Roy Family

Oh, the irony of it all...

2012-02-04T22:26:00.000-07:00

So, today was my 20th Nielson!

AND

I PR'd and FINALLY broke 24!

AND

I've never come in last

BUT

today I was last.

I could say it was cause it was freezing cold with snow on the ground so there weren't many runners but I guess it was just the odds finally caught up with me but I didn't mind being last because I ran the entire 2 miles and was the fastest I have ever been! Ever, in my whole life!

For you astute blog readers, yes, that is an old picture. Had to go down to HQ so no time for a new one.

Moral of the story...just keep moving toward your goal and eventually you can catch it!

UKROPS 10K- here I come!

Family Pics

2012-01-15T19:51:00.000-07:00

It's amazing this rag tag group...

Can get this high of percentage of people looking pretty good!

Those are some good big eyes!

We were one very happy set of parents having all of you home. Thanks for being here!

The Best Christmas We've Ever Had...this year!

2012-01-07T21:16:00.001-07:00

These are in no particular order and just a total random, chaotic, fun-filled, joyous gathering of Happiness!

Happy gift openers! (except maybe Daniel, who really enjoyed his spot on the floor)

Grand baby #7

Our new "dog" biscuit and her owner Ally.

LOTS of eating!

Aleisha at a surprise shower for Charina.

Handmade Hogwarts scarves! Cool Charina!

And cool matching PJ pants for all the cousins, by Jamie!

The best Nativity ever! (well, except the original...)

Decorating the tree to Alabama, nostalgia at it's best.

Thanks for gathering family!!! It was AWESOME! We Love you!

And it sure is quiet around here and Doug thinks he's starving to death without all the free handouts!

Birthday Boy

2011-12-06T08:02:00.000-07:00

Dad had a great start to birthday week. He looks hot, huh? Oh and the fire looks warm too.

Nielson Goal-Check!

2011-12-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

In 2010 I made a goal to run 9 of 12 Nielsons. I did it so I thought I'd do it again in 2011. This morning I heard the wind blowing like crazy and then when I looked outside it was snowing! With a groan I laced up my cool black and pink Nikes, put on about 4 layers of clothes and was ready to go when Dad staggered out and said, "I'll go". COOL. So we went and battled the elements which wasn't too bad cause Dad had his hot air balloon bursts keeping us warm. I had a respectable time (for me) and resisted the urge to stay in my nice warm bed and knocked off that goal for 2011. Now only 4 more weeks of at least 5 miles a week and I'll have clinched that goal. Pretty good for an old lady!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-30T22:36:00.000-07:00

I guess this is all old news but here's the Roy scoop on our Thanksgiving...It was GREAT!

The Hot Pot Trot might have seemed like a mild mannered event, but as this starting line pictures show, it was highly competitive!

There are few things in life as good as licking beaters...especially from whipping the cream.

We headed out for a great bowling adventure. Eric had a 200 game! And Krista and Eric both were turkeys, oh, I mean had turkeys (3 strikes in a row).

Luckily Ram had his lucky tail on!

All too soon we had to leave those beautiful grandbabies and kids but we sure did have a great time.

Thanks for hosting all of us Carters!!!! We're looking forward to some awesome Christmas adventures.

Too bad this blog doesn't reek

2011-11-15T22:46:00.000-07:00

Cause this is what would tickle your noses!

That's about all we have to blog about. I guess I could have put that I worked all of the last two weeks or that Dad worked 16 hour days for the past two weeks putting together the great Reagan Gala, or that we had 19 people at our house for dinner last night, or that this weekend is the much anticipated single adult conference or that Doug is as cute as ever but I didn't. Wish you were here to sneak some of the jerky, but the good news is YOU WILL BE here pretty soon!!!!!

What a difference a day makes!

2011-10-26T13:34:00.000-07:00

It is NOT Indian Summer any more. It's something magical and exciting, a snow day for California kids.

It's almost like they knew. They woke up early. I tried to ignore them, that worked for a little while but then they rushed the window like a couple of trapped birds. "It's NOING!"

They hurried in to inform GrandBill. "Look, IT'S NOING!"

Breakfast seemed like a burden and waste of time when there was snow to be played in! Finally, they got to open their new snow outfits Momma and Daddy had sent.

They liked them. They kept Ally warm but for Dans it was a layer of insulation on an already well insulated body.

Ally liked how her footprints followed her everywhere she went.

Daniel just liked running and running (his usual motion)

We enjoyed exploring in the magic forest

Made a happy little snowman.

Created our own sled

Went up and down our sledding hill 50 times.

And had a blast in the "NOOOOO". Oh wait, the Nooooo was just me remembering all the piles of wet clothes that magically covered the floor on snow days! Good times, for sure.

Indian Summer

2011-10-25T16:58:00.001-07:00

Indian Summer at it's BEST!

Sometimes...

2011-10-17T13:09:00.001-07:00

Sometimes ya just gotta go for it.

Like when you're working in the yard trimming the bushes. And they "speak" to you.

This was the first. It had definite directions.

Followed by this one I call...Ahhh, Hawaii.

This one was easy, it spoke to my heart.

This one really wanted to honor BYU. I said it was a little short on one side. It said don't worry that's what the Y helps you do, grow into yourself. And it will.

The last one I call "Learning to Crow". We now have a chicken in our yard. And there's nothing funnier than that stage when they're learning to crow and it's not even the first green chicken we've ever had.

So, sometimes, when you're working in the yard, if you listen closely, you might end up with an art project!

Shhhhhhhh...did you hear that?

Thirsty Anyone?

2011-10-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

So, today, Doug and I were going to go for a 5 miler and I thought to myself, "it would be nice to have some water since it's so warm out." A nalgene was too big, a water bottle was to...round and as I was looking around to see what I could use I spied this. Nice indents so you can easily wrap your hand around it, convenient pour spout and a spiffy color. What could be better? Sometimes the silliest smart person we all know and love DOES have some rational good ideas!

OH, NO! It's SNOW

2011-10-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

This is what we woke up to this morning. Winter is coming...ah! it's here!

Greatest Week Ever

2011-10-05T21:41:00.002-07:00

So it all began with a quick little trip from COS to SFO. I was going to try to figure out the BART/bus system but LaDon was waiting at the curb to give me a ride! COOL! For dinner we had this monster.

It was red and sweet and delicious AND Jamie grew it in her garden!!!!!

The next day we left at the crack of dawn and drove and drove and saw SO MANY cars heading into the city. I thought LA had a lot of cars. We drove through Yosemite and took a short break to check out the beauty of it all.

When Dans gets his full weight headed downhill there's nothing you can do but go with it.

Ally by a ginormous rock with a tree growing out of the top.

Our final destination-MONROE and the CARTERS!!! It was time for some cousin FUN!

Ram didn't want to get left out of the silly face game.

Dans didn't want to play, he is MR SLIDE! And Viana was at school being SO smart!

We went up the gorgeous Monroe Canyon and burnt marshmellows. Fall was in fine form.

Daniel wasn't into roasting his mallows. He liked his rolled (in the dirt).

Ram thought they were yummy!

CJ made us tasty food.

