact at one point I knew I must have been adopted; I didn't look like my sisters, I wasn't athletic like my sisters. Yup, I must have been adopted!

I only told my mother "I hate you" once; it was, as I look back, a pivotal moment in my life. I left home in anger and made some really bad choices. It was several years before I found solid footing again and started my own family. I started my family with the promise that I would never "be like my mother"! 

I failed! I find myself saying things and sounding just like my mother. In fact, I'm very much like my mother...

1. You can often find me at the school or on some committee.

2. Although I AM a yeller and screamer, I've always tried to take care of my family.

3. I have lots of friends that are the same age as my kids AND they think I'm way cool!

4. I love my kids. They are each one different, talented; they come in all shapes and sizes but I love them.

5. I am the luckiest grandma in the whole wide world 'cause my grandchildren are perfect!

Like my mother, I don't say "I love you" enough and I wonder; will my own kids know, like I do, that their mom loved them? Will their memories of "the meanest mom" or "I hate you" be replaced with memories of camping trips, Glamour Shots, and trips to the zoo? I wonder and hope that time will soften their perceptions of the way things were.

Happy Mother's Day! 

Much love, VZ

Happy Birthday Charley

Happy Birthday two year old! I can't believe how big you've gotten. I hope you had a great birthday.
Much love, Grandma Vicki

Happy Birthday Harper

Dear Harper, 

I hope that your birthday is a great one. I sure had a fun time visiting with you while you were here in Texas. Did your mom make a really yummy carrot cake? I've included a video of you from not long ago to celebrate your youth. It's going to make your mom cry so have a tissue ready. Have a wonderful day! 

Much love, Grandma Vicki 

 

                                             

Four Most Caring Words

"We can't afford it"...
I love to watch those home shows on HGTV, one of my favorite being the makeovers. They take a home of modest looks and turn them into "gorgeous living areas". They have experts that know the right colors to use and the perfect fabrics to complement.
My other favorites are the shows where people are looking for a home to buy. Some of them are looking for an upgrade in living area (more space for a growing family, etc) but many of them are first time home buyers. I've been fascinated at what they perceive as "necessity". As they tour a home you watch their eyes as they walk into a master bathroom with all the amenities; a jetted tub, showers with two shower heads so you can get hit from both sides (actually not a bad idea for those of us who have ample "two sides"), walk-in closets that have space for 100 pair of shoes and 30 suits (not to mention space for matching purses). They move on to the kitchen where they talk about the color of the granite counter tops "not being quite right" and "we'll have to replace those cabinets but I love the stainless steel appliances, oh, there's no ice maker in the refrigerator". On to the yard; the yard is huge but it only has a two car garage. "We could park the boat at a storage somewhere..." and on it goes!
When I think of the homes we've owned I think of what I would have liked them to look like; I would have liked a master bathroom where you couldn't reach both sides of the room with outstretched arms. I would have liked a master bedroom that could hold a rocker (for rocking babies and for old people) as well as two night stands. Still today, I would love a family room that could hold all of us for Christmas dinner. And then I take a moment to think...
Our home, humble, undecorated has done everything it was meant to do and we could afford it!
We've been married nearly forty years and our family has been sheltered, fed and clothed because we didn't feel it necessary to have a beautifully decorated interior. Each child had a bed. No child walked around naked. Not one went hungry. Bathrooms accomodated us in our daily needs and the kitchen was more than adequate in spite of the fact that we didn't have an ice maker; I think we had one once but I gave it up for more freezer space.
Our yard has been a neighborhood playground for years with it's swingset and space to play soccer. The garden's given us tomatoes, zuccini and "salsa blend" (ask Luke, that's his story to tell). We've had chickens, rabbits, ducks and dogs; currently the animals outnumber the humans! The point is this. Many times there are things we would have liked to have or do but had to say to ourselves "we can't afford it".
Today we find ourselves in a position where we can afford almost anything we might want and yet still ask ourselves "can we afford it"? We want to go on a mission when the Army is through with us. We want to go on family vacations that the kids/grandkids will remember forever. I want to know that our years supply will take care of all of us. I want to know that paying a bigger fast offering was more important than a matching pair of shoes and purse.
So using the counsel given to us by Robert D Hales at last months GC (his full talk can be found at byutv.org), we still take a moment to determine the reason we are buying something; do we need it or do we want it?
I'm thankful that our home is still standing tall and fulfilling it's purpose; it shelters four parents, six and one half grandchildren and will continue to do so. We are blessed!
Much love, VZ

**disclaimer...I'm not perfect and yes, we did buy that Wii :) In fact Mike and I use it daily in our fitness program and last night we golfed, bowled, boxed and played tennis. The Wii Fit says we are 48 yrs fit! Gotta love it!

