Three Days to California

We started out for California on Monday June 20.
We left at 7 am
grabbed a chicken biscuit at Chick-fil-a
and thought we were good to go for at least 200 miles...

but no...
30 minutes into the trip Davis pukes all over the car
despite the dramamine given to him earlier.

but although it was a mess and stinky
it didn't hinder the travelling.
 (above is a picture of how we packed.  Plastic bins hold our clothes
the back of the Jimmy was packed full of stuff to take to Carly)

but then...
40 minutes after that right out of OKC
the car burst into a steam cloud!!!

S.C.A.R.E.D. me to death!!!
We pulled over to the side of the road and called Lavor.

Before we left we had the car serviced and had several things fixed.
The radiator was one of these.
But for some reason it blew up!
(you can see anti-freeze on the windsheild if you look closely)

We were on the side of the road
for 3 hours
 while LaVor found us a tow truck
and a place to take the Jimmy to get fixed

We got the Jimmy loaded and then all of us crammed into the front cab of the truck.
Because what else could we do?
Abby was especially excited to do this!
Anyway we drove into OKC and got dropped off at Bob Howard Cheverolet.
The tow man was really nice and stayed with us until we got all situated with the repair shop.

And then for the next 3 hours we waited to get the Jimmy fixed
It was 3:30 pm and we were not even out of OKC!!
What a Bummer!!
We went back and forth of what to do...
go back home and start all over in the morning
or continue on and see if we could make it to Belen.


After talking it over we decided that to go back home would be a waste
and so we decided to go as far as we could
and then stop for the night.

We made it to Tucumcari that night
and stayed in a hotel.
Next day we drove 180 miles to Belen
to see Grandma Haynie.
She treated us to Montanos
Oh my goodness!!
This is the best food this side of the Pacific!!
We ordered stuffed sopapillas and extra sopapillas on the side.
YUM!!



Pork stuffed sopapilla with beans and rice
heaven on earth!!




sopapillas with honey
double heaven on earth
YUM!!YUM!!!



After a few hours of visiting
we were back on the road again



We made it to Flagstaff and stayed the night.



This is how we travelled...

We made it California the next day around 3 pm
The car did reasonable well considering the start of the trip.
We did have a little scare when we were just out of Flagstaff
the check engine light came on...
and of course I called LaVor (poor guy)
and he told me to head to a Autozone store to have the read the car computer.
Turned out that it was # 3 cylinder misfiring and apparently
not a big deal
and okay to travel onto California.
We are now here in California with Carly and Mike and
enjoying every fun filled minute!

Sunday in Cali

We're having a GREAT time here in Cali!
Fun at the beach
Fun seeing family and friends
Fun playing "Farkel"
Fun swimming
And a whole lot of fun coming next week!

Sunday 6/12/2011



Another Summer Sunday
3 sisters
Who love each other
tho at times little tiffs come between them.



 But in the end...

Love wins

Sisters

LaVor is still away.
He has been in Floriday at IGUG all week
and now he is in Huntsville
visiting Alisha and Jarom

Another Summer Sunday.

Elder Keesler

We love missionaries!
Ever since we moved to Alabama we have had missionaries
in our home on a regular basis.

They bring the spirit in our home
and are good role models especially for my sons and grandsons.

Throughout the years Jarom connected with several missionaries
and so has Sam.

This is Elder Keesler from Far West, Utah
He has been a family favorite missionary.
His mission will be completed this coming Thursday
and he will leave.

We will miss him but we wish him the best.

Love you Elder Keesler


PS I want Sam to be just like you ;)

Yard Sale

We had a busy week!  In between planting grass, cleaning house, Lacey teaching swim lessons, running Chase to Vacation Bible School, taking Sam to summer school, cooking, and laundry we got ready for a massive yard sale.

We haven't had a yard sale since we moved from Alabama. We keep saying we would but would chicken out when it came down to doing it.

I really don't like doing yard sales...I mean a REALLY don't like doing yard sales!!

But Lacey suggested that maybe we could earn a bit for our vacation to California/Utah if we cleaned out our closets and garage and had one. I thought that maybe it would be a good idea because one of my goals for the summer was to clean out the garage.

So....

On Saturday we woke at 6 am and started hauling out our whole house and garage (well just the junk in them) and Lacey put up signs at the entrances to the neighborhoods and away we went.

We had a steady stream until 3 pm and guess what???

We made $700.10!!!!
WOW!!!
We are so excited...that will pay for our gas for our vacation...so California/Utah here we come  :)

I am disappointed that I didn't take any pictures because it was a sight to behold but maybe next year.

COWBOY CHASE

A true Oklahomian
:)

Sunday--6/5/2011

It was a good Sunday today.
Nothing out of the ordinary...
Fast and Testimoney meeting
Lexi bore her testimony
 fed the missionaries
had 10 kids in nursery
held family council meeting
missed Dad (he's gone to  Florida for IGUG)


For the closing song in our Fast and Testimony Meeting we sang,
"More Holiness Give Me"
I love this hymn
it reminds me of the kind a person I should try to be

More holiness give me,
More strivings within,
More patience in suff’ring,
More sorrow for sin,
More faith in my Savior,
More sense of his care,
More joy in his service,
More purpose in prayer.

More gratitude give me,
More trust in the Lord,
More pride in his glory,
More hope in his word,
More tears for his sorrows,
More pain at his grief,
More meekness in trial,
More praise for relief.

 More purity give me,
More strength to o’ercome,
More freedom from earth-stains,
More longing for home.
More fit for the kingdom,
More used would I be,
More blessed and holy—
More, Savior, like thee.

Too Much Fun in the Sun

Since we've moved to Tulsa
every Memorial Day we spend a day at
Tall Chief Cove on Skiatook Lake.

We go with several people from our ward
and have a pot luck picnic
and spend the day playing in the sun, sand and water

It was semi cloudy this Memorial Day
and so some of us forgot to put on sunscreen
(Mainly me and now I have a sunburn to beat all sunburns
and coldsores all over my bottom lip  :( )

Lexi and friend Shawn, Abby and friend Chloe, Lacey, Chase, Davis and myself went....
Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of Lexi, friends and Lacey.
Wished I could go back and get some...next year maybe.

Love this boy and his goofy crooked smile


It was a very fun day and it kept up with our tradition.
Next year I WON'T forget the sunscreen!!!!

Happy Birthday to my Baby!!!

And to think that we almost decided that 7 kids was enough...
So glad that LaVor and I both knew in time that there was a girl to add to our family
15 years ago.

We started with a good one and we ended with a good one
(the ones inbetween----well??)  JK!!!

Abby is loved by all of us even though she is given a lot of guff from everyone...
she is the youngest of 8 so what do you expect?
It's definitely not an easy spot to be in.
Abby is:
reliable
lovable
friendly
(always has a best friend!--usualy 4 or 5)
honest
booksmart
caring
ditzy
(not quite sure if a nickel  or a dime is worth more---haha---
ask her sometime...
makes you wonder how she is booksmart...but she is!!!)
motherly
good sport
(most of the time)
beautiful hair
beautiful eyes
helpful
and
pretty.

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

Happy Birthday dear Abby,

Happy birthday to you!!

Happy Birthday our Abby!