And we got to eat looking at this awesome splendor. (Yup, all that yellow is aspens)

We snapped a few family pics before heading to St George for the great rendevous with the rest of the fam.

That dimple is just too cute.

Here's a sister picture you can add to your blog.

We loved watching Kris in her race. She kicked trash and qualified for Boston (again!). I love the ascending/descending Mom look-a-likes in this pic. We should have put Dad on the other side and it would have been the Dad look-a-likes too.

Thanks for the great time everybody!!!

I taught seminary and here's the scoop.

2011-09-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

So, there seems to be a bit of confusion on our last very cryptic blog. The story goes like this. I, the Mom, taught seminary. The lesson was Moses 7:1-35. When I saw it was on being a Zion people, I had an idea to incorporate the homeless guy into my lesson. I "focused" on the word LOOK in my lesson. Just as the Lord commanded Enoch to LOOK and he saw many great things in vision, we too can see many great things in our lifes if we just LOOK, really LOOK at what we are seeing (or reading, etc). We played a brief game of hug-a-bugga to emphasize looking with purpose. We discussed in length what it means to be a ZION people (one mind and one heart, dwell in righteousness and no poor among them). Of course, the homeless guy came up and we talked about him. But also focused on the spiritually poor among us.

Before each class I would sit outside the seminary door as a homeless person. The weather was perfect. It was our first really chilly day with lots of fog and intermittent rain. Just before class was due to start I'd make sure no one was coming and I'd slip off my homeless clothes and go in and teach the lesson. With about 7 minutes left in class and a small assignment given to the class (write 3 ways you can focus on becoming more pure in heart) I made a reason to leave (get something from Sis Allen) and I'd go out and slip into my homeless outfit. I'd then enter the classroom (much to the horror of the students) and then reveal who I was. I'd conclude with the challenge to really LOOK around them and to love one another and why. (verses 28-32) And to LOOK to treat all as children of God, look to be less contenious, look to honor parents, look to sustain leaders, look to etc, etc. LOOK to become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ. It was a great and powerful lesson. No one recognized me even though had they looked they would have noticed the pearls I had on, etc. I did have a couple of kids invite me in and one gave me a granola bar with a bite out of it. Today at Church the kids were still shocked it was me and said it is a lesson they will never forget. The spirit was strong and that is what they will never forget, and I was thankful to be a part of it all.

And now you know...the rest of the story!

I taught seminary and...

2011-09-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

This "man" was part of the lesson.

"He" was camped out in front of the seminary building and came in at the end of class to remind us, he too, is part of Zion.

Do you recognize him?

You should, it's ME!

It's UP!

2011-09-14T15:02:00.001-07:00

Last week Grandpa and Grandma and I worked hard and finally finished our fence. It's a magnificent structure!

This is where the fence used to be with two bushes on the outside...remember?

I moved the bushes, dirt and rock to the outside and extended the fence. Looks pretty good, huh?

The fence goes into our "kid forest" we now have in the backyard. It's gonna be a magical spot!

Only one thing ya gotta watch while building a fence. It might fight back. But have no fear, it might have clobbered me from behind but I eventually won!!!

I am my daughter's mother!

2011-09-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

This made me think of Charina. As I was putting away the mayo, it slipped out of my hand. The lid wasn't on correctly and so upon impact the lid flew off and a glob of mayo flew straight up into the air and "quick as a Charina" I snatched it out of the air and not a drop was spilt! TADA!

Brooke's Visit

2011-09-05T16:04:00.000-07:00

This cute kid came for a great visit.

When she was a baby, she never cried.

It's still true. She is one happy little sprite.

I LOVE these three faces. They have the hurry up MeeMaw look.

Which turned to beaming smiles when I said "let's GO" Okay so maybe not Sydney.

I'm not sure if the grandkids love the bigness of our bathtub or the fact they get it all to themselves.

We were terrible at taking pictures while Brooke was here but we did happen to catch this funny incident. The wind had blown the screen shut and Brooke couldn't open it so I told her to use two hands. She did, it opened and out she swung! This is a reinactment, which she loved to do.

Just for fun Grandbill and Brooke reenacted a famous scene from family lore!

Thanks for visiting Brooke! We loved to have you here!

Summer to BYU

2011-09-04T19:02:00.001-07:00

With a last good bye to ever faithful and beloved Doug, Summer left for BYU.

We filled the car in Monroe (not that we were empty leaving COS)

But by the time we left Monroe we were FULL! Thanks Carters for storing all the stuff.

Summer checked in and now has her very own key to her very own apartment!

And the unloading began...

And we left Summer with her cute roommates to learn, serve and have fun! We miss ya Summer!

Can this be?

2011-08-28T19:09:00.000-07:00

Is this just another filming of Bluebeard or is this for real?

It is for real! What a great day! Sarah received her endowments and Taryn was married to Kyle for time and all eternity. Doesn't get much better than this.

The Willis visit Colorado (and Krista too)

2011-08-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

Let's just say we had the GREATEST of times with the Willis fam and Krista when they happened to visit for the same week. We know that they all just came to see Doug, but we're okay with that cause they play with us too. We went camping at Rampart Resevoir.

Jimmy learned the "joy" of helping Dad to fold up the tent...

There's nothing better than bacon and eggs and a Rocky Ford canteloupe for breakfast!

We went to the driving range (can you say whoosh, giggle, giggle?)

And follow that up with a great game of mini golf.

Krista got a hole in one (okay, hole in 18) but it did knock Charina's ball in too so she got credit for a hole in one.

More to come later...

Guess who came to visit?

2011-08-11T21:32:00.000-07:00

It was our favorite THE MERRILLS!!!! How happy it is to spend time with forever friends!(Maddie was at the Allens:()

Do we look too much different from 7 years ago?

And guess who's coming tonight? KRISMO And who is coming tomorrow night? CHARINA AND JIMMY!!!! Yeah, we are REALLY excited for some adventures!

July 24th in MONROE

2011-07-27T21:19:00.001-07:00

LaDon is a good PR man. He went on and on about how great the 24th of July (Pioneer Day) is in Monroe, Utah. So Summer and I thought we'd go and check it out. Guess what? LaDon was absolutely RIGHT (which isn't unusual) IT WAS THE GREATEST CELEBRATION EVER!! And I'm not just saying this because CJ was in charge. It really was SO MUCH FUN!!!! Summer and I flew in too late to see the big Broadway bonanza on Thursday night (plus we had to get Krista so she could go to Zion Nat'l Park with her friends and do the SUBWAY). But you can bet we didn't miss any of the other great festivities throughout the weekend! Friday morning we got up and CJ said she wanted to make her beloved wagon into a Conastoga for the children's parade. I said, "do the kids have pioneer outfits?" The answer was no, so we ran off to Walmart and got material of the girls choosing and I whooped um up some good ol pioneer skirts, bonnets and aprons and they were the cutest kids in the parade!

The Carter Pioneer Wagon!

Ram rode in the wagon on his horse.

Check out the chickens that "marched" in the parade (in the background)

Viana enjoying her prize for finishing the parade. A Popsicle!

And CharlyAnn, the best baby of all, just enjoyed the whole thing!