**disclaimer...we hope someday our home will not have to shelter four parents, six and one half grandchildren OR all those animals! They will be blessed to have homes of their own... :D

More Wii

Wii Fit?

No, Wii isn't, but Wii's funny! I've been laughing hysterically since Wii bought the very thing Wii've been avoiding. Have you guessed yet? Yes, Wii've entered the world of Wii.
I wanted it because, quite frankly, Mike and I enjoy the bowling and golf, even if we did use the kids as an excuse. That's not what finally sparked our interest in the purchase. It was the Wii Fit program that Wii had heard so much about. And it's been worth every penny!
This is a quite a nifty little gadget with the capability of diagnosing your BMI, your balance and working your behind off! It calculates the time you spend on the workout and keeps track of your progress. That, however, is not why I'm having so much fun with it; it's watching people of all ages and size do...the hula hoop! I've watched Sara and her family do it. I've watched our army friends do it. It is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. But don't take my word for it...see for yourselves. I'll have to split up the videos but I promise, it's worth it! Enjoy!
Much love, VZ

Alone Again

Well, Sara and her family left Thursday morning. It's very quiet! :D Enough said...hehehe.
Much love, VZ

Nagel's Come to Texas

We got to do some really fun things while the boys were here. Swimming and a baseball game topped the list. Enjoy the pics!

Swimming, Baseball and Boys

Sara and Matt have been with us since Friday, April 10th. The weather hasn't been as warm as it was the last two weeks but it hasn't dampened the boys spirits...or their desire to take advantage of the apartment pool. On Saturday they talked their dad into taking them swimming but mostly that just meant putting their behinds in the unheated kiddie pool and then warming up in the hot tub.
It reminded me of the time my dad took our family on a vacation to Yosemite. We stayed overnite at June Lake and it was so cold that my dad had to heat rocks in the campfire and then bury them in the dirt under the tent. The tent was toasty, we were toasty...until the next day when our dad took us swimming in the lake. It was freezing! We went in the water anyway because it was our vacation and that's what you do on vacation! The boys are on vacation. They don't care if they're freezing!
Last night for FHE we went to see the Texas Rangers play against the Baltimore Orioles. We've been looking at the stadium from the outside for four months and waiting for the time we could be inside that beautiful place. It seemed natural that our first time would be with some of our grandsons. We took the time to go online to find the best ticket deals and found one that seemed feasible; the "take an empty Dr Pepper can, get a ticket for half price" offer. So, before the game we bought Dr Pepper and took the cans with us. The only problem is...none of us drink Dr Pepper. It didn't matter, we left the full cans with the ticket agent and still saved over $100. It actually ended up sounding like an ad; $100 for tickets, $30 for the hot dog deal, $7 for cotton candy, $45 for three youth Ranger shirts...three little boys at a ballgame...PRICELESS! At the end of the night we had three happy little guys, one of which ended up on the big screen and in possession of a baseball from the field and four adults who only had to drive 20 minutes to get home. I love Texas!
Today is Tuesday and we're just relaxing. Mike has finished and mailed in our tax stuff and we actually get money back! I'm holding my breath 'cause as fast as they give it to us, one of the kids usually snatches it from our grasp. I need to spend it before that happens.
Sara and Matt are at the pool with the boys taking advantage of the warm day. It's actually warm enough to wear sunscreen so the boys are generously slathered. I'm glad that they're enjoying themselves. This place has been quiet for too long and although I love the time Mike and I have had to be on our own I do enjoy the company. The place has that "lived in" look. There'll be plenty of time next week when everyone is gone to restore things to order.
I'm looking forward the the next "wave"...until then I'll enjoy the "sands of time" with this one. Pictures to follow...
Much love, Vicki

Majesty of His Creation

Yesterday I had the opportunity to witness one of those moments when you know who is really in charge of our world. My camera didn't come close to capturing what the dozen or more people saw while looking into the heavens. In that single moment I felt and saw so clearly the power of our Creator and I was grateful to know that He's in command. 

I think of the times that our family has felt as if we were standing right in the middle of those treacherous clouds and left wondering how we could possibly survive. Yet, somehow, we do weather the storm. 

I'm so glad that the Lord continues to be the umbrella that shields us when the rain begins to fall!

