Goodbye Shady Friends!

A little over 16 years ago we planted two Cottonless Cottonwood trees in our yard.  When my Dad first saw them, I think he told us that we should take them out -- but we didn't.  They have, in many ways, been good trees.  They have provided shade, which, it turns out, kept our neighbor's siding from bending in the sun.  They have provided branches for my children to climb in, and leaves for us to rake, and rake, and rake, and jump in, and rake some more.  Unfortunately, they also provided roots that lifted the sidewalk, broke the curbing around the yard, and made it really, really hard to mow, or even to walk across the lawn without tripping.  We decided we'd better take them out before they damaged something else.

This is Dan saying goodbye to the tree by the driveway.

The tree by the mailbox must be given equal consideration!

Here is our tree, and the truck that would help take it down.

Last Tuesday, the trees came down and were hauled away.  Every now and then I stepped out the door and snapped a picture.  I could feel the ground shake when the big pieces of branch came crashing down!

The boom is up.  The first branch is down.

Notice that the big giant trunk is not touching the ground.  It left a few minutes later.

The second tree -- already half gone.  Sad.

This was a Mater like truck that hauled the branches and trunks away.

Our view has definitely changed!  We see the mountains better -- and now I see my neighbor's house out my front window again!  It's extra sunny in the front yard too.

The next day, with all of the leaves and branches gone, our nice tree cutter came back to grind the stump down -- and some of the massive roots.

Saturday the cleanup started, including pulling the giant root out from under the lifted sidewalk.  It had grown along the whole eight foot length of sidewalk, and was probably 5 or 6 inches in diameter. It took the truck a lot of yanking to get it out.  Unfortunately, the sidewalk didn't sink back to its original level!

 Our yard is still a mess, with orange and black bags of trunk shrapnel all over.  We still have roots to pull out, and a yard to level.  We also need to dig through the rocks, clay, and roots to plant new trees so that we can start growing some more shady friends :-)

Trisa's Birthday

Trisa's brother-in-law got married the day before Trisa's birthday, and so after his reception Trisa and Travis came to celebrate Trisa's birthday with us.  Hooray!  They brought Chewy, the dog, who is always popular and who was very well behaved even though he could not figure out why we weren't letting him in the house.  Poor Chewy!

On Trisa's birthday she opened presents, had homemade brownies and homemade peach ice cream and helped with the Christensen family (extended family) Halloween Party.  We have a large enough family that we can staff a haunted woods, and give three trailer's full of kids and parents rides through it!  I have heard that Trisa got the giggles when she was being bewitched and couldn't turn into a haunted horse as fast as she was supposed to.

We love to have Trisa and Travis come.  Here are some pictures from the birthday celebration.  I, predictably, didn't even think about taking my camera to the Halloween Party!

Trisa and Dan with her birthday goods on the side.

Trisa with her representation of 24 candles.

Cousins to help celebrate.

Not the best picture of Travis, but you needed to know that he was really there!
This is what happens when you look away from the camera, you get a picture of your profile posted on my blog!

Cousin Haven

Cousin Weston

Weston also helped a lot with the birthday lasagna, and then they had to go home before we ate it.  It was very yummy lasagna.  He and Kayli did a good job.

It's Spring!

I wrote this song the same week that I wrote "Sunshine".  I must have needed sunny songs that week! 

Click here to hear me sing the song.  Oh how I work to avoid coveting other people's lovely singing voices!  Still, you can hear the tune, and maybe you can sing along!  Words are below.

It's Spring!

Take Spring with you wherever you go

The sun will be shining

There'll be melting of snow

The birds will be singing

The grass will be green

It's Spring!

Take Spring with you wherever you go

The air smells like blossoms

A warm wind will blow

Children are laughing

You'll be wanting to sing

It's Spring!

It's Spring!  Oh, yes it is Spring!

It's Spring!  Oh, yes it is Spring!

The sunshine is beaming right out of your face

Your eyes have a twinkle

Your smile is in place

Kindness is given

Love and joy you will bring

It's Spring!

Wherever you go there is a bounce to your walk

Your feet feel like dancing

Your mouth wants to talk

Your ears want to listen

To the sound of good things

It's Spring!

It's Spring!  Oh, yes it is Spring!

It's Spring!  Oh, yes it is Spring!

So take Spring with you wherever you go

You'll spread lots of joy

To the people you know

Springtime is catching

Take it with you each day

I say.  It's Spring!

It's Spring!  Take it with you each day!

It's Spring!  Give some Springtime away!

It's Spring!

It's Spring!

Sunshine

Sunshine

Sun shines in the morning

And in the afternoon

And sun brings on the happy

I hope it's coming soon.

Oh I love everybody

But especially I love you

And I hope lots of sunshine

Is coming to you soon

Do not be discouraged

Upon a stormy day

For rain is necessary

To help us on our way

And when the clouds are heavy

And seem to have no end

Know that sun's above the clouds

It is there for you, my friend

For sun shines in the morning

And in the afternoon

And sun brings on the happy

I know it's coming soon

Click on Sunshine, to hear me sing the melody.

The usual disclaimers about my voice apply.

Thanks for listening.

Sher 

Birthday Week -- Plus a Little

I like to really enjoy my birthday.  If you are going to have one, you might as well enjoy it if you can! Here are some of the ways I got to celebrate.

First, my good friend Shellie ordered a book I had mentioned I'd like to read -- probably right after I talked to her.  It came a few days before my birthday.  What a nice Shellie.  She took me to lunch too.

Next I got to go to St. George with Derek and celebrate my sister Jenny's birthday with her.  They made it a double party, and we had a really good time getting to visit with them.

Seth played the violin while we sang.

Jeff made us a cake.  We blew out the candles, but we had eaten out and were too full for cake until the next day!

Jenny came with me to do Tai Chi.  We were late.  It's a good thing she's brave or we wouldn't have gone in!

Nice cards were waiting for me to read on the morning of my birthday, including some from my kids, and one from my parents that came a couple of days early.  I saved it until my birthday to open.  I was going to open it with my presents, but present time was delayed so long I couldn't wait any more, and opened it. What nice parents I have.  They say such nice things.

My birthday was on a Sunday.  The super nice people in our new ward have treated me like the long lost, but well loved relative, who has finally returned.  Lots of people wished me a happy birthday -- including all who attended Relief Society, and the friends on my block who are in the new ward with me.  Church was at 9:00 a.m., and everyone was so kind that it was a good start to my day -- even if I missed my good friends from the 1st ward.

I was spoiled by Derek who made me a puppet tree, and had brought it in and put a big bow on it for my birthday.  I was also spoiled by the fact that 3 nieces and a nephew came to play, and enjoyed watching me put puppets on the tree.  The hamburger puppet that my sister Tina made me a few years ago is a big favorite.  You can see it sitting on the tree.

You can almost see the tree behind Jake and Dan and Me.

I was spoiled by the fact that Derek bought me presents to read, and watch, and enjoy.

I was spoiled to have Kayli home, Travis and Trisa call, and Tia send me some beautiful earrings and a nice note in the mail.

A few family members came to Derek's parent's house to sing happy birthday to me and have dessert.  My sister Tina called, my brother Brian called (by then I was tired and whiney -- but I was still glad he called).  Friends and family took me to lunch (not on Sunday), brought me flowers, bought me clothes, or called me.  Some people texted me, and left me nice messages on facebook.  You can see that I am very blessed with good family and friends.  My birthdays are good to remind me how very blessed I am.

Happy Birthday to Me!