After the parade we enjoyed a delicious brisket dinner with the entire town in the park. From there we went to the tennis tournament where Sum and CJ paired up as the most novice players there and Eric and one of his students teamed up to take 5th place!

CJ and Summer in action.

The tournament ended about 11:30 and from there Eric went and played in the 3 on 3 basketball tourney. He finished around 2 am! The next morning Summer and I got up early (but not as early as CJ who was down getting all the booths organized for the great events at the park) for the MILK RUN!!! There was a 5 mile and 5K. This was my first run where I got a shirt and as a bonus a finishers medal! Monroe does it right! Sum and I did the 5K. It was so gorgeous.

AND I won second place in my age group! $3

The cool thing was, Summer won her age group!!!! Cash prize-$5

So we did our traditional jumping after running picture!

And liked the one in the shade so much we moved to the sunshine, ready for take-off.

And had a great launch.

But our launch in this field right next to CJ's house wasn't as great as all the landing that went on that evening. There was a group of paragliders that launched off the mountains to the east and flew around catching thermals and then landed right HERE! We sat at the dinner table just enthralled by their flying/landing. But that was nothing compared to the next 40 that came swooping around and landing for the next hour. By that time we had walked across the field to where the fireworks were going to be and just laid on the grass at the middle school football field and watched them dash around like a bunch of dragonflies. SO COOL!

Then CJ (who was SO COOL) announced the winners of over 83 prizes and a band played and the kids danced and it was magical. Then we had the most outstanding fireworks show. There's nothin better than laying on the grass and having the fireworks burst right over you head. AWESOME!

That was a great cap off to a great weekend and I didn't even go into details about the begillion pounds of candy we caught during the parade, or how Eric played 6 more hours of tennis in the hot, hot weather in the singles tourney, or how we enjoyed all the great booths and entertainment at the park that CJ orchestrated so perfectly. Basically, you just need to mark your calendar for next year, July 24, 2012 and head to Monroe City, Utah and see it all for yourself! It's AWESOME!

I went to camp!

2011-07-20T13:32:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd put this on the blog if it will work. This was our great stake leaders at camp for skit night. Thanks Krista for the great inspiration! I'm the one just to the right of the person in the middle who has a loose yellow stick flying in the wind. It was really fun. Camp was awesome!!!! I don't know if I'll ever outgrow it. Although my 2 years as Camp Director is up :( I didn't even mind too much that while I was at camp Dad, Sum, Kris, Saraho, Jamie, LaDon, Ally and Daniel were at Disneyland for 2 days. An even trade of fun I'd say.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0VntztW1ZM&feature=email

Since camp Dad has started his new job. I went on a fun vaca to Mountain View and had such a great time with the Lindes (no pics I had to leave my camera at home for Dad). Had a garage sale and sold tons of stuff one quarter at a time. And worked on the yard at the old house and new house. Life is good!

Carter visit!

2011-07-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

Having the carters here was SO fun!...and so loud, compared to our normal quit household, it was great. So here is a bunch of pictures to show some of our great adventures. Family pics, Henlen Hunt Falls, AFA noon meal formation, chilling out, Pioneer museum, nielson challenge, running in palmer park, and other random adventures! Enjoy!

We stink at blogging!

2011-07-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

Welp more to come, dont worry!

Happy Father's Day Dad!

2011-06-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

Dearest DAD!!!!!!!!!

Happy Father's Day to you!!

Here are just some pictures of you and me, or of just you....but mostly just pictures that each are worth a thousand words. I am not much of a writer when I write blogs; therefore, here are some pictures for your entertainment and some comments of just a FEW of the reasons why i love you and am grateful to have you as my very own DAD!

First of all, how lucky am I to have a dad that looks like a rooster?!?! Pretty darn lucky!

You have been there for every major school, church, and sporting event possible. thanks for coming out to support me and cheer your very loudest. And thank you for bringing all of those Dill pickles to my volleyball games. GO RAVENS!!!

Me and you at Seminary graduation

you and me before i went to prom!....this picture is living proof that you are I are blood related. I never realized how much we look alike.

Thanks for always "checking out" my dates and making sure they treat me with respect. It always works!

Dad LOOK AT YOU!!!! You are so driven and disciplined. I have never seen someone be so motivated to loose weight and be so successful. You run every day and are always sure to count your calories after every meal. How you manage not to eat sugar, i am not sure...and i even did it for two YEARS!..I also was driven to make that goal because of YOU. I thought "My dad is awesome, how can he go four years without ever eating sugar and i can hardly make a day without it? I want to try that!" And i must say, that has been a pretty cool accomplishment for me in my life. thank you for your good, healthy example. And dad, you definitely have been working on your cardio!

I love seeing you with your grandkids. You have so much love to give and are always happier when you are around them (not that you're never NOT happy). I am excited for the day when I will have children and you will show them the same love...and take them shooting, eat beef jerky with them, make a christmas list of "boy toys or girl toys" to get them, and throw them over cement walls!

You make life at home fun! I love you and mom both, if it weren't for you, then it would just be me and mom at dinner every day without anyone to torture Doug!

I know that whenever I am having a hard time I can always come to you. You are truly a WISE MAN

This moment was GREAT! There we were, feet above the ground, truly bonding! That was awesome. We were skiing over clouds of snow that day. So much fun. thanks for teaching me how to ski, I have found a new love for it because of YOU!

An image from my childhood is the back of your head in the reflection of your mirror in your bedroom, working at your computer desk! thank you so much for being a righteous priesthood holder and working hard to provide for our family so we can go on cool trips to Germany and London and California, and every other imaginable place! especially when we can sleep THREE TO A BED! (i had a picture of that pure moment, but i accidentally erased it!) Or we can run up a big hill in Hawaii.

HAHA!

And one of my most favorite moments with you is when you escorted me out onto the field on H.C. night. That was so much fun. We were the most sharp looking people out there! You know you are a good dad when TWO of your daughters are named Homecoming Queen.

Dad, I love you. Thank you so much for all of the harassment and love. I am grateful that I get to have YOU as my dad. You are truly the best example to me in my life.

Nice work Gum DadDY!

. . . . . . . . . . Grandkid Withdrawal Pangs

2011-06-15T07:31:00.005-07:00

As you know, we had three consecutive weekends with Carter contact (babysat for them in Provo during the State Track meet where CJ was coach and took Ram home; returned Ram and switch him out for Viana for a week; returned Viana and attended CharlyAnn's baby blessing). So we had two grandkids, each for a week, and it was very fun and exciting. Now we're experiencing grandkid withdrawal pangs. Here are some pics to help us recover:

Vick was the main grandkid watcher, though Ram and I did have a marvelous time at Keller Park one afternoon.

During the whole grandkid time, Krista was jetting around the world. It was good to have her drop in for a couple of days on her way home. By the way, we went running together and she helped me set a record for my little 3.1 mile route!

Brooke said, "I know why I love you . . . " but she never told me why. No prob, I'll take it!

Viana was smart and fun, and always talking!

I chose this picture of Ram because he was always moving, always a blur!

CharlyAnn's theme song: "And I'll always have eyes for youuuu!"

Viana always has a smile. I think she's either smiling or laughing or singing . . . but in some way her mouth is always moving. We love it!