Much love, Vicki

New Home

Well, things have finally stablized with the move to our new home. We are now, for the very first time in our lives...apartment dwellers! In almost 39 years of married life we've never lived with common walls to other people. Even our condo in La Verne had separate walls. However, the good news is that it costs us nothing! We did opt for a two bedroom to house guests who make their way to see us. Sara and Matt will be here in April with the boys and I'm excited to show them around.
We've been waiting for almost a month to make this move and when it finally became a reality I realized that I'd be leaving my new friends from the Arlington 2nd Ward and my hotel friends at the Marriott. Also, I realized that our stuff, limited as it seemed, would have to make it's way to the third floor! So I did the most practical thing I could think of to save my husbands back...I hired movers! It was worth every penny (dollar) to do it! I've decided that when the time comes I will hire movers to load our stuff into our trailer. As Sara reminds me, I'm stimulating the economy by giving someone work! Glad to give Obama a hand! As soon as I figure out the address we'll be using I post it here and via e-mail. Hope all is well with each of you and I look forward to hearing from you. Much love, Vicki

Kari Rochelle Zollinger

OK! After many "nagging" phonecalls about not having seen any pictures yet, here is the first of our latest granddaughter. Born 7 wks early at a whopping 3 lbs 13 oz and measuring a lengthy 17 in. Ta..da..let me introduce you to Kari Rochelle Zollinger, daughter of Scott and Lisa Zollinger. She joined her siblings Alex and Cassie on the 12 February 2009. And tiny she is! She's been in the NICU at St. Mark's hospital for the last two weeks. Her weight gain was steady enough that she was released today at 4 lbs 7 oz. She did so well after she was born that she never needed oxygen. She was jaundiced for a bit but a day or so under the lights seemed to take care of that. I was able to fly in from Dallas to spend some time up at the hospital and visit the family for a couple of weeks but honestly, I miss Mike and can't wait to get back to him. Sorry kids!

As for the Army, we're really lovin' Texas. The people are really friendly; well why shouldn't they be? A great number of them (in our ward) are from Utah! When be make the move from the hotel to the apartment we'll actually be in a completely different stake. I'm a little sad about that but I've never been in a ward that wasn't my favorite. After weeks of waiting for Mike's MOB orders, we finally got them yesterday. We'll make the move to the Arioso apartments in Grand Prairie on 6 Mar. So now it's safe to say, "Y'all, come on down for a visit".

Much love, Vicki

P.S. Don't assume that the "nagging" means you...I've had many calls :)

Unbelieveable!

If I hadn't seen it (and experienced it) I wouldn't have believed it. The entire region has shut down. Schools, government buildings, etc. If you've been following the weather news, our part of the country has been experiencing ice storms. It was a little freaky yesterday to listen to newsmen talk and the people in the office (Army) working furiously to get out of there before the storm hit. Now, I think I've lived through some of the worst snow storms but this was different. What happens is, the day starts out pretty OK but then the temperatures take a dive. The rain falls and turns to ice before it hits the ground. The effect is really quite beautiful. Trees become coated with a beautiful white crust. However, what is beautiful on a tree is not so beautiful on the roads. All the water on the roads turns to ICE RINK! I'm not joking. The temperature this morning was 11* and everything is coated in a thick blanket of ice. It took Mike almost 4o minutes to chisel his way into the car. That was at 6:30a. It's now a toasty 20*. So...to those of you who I've made feel bad about the warm, I am now feeling your revenge.
The good news...later on this week, IT'S GONNA WARM UP AGAIN!
Much love, VZ

For the Kids con't

This is the stadium where the Rangers play. Below is a picture of the Superman ride at Six Flags. Next to that is the new stadium that will be home to the Cowboys. Eat your heart out Rachel!

For the Kids

Owen and Miles have been sending me e-mails (a hint to the rest of you, it gets my attention!) In the last post Owen expressed, "I can't wait to fear my most hardest fear, going on fast things and going high". He'll get that wish when the Nagel's come to visit in April. So, yesterday I went across the street and took a few pictures of the "high, fast things he'll get to experience in April.

Just a little about the location. Arlington is 20 minutes outside of Dallas and the same distance to Ft Worth. It seems to be the place to go when you want to build a stadium as it's the home of the Rangers and the new home of the Cowboys. Those two stadiums sit pretty much in the same parking lot AND those two places are next to Six Flags which is next to Hurricane Harbor WHICH is right across the street from the Marriott Hotel where we live. So, for Owen, Miles and the rest of you...here are the pictures.

Where's Costco?