Oh, no, no, nooooo. (Inside joke)

Big blue eyes, but they're not always open, as you'll see in the video below.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Here's a funny story about Brooke: In the video above, you'll hear Viana say "Meem!" That's short for Meemaw, which is what the grandkids call Vickie. Earlier that day Viana said to Vickie, "I think I"ll call you Meem. Hello Meem!" Not missing a beat, Brook said to me, "Hello Gran . . ." (short for Grandbill). Smart and funny--a precious Brooke moment!

We sure miss 'em! Parents of grandchildren: please plan to bring your children to see us or invite us to your home at least once every month. More would be better. Kids of Bill and Vick: We also still love you very much, so you may visit or invite us to see you as well!

Love, Grandbill/Dad

2011-06-12T18:20:00.000-07:00

Since I was but a youth, I can remember looking toward Pikes Peak and seeing the "zipper" on the side of the mountain.
This is looking down that zipper, from not even the top.

Lots of people hike this incline, my very own daughters included. Although none of us are in this picture. I have always thought it would be a great thing to do. But after all I am over the hill, not an age to be ON the hill.

But where did I find myself this Saturday thanks to Krista, the queen of adventures? You guessed it, scrambling up the Incline!

It's kinda steep!

But, oh so rewarding!

After an hour and 22 minutes I got a high that lasted ALL DAY! And not very many sore muscles even! You are never over the hill if you can still climb to the top!

. . . . . . . . . Camping to CharlyAnn's Blessing

2011-06-07T08:59:00.002-07:00

This weekend capped a two-week adventure where Meemaw and I hosted Ram and then Viana at our house in Colorado, and then we drove Viana home to Monroe via a camping trip! It was great good fun to camp with Viana, and we also had a marvelous visit with the Carter family as we were privileged to be a part of the blessing of CharlyAnn Jill Carter by her father, Eric. It was a perfect weekend. Well, almost--we forgot the best part of camping (according to Viana), which is marshmallows. Oh well, that's a good excuse to do it all again!

Viana and her dogs, Doug and "Sit-nee" (Sydney). This is one of the best pictures of our dogs I've even seen--usually they're camera shy, or we can't get them to look at the camera at the same time. Good job Viana!

We also packed the car full of Summerque's stuff for college. We'll store it at CJ's house until Summer arrives in August. We'll miss Summer!

Here is our campsite at Island Acres, near Grand Junction, CO. Viana was a natural camper! But dang, those bugs sure liked that sweet Viana!

We had a great campfire. Unfortunately, we forgot the best part of camping (according to Viana): Marshmallows! Still, it was a magical night on the Colorado River!

Viana and Meemaw by the light of the campfire . . . .

Meemaw cooked an awesome camp breakfast of bacon and eggs. That little blue blob on the picnic table is Viana trying to stay warm.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

When we arrived home (Monroe City, UT) everyone was glad to see each other, especially Viana and her sister, Brooke!

Here we are with CharlyAnn, who is now almost three months old! CUTE KID!

On Saturday afternoon we took a hike to the hot springs near CJ's house. Boiling hot water bubbles from the ground--so interesting and beautiful.

The beautiful Carter family: Brooke, Eric, Viana, CharlyAnn, and CJ. I reckon Ram was off exploring cliffs or playing in the boiling water!

Vick and I sneaked into this picture--so fun to be together! Including Ram, in the stroller.

In this video, you'll see Brooke in the tent. We "camped" in CJ's back yard on Saturday night. The first thing she did when she woke up was start singing "the rain came down and the suds (floods) came up, the rain came down and the suds came up." Not sure why, but so cute. We also took a walk to the hot springs, and a walk after church on Sunday. Great fun!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Ram at breakfast--he's a good eater!

Eric looking handsome before CharlyAnn's blessing. Thumbs up!

CharlyAnn always has big eyes . . . and such a cute baby. She usually has a big smile for everyone.

Carter Fam.

Vick and CharlyAnn during Sunday School. They were both good students while CJ taught the class. Lovely! (I wonder where CharlyAnn gets her big eyes???)

At breakfast before we returned to Colorado Springs. We'll miss the Carters. :(

Here we are at a rest stop on the way home. Gorgeous drive from Monroe to Colorado Springs, and only about nine hours.

Now Vick will focus on Girls Camp (she's the Stake Girls Camp Director) which is 20 - 25 June. Summer is working as a nanny this summer, and then she'll leave for BYU Provo in August. Krista had an adventure in San Francisco/Hawaii/Guam/Fiji/Tonga/Japan the past two weeks, and will visit Jamie in San Jose and then come home for a day or two before going off to see a friend in Texas, and then back to work in Utah. Charina is about to finish her internship and then go to Girls Camp with her ward, and Jimmy is doing well in his clinical portion of his Physical Therapy schooling. Jamie and Ladon just went to Washington to welcome home Ladon's brother, Jonas, from his mission in North Carolina, and that's a pretty busy snapshot for the Roy family in the past week. Oh, Summer also returned from a week-long rafting trip with some high-school friends, and now she is at Jamie's house also.

And I'm loving semi-retirement, though a couple of job prospects are looming . . . .

Hope your summer is starting as well as ours has!

Love,

Dad/Grandbill

. . . . . . . . . Viana Visit, Part I

2011-06-01T17:44:00.002-07:00

IF YOU HAVE DISNEY CHARACTERS GUARDING YOUR BATHTUB, THEN VIANA MUST BE IN TOWN!

Meemaw and I switched out Ram for Viana last Saturday, and we've enjoyed a marvelous visit with this singing skipping chatterbox fairy princess ever since. Lesser souls might ask, "Where's the Off switch on this kid," but we're loving every minute of it. We'll take her back this weekend (hoping to drive to Monroe City and camp at the Colorado National Park along the way), to attend CharlyAnn's blessing. Here are some pics:

Not only do we have Disney characters on the rim of our bathtub, we've got them IN EVERY ROOM, AND IN TERRIFYING NUMBERS. If they come to life when we're not looking, they'd spend most of their time just trying to find their movie partners!

Viana with "her" dogs, Sydney and Doug. She loves animals!

We attended a Memorial Day ceremony sponsored by Colorado Springs Hospice, at which they read Grandma Lenhart's name (she passed away on 27 March 2011) and released some butterflies in memoriam. It was a beautiful day, and Viana was very patient. Notice Grandma and Grandpa Norton in the background.

Here's a fun group of people!

Here are some of the butterflies. Pretty cool!

Pretty Monarch butterflies.

We went to Great Grandma Norton's house today for lunch. Roast beast and peach pie! We also watched "A Little Princess" in Grandpa's home theater. Such a good movie, and Viana loved it! Reminds me of the time Charina saw it for the first time. When little Sara Crewe was clinging to the ledge of the building while being chased by the evil Miss Minchin, Charina--transfixed as if she were there--raised up her hand to try to grasp the ledge!

Viana loves jello.

This was her second cup!

It was a yummy lunch and a good time!

We took a hike to a hill near our neighborhood. Sydney and Viana had a grand time.

Here's a beautiful view of Colorado Springs.

Yesterday we watched "Gnomeo and Juliet" in the theater (not bad, and I especially liked the numerous references to William Shakespeare, and an appearance by the Bard himself), and then enjoyed "Taco Night" at Del Taco. On Sunday Viana enjoyed attending Primary at church, and she also went shopping like crazy on Monday with me and Meemaw. She loooves any kind of pie, and will munch down a big piece of watermelon like a Pacman head! Viana is also highly self-entertaining. She can play in an elaborate imaginary world for hours! And this is a very, very, very smart kid. I would say her ability to reason and process stuff is at the high school level. And SHE CAN READ ANY BOOK YOU PUT IN FRONT HER, and I'm NOT talking Run, Spot, Run. She is very inquisitive, talkative, energetic.

Unfortunately, I gave my camera to Summer for her river rafting trip this week, so I don't have a video camera to show you some live action. But I'll put up another blog after we drive to the Carter's house and camp along the way. Should be a great time!

By the way: Summer is floating down the Green river with a group of high school friends and her Anatomy teacher, Krista is in Tonga with a group building prosthetic legs, Jamie and Ladon were driving to Washington to welcome Ladon's brother, Jonas, back from his mission in North Carolina (Matt Harding's stake!), and Charina and Jimmy had a fun expedition (check out their blog for a great laugh). CJ and Eric celebrated their seventh anniversary, and good ol' Meemaw and I are glad to have little visitors around.

Fun at the Roy's!

Love, Grandbill

Having a RAM-TASTIC time at Keller Park; Ram and Grandbill's Excellent Adventure

2011-05-26T21:36:00.003-07:00

As promised, Ram and I had a little jogging adventure. We've been doing manly things like eating beef jerky, playing catch by bouncing the ball off the living room wall, drinking straight from the carton, and eating dessert first. We wanted to do some physical stuff, so we decided to run down to Keller park and play on the big toys there. So, here's a glimpse of our adventure.

WARNING: Some scenes may be too intense for young children . . . but NOT RAM! He's as tough as nails and thrived in the hard play environment. But for the weaker children--do not attempt at home or school or anywhere except under the expert watch of Grandbill!

Here's our video:

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

As you can see, we had a blast!

Looking forward to more fun with the little man. Glad he could spend a week with us. Loved every minute of it!

Love, Grandbill and Meemaw

Visit from RAM CARTER

2011-05-25T17:38:00.001-07:00

Meemaw and Grandbill and Summer and Doug got a marvelous treat this week: A VISIT FROM RAM CARTER! We picked him up in Provo last Saturday while CJ and family were at the Utah State track meet (CJ is a coach, and her team did great!). We flew him home, reintroduced him to Doug (instant love), and have had a great time ever since. He's been a perfect little man, and we've loved having him RUN around. He just runs everywhere, and bounces up from his crashes, no prob. Here are some pics:

Plane ride from SLC to DEN. He loved it, and ESPECIALLY LOVED THE TURBULENCE! Laughed like an idiot. Pure boy!

Here we are at Summer's Graduation. He had sat through more than three hours of meetings by this time, but he was still a great trooper. No crying, no problems!

He loves spaghetti (well, he loves most anything), but you'll see in the video that his favorite thing to eat is BEEF JERKY. A TRUE ROY OFFSPRING! Get cooking Meemaw! We need some more Man Food.

We deduced that this might be one of the few times Ram has had a bath by himself--he's usually piled in with his sisters. He LOVES bath time!

After the bath. Nicely combed hairdo!

Summer's graduation with Grandpa and Grandma Norton. Vickie had been up until midnight, and then up at 6:10 am trying to help Aunt Krista get to Tonga. As of this writing, she made her Hawaii flight, and is not enroute to Guam, only about halfway there when she arrives!

After graduation. Ram was a gem--not a squeak!

Outside the graduation ceremony at the World Arena. Gorgeous day. By the way, this was the same day and time of the USAFA graduation, and the Thunderbirds flew over not long after. I graduated from there almost exactly 34 years ago. Ram told me he would like to attend there if BYU Basketball coach Dave Rose doesn't recruit him . . . .

Summer the Graduate and Ram the future Graduate (far, far in the future).

Ram and Doug are fast friends. A moment prior to this snap, they were nuzzling each other.

Afternoon snack. Cheese is fine, but he wants BEEF JERKY!

Here is a video montage of some fun moments. The video of Ram in the dark on the floor is during one of his "naps." He just talks and sings--pretty content just to have some "quiet" time.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

We're having a RAMbunctious time in Colorado with the little man!

Love, Grandbill

GRADUATION SEASON!

2011-05-23T17:22:00.001-07:00

It's graduation season for Summer!

Summer had her last day of school last Wednesday, graduated from Seminary last night, and will officially graduate from high school on this Wednesday. We're all thrilled for Summer!

Here's a long (two minute) video of Summer opening a gift from Aunt Jamie:

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

It's sure a nice time of year--gorgeous weather, no school, fun events to look forward to, lots of graduation parties, and we have RAM CARTER for a visitor this week.

Congrats Summer--we love you!

Love, Dad/Grandbill

The Real "Skinny" on Dad's Diet

2011-05-18T13:31:00.004-07:00

WARNING: View this blog at your own risk. It is intended primarily for family members, since there is a picture of a half-naked man in the video. I am that man, and I am pretty hot, I must say . . . .

True story: When Ladon made his grand appearance in our house for the first time, we gave him a nickle tour, which included a viewing of the family pictures on the wall. He looked at my most favorite of all pictures, my cadet portrait. He indelicately blurted, "My, you've aged . . . ." Then he tried to tack on a "well!" but it was too late; he confirmed my suspicion of his bad judgment. Here's that favorite picture:

Captain America! Ladon, HOW COULD YOU!?!

But alas, I have aged, and not well, and I've packed on the pounds. So I decided to go on a diet. Here's a picture of me last October at General Conference. You'll notice the babes I'm with, and here's this fat dumpy guy with the pudgy face!

But we did have a big fat good time at Conference!

Oh, another true story: When Grandma Lenhart was very near the end, she feebly called me to her bedside. I have seen this scene a thousand times in movies and in my mind--I was sure she was going to thank me for taking such good care of her precious granddaughter (Vickie) all these years, or compliment me on the great family I've raised, or note how she always saw me as her own grandson. Well, that's not quite it. Instead, she faintly and solemnly whispered, "Bill honey, go on a diet . . . ."

So, here I am, on a diet.

I have a pretty strict food program, and I work out religiously. Here's my running hat. Krista said hat's aren't so popular with runners these days, but I've already noticed the trend turning around as a result of my running. Notice how it's pretty dang sweaty and dirty.

Browning, of course. This had is about 15 years and 1000 miles old.

Just to compare, here's a pretty clean hat next to my running hat.

Good deal: Any daughter (or grandkid) who wants a Browning hat, just comment on this blog and you got it!

Speaking of sweaty, that's what I get : Very Sweaty. That's how you lose weight, after all. Um, I'll admit I'm a little superstitious about my running clothes. I don't wash them until I've lost ten pounds. But that means I'll soon be on my third washing since 1 March! (I've had 62 workout sessions since then). Here's a video of the hazards of that superstition:

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

But at least I'm getting good results! Plus, I don't have to worry about any annoying runners wanting to run with me.