On many occasions since our travels began last summer, I've always been on the lookout for stores that sold the things I buy in bulk, i.e, sliced almonds, wheat, cheese etc. Well cheese wasn't an issue but the grains and spices were.
I haven't found a Costco here (there is a Sam's but I don't have a membership) and I haven't had any luck finding a place like Kitchen Kneads in SLC. So, I've been stuck spending a lot more for the things I use often. Let me digress a moment. I actually have the things I use a lot AT HOME! I had just bought vanilla and some spices. I have buckets and buckets of wheat. I have jars and jars of chicken boullion. I have mega pounds of oatmeal. NONE of that would fit in our car!
Anyway, I had an opportunity to go to the dry pack cannery in Carrollton with our new ward and after a couple of hours of helping can things for other people, came home with two cases of things for our storage. I love the sliced apples. We snack on them like chips. I also like the powdered, non instant milk. I can hear you now, "Yuck! Powdered milk!" Well let me count the ways you can use it and save a lot of money. I use it instead of liquid milk when I cook pancakes and waffles. I use it to make yogurt in a gallon jar (thank you Cathrin Hales for that recipe). Now...if I could only find the place that has a gallon jar! Did I mention I have six of them AT HOME! Along with my pancake griddle and waffle maker!
As we've (did I say "we" 'cause Mike is rarely with me) ridden around getting to and from places, I've taken side streets just to see what's there. I've also spent a lot of time looking at stores to see what's available. Well, yesterday I struck gold! And after I BOUGHT the gold, lo and behold I discovered there is gold EVERYWHERE! In Texas you spell gold T-A-M-A-L-E-S. The crazy thing is...you don't have to find the guy in the parking lot at Wal-Mart! They actually have places that sell them by the dozen AND for only $8! Last night we feasted and tonight we'll feast and possibly (if we are very, very good) we'll feast again tomorrow too!
I have this rule and it has served me well...BE NICE TO THE PEOPLE YOU MEET! I've made friends of the people who've served us i.e. the hotel staff, store sales clerks, doctors etc. Here were the benefits. Number one, I had new friends I hated to say goodbye to at the end of the journey. Number two, sometimes I got to go behind the scenes to see what it was they did. You know, kind of like those reality shows "How Do They Make That" or "Really Dirty Jobs".
Yesterday, my new friend at the tamale store (it's actually more of a restraunt) took us to the freezer to see all the tamales on the shelf. They're made fresh everyday. He went out of his way to tell us about his business and a little of his experience living in Grand Prairie (the way it used to be for Mexicans).He also gave us a small bowl of menudo to taste after my story of how my dad used to make the stuff and how bad it smelled and how chewy it was and how I didn't like it...well, MUCH to my surprise, his menudo wasn't chewy at all. It was actually pretty good. However, I'm stickin' with posole which is like meudo without the chewy stuff! We're gonna get us some posole on Saturday to eat this weekend. Oh my gosh! Did I just say "get us some"? I think Texas is starting to get to us...some!
Much love, VZ

Week One

It's Saturday and I'm thinking about our first week in Texas. My time has been pretty relaxing while Mike's has been pretty hectic.
I've spent much of my time doing indexing on the church's geneology website. Indexing is the process of reading old records and entering them into the computer so that eventually people will able to find their ancesters with the click of a mouse. To date I've been able to index over three thousand names. It's really interesting and a most worthy endeavor. Right now I'm working on death records from the state of New Hampshire. I'm sticking with that because after awhile you get really proficient at reading some of the weird writing. I don't know why the people filling out the forms felt the need to use all types of squiggles and curly-q's. Some of the names have been really funny and some not so funny. The thing I have enjoyed the most is the stories that are told with just names and dates. It's hard when you find a family who has lost one or more children in a cholera epidemic or some type of illness. Once in awhile I get curious about a place of death being listed as a "sanitorium". After some research I've found that it was usually the place they sent people with TB. Another interesting location was one listed as "County Farm". It turned out to be a "poor farm". I try to look at this as a job and usually set a goal of two to four hours a day. That could change as I get more involved in the community.
Mike started his assignment last Sunday and he won't get a day off until, maybe, the third week in January. They've lost four other instructors who won't be back for three weeks and another had to go home for an emergency. To add to this, the NCOIC (non-commissioned officer in charge) has been mostly in hiding and left Mike to do much of what he should be doing. It makes for long, tiring days. The good news is that he can have a nice home cooked meal. That's what I've loved about being in a hotel with a full (however small) kitchen.
We've been told that Mike's mob(ilization) orders will be moved up to February 15 and at that time we'll be able to move to our permenent home; a fully furnished, one bedroom apartment. I keep putting off buying anything until I see what "fully furnished" means. I left so much of my cooking stuff at home.
I had a chance to go to the Dallas Temple on Thursday and spent an enjoyable couple of hours. I'm still getting used to not having the mountains around to know north/south from east/west. I'm also getting used to "toll roads"! I keep forgetting to make sure I have some change and some dollar bills in my car. Eventually, I'll find out how to navigate without getting on the toll roads. Unfortunately, my traveling companion (GPS) doesn't feel it necessary to warn me or take me around those roads. What a witch! She's also a nag! I'm looking for a model that sounds more like James Earl Jones.
I've also spent alot of time just getting in the car and driving without any directions. I've discovered that Arlington has some really great neighborhoods and some that appear quite wealthy. Also, I've been able to find everything I need within one to five miles. I think I'm doing a great job of finding my way around.
Today is Saturday and I did a little cleaning out of some of our files, later I'll do some laundry. Such is the life of Texas' newest arrival. I can't wait to invite the Bush's to dinner. More later.
Much love, VZ

Repentance!