Particularly important is the DIET. I researched the internet for the best program for my body makeup, and here's how it works: (By the way, it's called the "Acid-Balance Diet" since you need to carefully monior your stomach acids so they don't eat through the stomach walls).

BREAKFAST: As you can see, a typical breakfast is one CORN FLAKE (don't worry, I always choose a big one), TWO ALMONDS (good for protien fiber), a three-inch line of toothpaste (Crest is my favorite, and it also helps your breath and negates the stomach acid), and a dill pickle (zero calories, and plenty of flavor. But unfortunately, it also augments the acid). Oh, and you can have all the GRASS you can eat. Unfortunately, I have to select grass from Doug and Sydney's "Territory," so I try to wash it as best I can (Doug and Sydney are our family dogs). Fortunately, I don't usually want a lot of grass.

The toothpaste line is surprising filling! Plus, good on your breath and best eaten after the grass.

LUNCH: I really look forward to this meal, because I usually work out prior to lunch, so I'm famished! As you can see, I get an ORANGE PEEL (not the orange, too much sugar, but the peel has lots of Vitamin C and D), a FULL TABLESPOON OF SALT (and I mean a heaping helping, and a big tablespoon), a QUARTER CUP OF POPCORN SOAKED IN WATER (not sure what that does, but I suspect it helps with clearing out the digestive system, because that's exactly what I get the next morning), and a PENCIL TO CHEW ON (no kidding, a 7-inch pencil will last about 30 minutes, and some brands are pretty satisfying).

Grapefruit peels are also good--you can eat them like potato chips (which are NOT on the approved diet list).

DINNER: This took me a while to adjust to, but it's really KEY to the success of the diet. I can only LOOK AT PICTURES OF FOOD, but I try to choose good pictures of healthy food, as you can see in the pic. Also, I get 3/4 glass of water, which is great, because the diet doesn't allow for any fluids during the day. And you can choose a second pencil if necessary. And occasionally, I'll take a REALLY LONG SMELL of Vickie's and Summer's dinner, which works well if I put my nose right on the food.

I like pictures of salmon, lobster, cheesecake, bing cherries and waternelon. That combo seems most filling to me.

JUST KIDDING!!! I have a pretty normal diet, including a big breakfast (like bacon, eggs, and grapefruit this morning). I try to avoid carbs, and keep the calories around 1500/day, more or less (about 400 - 600 per meal). I also don't eat ANY PROCESSED SUGAR . . . NONE. None of Mom's awesome chocolate chip cookies, no brownines, no M&Ms (oh, that's hard), no soda, etc. NO SUGAR! It's not that difficult after a few days. I rarely feel hungry. And I drink water like a fish--easily two gallons a day. I think I've developed a tube that goes directly from my throat to my drainage system . . . .

And as I mentioned, I work out a lot--about six days a week. I run one day, then lift weights the next. Run lift, run lift, etc. I'm up to 6 miles in 60 minutes, and three circuits on my weight machine.

Here's a graph of my weight loss since 1 March 2011. As you can see, I'm approaching 30 pounds total weight loss. I started around 205. I had a little blip while in Boston for the marathon, but it was worth it: Texas Roadhouse, Olive Garden, and endless snacks--YUM! My goal is 40 pounds loss, or 165 lbs. I should get there by mid-June, unless there is another marathon. (This is my real chart, by the way).

I've been pretty consistent with my rate of weight loss. It's actually fun to watch it happen.

Here's a pic of me after running:

Just kidding. Here's a real pic of me after running

Ran 3.1 miles today in 30:41, which includes a big hill at the end. Whew!

Here's a pic of me and Mom. OH, MOM IS ALSO LOSING WEIGHT. She's lost about 8 pounds recently. Loooooking goooood Mom! When I told Mom we were going to take a picture, she said (I kid you not) "We should take a picture of our butts!" That Mom . . . .

This reminds me of when we gave Jamie a hint about her birthday present by making this face. She said "A baby alive!" Not sure why. No, it was a fish. That Jamie . . . .

Just kidding. That was our fish face. Here are our real diet faces:

Who needs to see a butt when you can see faces like this?!? Wait, that didn't come out right . . . .

And how 'bout Summer? Of course, she doesn't need a diet; she's a knockout! Here's a picture of her on the last day/week/month/semester/year of her high school career:

Congratulations Summer! You are the most amazing kid we've ever seen! Keep up the good work!

Well (as Ladon would say), that's the real "skinny" on our dieting!

Love, Grandbill

Summer's Senior Prom, Pt I

2011-05-14T17:41:00.001-07:00

BITTERSWEET MOM(ENTS): IT'S SUMMER(TIME)!

Last week was the SENIOR PROM for Summerque. Pretty exciting! Of course, it's a big event for a high school senior, and we were all pretty jazzed about it. As you'll recall, Summer was the Doherty High School Homecoming Queen, so glamor and grace come naturally to her. But this event had a bittersweet twang to it, since it was the FINAL high school formal for any Roy girls, and also for MOM, who has managed about 20 such events since CJ's first Homecoming dance in October of 1998. So mom was grumbling a little bit about yet ANOTHER dress/hair/shoes/jewelery/boutonniere/modificationsonthedress/maddasharoundthehouse stuff, but she was also a little sad that it's all over--for those were pretty memorable times around our house!

This is just Part I of Summer's Excellent Prom Adventure; maybe she can fill you in on the events of the evening.

Here's Summer and Mom starting the process (it only took about 45 minutes since Summer was babysitting prior to the arrival of her date):

You gotta admit, Mom has some pretty good raw materials to work with!

The Transformation was pretty amazing!

The hair is going up! You can see the mirror image of the clock on the wall: It's 4:30 pm, and the date will arrive in 45 minutes! (Some pre-Prom prep can take up to two hours . . . or more!)

Summer has a plan, and Mom is on board . . . only 30 minutes to go, so Let's Go!

Check out this video. Did you know this is a part of the process? I sure didn't. I thought Mom was torturing Summer for some unknown reason!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Taking shape . . . and Summer likes it so far. But hurry, the clock is a-tickin'!

One advantage to long hair: Lots of curls!

See the clock in the background? Date scheduled to arrive in one minute (5:15 pm). Finished just in time!

And here's her handsome date! Just kidding. I just had to get into the picture with the beautiful girl!

Here's the date, Cillon Disneros. Or, is it Dillon Cisneros? Couldn't quite remember. I was sure to be cleaning my guns when he arrived. We had a SERIOUS talk about my expert marksmanship so he'd be sure to understand the way things are!

Summer and Dillon ready to go. She looks great! As usual!

Dillon is 6' 5". Pretty tall. Bigger target, I was thinking, not that I need a big target. Just kidding, he's a very nice guy. He's going into the Air Force, so he gets good judgment points right there . . . .

Off they go. Notice how Dillon did NOT open the door for Summer?!? Fortunately, he had those Air Force bonus points, or he would have been starting out in the red.

Summer said they had a marvelous time! Maybe she'll blog about it. We sure enjoyed seeing our daughters get dressed up for fun events (and they were always gorgeous and modest and dazzling).

Good job, Roy girls. Good job Mom!

Love, Dad/Grandbill

Roy Family Outing . . . or Upping, or Downing, or Wheeling!

2011-05-07T11:20:00.005-07:00

Greetings Outdoor Enthusiasts (and Curb Your Enthusiasm Enthusiasts):

Today we had a little family outing: The Nielsen Challenge! It's a 2.0 mile race that Vick has been running monthly for more than a year. It was a gorgeous day, and we were thrilled to run well and get out together. I think we all ran Personal Bests, or nearly so. We were so excited about it all that we came back home and jumped for joy. Here are the pictures:

Here's our first picture. We tried to get Doug to cooperate, but no, he's a dumb mutt who just wants to have fun. Hey sounds good! Plus, we couldn't get Pike's Peak in the background, so we had to take another pic.

This pic was looking good, but Doug still didn't get it, and Summer did her typical jumping picture. But at least we got some of the Peak! So, try again . . . .

I know, we'll ALL jump this time. Except a) Summer didn't jump, and b) Sydney tried to get into the picture. FAMILY MEMBERS ONLY! That means only Doug. (Just kidding Sydney. You're a family member I guess).

Unfortunately, Mom had to play Godzilla-Sumo-Dumpsquatter in this pic. But check out the HUGE AIR SUMMER CATCHES IN THIS PIC! AWESOME BUM!

There are no words for this pic . . . . Except Summer is again catching some serious spazz air! OH, Mom wanted me to censor this picture, so no problem, see below:

There ya go . . . .

Summer flipped a pretty good cartwheel, but Mom and I pretty much mistimed the jump . . . again. So, try again.

Well, I don't think Mom ever got off the ground in any of these pics, and Sydney is still hanging around, and Summer is getting serious hang time, and we pretty much just had a fun time. Hope you can join us sometime!

COMING SOON:
For those of you who don't believe my running abilities, I will have a video for you. Not sure when, but within a couple of weeks. You'll like it . . . .

Have a great weekend!

Love, Grandbill/Dad

Breakfast at the Roy's

2011-04-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

If I ever want to tell a funny story about the Roys, I simply tell the truth! This story is just a glimpse of the Roy Family breakfast routine. I'll start by revealing that Vickie is NOT a morning person, but around 1997, when all the babies started going to some form of school, Vickie decided to make breakfast for the family. Ever since, she's been a breakfast machine, pounding out bacon, eggs, waffles, oatmeal, crepes, eggandsausage croissants, cereal, and other treats for the masses. It's great! Here's a brief pictorial:

Vickie doesn't usually sleep well (that's a whole separate episode) . . . until about 6:30 am, just before she needs to wake up to start breakfast!

That ol' alarm clock is NOT Vickie's friend. Especially if she has to work (she has a part-time job with School District 11, and sometimes has to get up at 6:15 am)

This is an actual picture. Vickie has made breakfast so many thousands of times, that SHE NORMALLY MAKES IT WITH HER EYES CLOSED IN THE DARK! This is the truth--I've witnessed it! But since daylight savings time has made it brighter in the morning, Vickie wears sunglasses to make breakfast. TRUE--YOU NOW SEE THE TRUTH!

Today she made delicious bacon and eggs and biscuits with jelly. My fav!

While Vick is making breakfast, DOUG gets to do his job, which he loves. Here's the crazy mutt making his contribution to the breakfast routine!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Here is the breakfast crew: Vick, Summer, and Doug. Notice his nose poking up there--Summer and I hate that (because he pants on us) so we make him sit on his carpet. He usually sneaks off within a few minutes and is panting again. Of course, we start with a family prayer to get the day going in the right direction. Yes, we still use the Prayer Chart since we can't remember whose turn it is, even with just three people. I hope we do better when there's just two people . . . .

Mom is satisfied when we've been fed and pushed onto our daily activities (which for me isn't much, but for Summer, it's a mad dash to school)

Here's Summer streaking off to Li'l Blue (her Ford Escort car) and her first period class, which is Seminary. Even with my fastest shutter speed, I could only capture her in a blur. By the way, Summer isn't a super-morning person either, but she does a great job getting it going anyway. Do any of you remember what Summer was famous for when she was little? Every morning while sitting in her high chair she's have a little sharing moment, and we'd all yell "MORNING BLOW!" Mom quickly grabbed a tissue or two . . . .

After breakfast, Vick likes to read the paper . . .

And work the crossword puzzle and other newspaper puzzles (Suduko, word scramble, etc.)

I hope your breakfast routine is as fun and nourishing! Thanks Vick, for getting us going!

Love, Grandbill/Dad

Boston Marathon Fun!

2011-04-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

CONGRATS TO KRISTA FOR RUNNING THE PRESTIGIOUS 2011 BOSTON MARATHON!!! Krista conquered the Beast in 3:39:59 (that's THREE HOURS, THIRTY-NINE MINUTES, and 59 SECONDS!), and had a marvelous experience from start to finish. Can you believe she ran that far that fast? I couldn't ride my bike 26.2 miles that fast, but she scooted across that course with aplomb. Good job Kris!

Vick and Summer and I got to be a part of the adventure, and we sure loved being with Krista and seeing her run. I must say, I've never seen anything like it: 27,000 runners, 500,000 spectators, and an entire city/region focused on that one event. It was marvelous! We flew into Hartford, CT, on Saturday, then went into Boston the next day so Krista could pick up her number and race materials. Then on Monday we took her to the starting point in Hopkinton, then we were able to drive to a couple of points on the route to watch her run. So much fun. And we were proud to pick up our exhausted but exhilarated runner at the finish line in downtown Boston. How did that skinny pigeon-toed little kid in the overalls and ponytails get to be such a great runner?!? I don't know, but she sure has inspired all of us with her great feets/feats!

The next day we drove up through Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire to see the sights and add five states to the list for Summer and Krista (I think they have about 42 states total now).

We just had the best time (well, Krista had the best time, but we had the best experience!)

Here's a video at about the 15K point. I'm giving Krista an energy bar. She looks great!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Here's the finish line in downtown Boston the day before the race.

Excitement for the start of the race!

Krista with her li'l white purse at the finish line.

We walked the "Freedom Trail" and stopped this old graveyard. This is the tombstone for "Mother" Mary Goose.

This is the start line in Hopkinton, 26.2 miles up the road from the finish line. 26.2 miles I say!

On the morning of the big race, Krista was ready to go!

Here she is just before boarding the bus to the athletes' village.

This was at about the 10K point (Krista not pictured--she's too fast to catch in a snapshot!) Lots and lots of runners--you just can't imagine how many runners.

Not long after the finish, Kris still had energy for a smile . . . but that's about all!

We went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse that night--Great food, but Krista was a bit rung out. Who could blame her! Actually, she did just great and we had a fun time.

Here we are at the Atlantic Ocean. (Inside joke: When we arrive there I said, "Let's get out of the car." You better believe Krista and Summer were popping out of that back seat before I even stopped the car!)

We toured the New England area and hit five states in one day. It was a fun drive, and I especially like the miles and miles of stone walls in the area, like the one pictured above. So interesting!

We hope to go back and do it again in the future. Charina is running a half-marathon next week, so you never know--maybe we'll be going up there with her!