I am now totally repentant about all the gloating I did about the 80* weather. Today I'm freezing! It's only 45* (yea, yea, I know it's only 18* in SLC) but 45* in Texas IS freezing! So I've switched again to warm clothes!
Today's been great. I went to the ward we'll be attending and everyone was great. It's only 15 mins away and pretty easy to get to. Bishop Brinkerhoff is a fairly new bishop and very nice. I look forward to working with them.
Mike informed me earlier that we may be moving to a different hotel. Apparently it's just been renovated from apartments to hotel and all the rooms are really large with bigger kitchens. I just bought groceries and finished putting all our stuff away so I'm not so inclined to leave this place but we'll check it out.
So for now "see y'all".
With much love, Vicki

Unpacking

Wow! I was so excited to be in a one bedroom suite. All the amenities; kitchen with a fridge, stove, dishwasher, some dishes and cooking things. However, it seems that we have a lot of stuff that still doesn't have space and those things will just have to stay in their boxes until we get into the apartment. I worked so hard to bring as little as possible. Grrr...
As for the area; I'm really excited to be here and it looks like we will have plenty to keep busy. Well, I'll find things to do. Mike already has so much to do.
We are in Arlington just outside of Dallas and here's what we've discovered already.
1. We are across the street from the Six Flags amusement park.
2. We are across the street from Hurricane Harbor.
3. We are about 5 minutes away from the new Ranger stadium (I think it will also be the new home of the Cottonbowl)
4. There are a gazillion eating places.
5. The Dallas Temple is close by.
6. The Urgent Care is just 10 minutes away and really close to the Super Wal-Mart!
Yea, I said Urgent Care. That's where I took Mike today so he could get some meds for a major sinus infection! It started on the trip and got worse yesterday. I didn't even wake him up until early this afternoon and I just sent him to bed about 30 mins ago so he could get another good nights sleep. Actually, I just put him to bed so I could have some peace and quiet! I'm NOT a good empathizer (sp?). Tomorrow should be better.
Tomorrow I begin my hunt for our new ward; at least the ward we will be in for the next couple of months. I really excited to get goin'.
So all in all, things are going well and I haven't received any word that my house has burned down...
More later. Oh by the way, we were thrilled to know that Mandy and our good friends, the Reeds had a fabulous time in New Orleans watching those fabulous UTES stomp Alabama! It was thrilling to be able to watch the game and cheer LOUDLY in our humble abode :D
Love to all, VZ

Gratitude

Yesterday (31 Dec) we had planned to be on the road by noon. I realized early in the day that it wasn't going to happen. First of all, Mike and I were fighting a hacking cough and that alone was pretty exhausting. But the main reason for the delay is trying to consolidate our stuff into a car load. I tried to narrow it down to what I thought I would absolutely need but it turned out to be much harder than I thought. So, after some serious pondering I realized...oh my gosh, how did the pioneers do it? And they could only take seventeen pounds! It then became a challenge to take only necessary items. Left behind items included the griddle, my juicer, ALL of my pictures, Brita water container, laundry soaps, towels, alot of clothes, MY ELECTRIC BLANKET, and other things too numerous to mention. In the end I didn't relent on taking my breadmaker or Cutco knives. I also took my mesh bread baking pan. I figured even in the hotel, I can still make bread! Oh yeah, I also couldn't leave my blender. There is so much you can cook when you have a blender!
We finally got on the road around 2:30pm and got to Denver just before the new year. Not a bad drive actually; no snow just windy. We watched the "ball" fall at midnight and then went to bed. Our next goal was to reach Oklahoma City so we'd only have to travel four hours the last day. We stopped in Blackwell just short of OC. Tomorrow, Grand Prairie, Texas.
I'm grateful to live in a time when going from one place to another is a breeze. I grateful that even if I forgot something critical I can either buy it or have it sent. I'm especially grateful that I can be in contact with my family at the touch of a button; I don't have to wait months for a letter. What a great time to be alive! More later...