Nice work Krista, and thanks for inviting us to THE BOSTON MARATHON. We loved it

Love, Grandbill

Ram the MAN

2011-04-09T14:11:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have checked out the Carter blog recently. Well, I felt it was my duty as a grandfather to reveal the true nature of RAM THE MAN. Though his mother thought it would be fun to put him in a dress, Ram only complied because he knew his Aunt Jamie spent a lot of time making the dresses for his sisters, and he was being a willing model. In actuality, however, he's much more comfortable in the natural states you see below. This little guy is PURE 100% BOY, and though he shows his soft side once in a while, he's definitely on the track to tough-guy status.

Ram the MAN is GLAD(iator) to be the protector of his shishters and his family. Russel Crowe has nothing on this tough boy! Of course, Brooke and Viana adore their hero!

(Contrast to the pics on the Carter Blog, HERE)

Ram the MAN is ready to go with the three-point bombs or buzzer-beaters. He's easily the MVP (Munchkin-sized Valuable Player) and he can sink-'em or stink-'em, depending upon how long it's been since he ate lunch. Dave Rose is already scouting this big guy!

Ram the MAN has been lifting pumping some serious iron lately. He'll stand in front of his sisters any day, and he's ready for anything and everything. (Except in this instance, he's holding it 'cause he's gotta go!)

Keep up the good work little man!

Love, Grandbill

Tortoise and the Hares

2011-04-09T09:29:00.000-07:00

Let's hear it for the hares...

...Who caught the tortoise ( but one didn't catch her till after the half way mark!)

Way to go OLD PEOPLE!!!!

Summer was the family winner, Dad PR'd over his last 5K (all those treadmill miles finally paying off!) and I just trotted along.

What a great day to live in Colorado, IT WAS GORGEOUS!!!!!

Number Six is here EARLY!!!

2011-03-17T17:46:00.000-07:00

CharlyAnn Jill Carter has a cool birthdate 3-11-11 and her mom REALLY appreciated her early arrival since she was a womping 8lbs 5oz!! She's a patient, sweet natured kid. She's got some excellent toes (sorry my genes played into those) and a thick batch of dark hair but alas, not on the top of her head, just around the sides. Hopefully the top will grow in before she rubs the usual bald spot in the back.

24 hours old

We loved playing at the park across the street from the hospital. The kids call it the Fish Park which in Brookese is a Fish Fark. I discovered boys are different than girls. Ram is ALL boy. Fearless and crazy!

He laughed his head off at the bottom of this great slide.

He loves to wear his BYU hat and has got his Jimmer face on.

Brooke and her little sister.

CJ got a cute post partum hair cut

As did Eric.

CharlyAnn is such an alert and wide eyed newborn.

She has dark hair, not like the Carter usual blondeness.

She has long hands too.

Like the bald top?

Viana is an awesome big sister.

I went out to check on CharlyAnn and discovered Sharpay had snuggled in with her.

Since CharlyAnn was a bit jaundiced she took some sun baths. I put my shoe there for size comparison.

One very happy MeeMaw and her four Carter cuties!!!!

Fun Pics

2011-03-07T10:02:00.000-07:00

Nice matching bellys!

Nice matching cheeks!

What happy giggling cousins!

Jamie was too intimidated to even try the Big Eyes

Thank you for coming family!!!! We love you! Next time the boys can come.

Peas!

2011-02-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

Today I was going through some of my scrap boxes and I came across my first journal. I began reading it and there were SO many funny things that I came across. But here is my most favorite entry of them all:

7/26/2002

Today I have lots of things to talk about. First, I have to say that when Taryn and Sarah came over they popped out the screen. So you know you can just put it back in, so when you have your screen out you can mostly do anything you want to do.

First another thing about the screen, because Krista dared herself to pea (yes this is how I actually spelt pee) out the window. Then Jamie called and said that we should never pea out the window when your screen is popped out. So when you look out the window you can see the pea. Well, I'm getting tired so see you tomorrow.

Is this not the most hillarious and priceless journal entry to ever been found!? I love it! My favorite part about this is that Jamie said we should never pee out the window if our screen is out. So I guess it is completely acceptable if you "pea" and "FOOP" out your window with the screen still in! And its no wonder Krista thought she could pee out the window, because when you pop out your window screen "you can mostly do anything you want to do"!

Do ya....Do ya...wanna go for a WALK!

2011-01-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

For your enjoyment!!! Doug WANTS to go for a walk and he knows all the signs that a walk is in his future.

Garage Sale

2011-01-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

Up for grabs...stuff. I've almost got the old house emptied. It's been a walk down memory lane as I spent hours hunched over dragging stuff out from under the house. I found the most unusual concotions of ... not sure what. And all those toys seemed almost happy to see me ala Toy Story 3. Don't worry I didn't get rid of it, it's at the new house waiting for you to peruse. Here are a few kitchen type things to see if you'd like me to hold them for you or just give 'em away. First come, first serve!

Crock pot. Toaster with cover.

Potato masher, measuring cup, mixer

Angel Food cake pan (or bundt)

Jello molds (Christmas, Halloween, football, easter eggs, turtles. Or play dough molds...

Plastic plates, etc

Yahtzee game, Nauvoo brick, stipler (used to make dents in hardtack) really a meat tenderizer

Clear shower curtain, never used

Desk Lamp.

500 MILES

2011-01-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

See Summer Run.

See Summer run on December 31st.

See Summer running her last 1/2 mile with her very cool chart for the 500 miles she will complete in 2010.

See Summer's victorious smile as she accomplishes her ambitious goal!!!!!

YEAH!!!! FOR SUMMER!!!!!!!

Let it SNOW

2010-12-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday Summer was signed up to go on the scout ski trip, $15 lift tickets, what a DEAL! At the last minute the Lyons didni't want to go so we used their tickets and took Puff with us and what a GREAT DAY!

The weather was supposed to be awful, 26 degrees for the high and snow all day. It didn't disappoint, it really was that cold and really did snow all day but we were warm and it was a GREAT DAY!

Summer and Dad took off and had fun while Steph learned to ski with me. She picked it up so quick she only fell 3 times in her first run! Now I can claim having broke Steph of her binky and teaching her how to ski. What a GREAT DAY!

Summer was a pro skier AND dang she looked good in her ski outfit.

That's Steph and Sum on the lift. I'm pretty sure we should plan on a family rendevous at Copper Mountain on Dec 17th ish for scout day next year. It'll be a GREAT DAY!

More Pics

2010-12-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

When Jamie and Ally and Daniel were here we visited Grandma Lenhart. Everyone had such a fun time.

Jamie says she gets a lot of people asking if Dans and Als are twins. In this picture I can almost see why. That is one BIG boy.

Oh, those blue eyes.

Since we were at a senior living place, Daniel thought he'd use his old man face.

Sum and Als playing peek-a-boo over the bed. Pure joy!

You know you're a BIG boy if...it takes two people to carry you to the car and

Your thighs are bigger than your sister's, aunt's, mom's...

But, if you're this cute and your toe tastes this good, WHO CARES!!!!

It's Christmas time!

2010-12-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

More pics later...

A Thankful Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T09:50:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh...Thanksgiving in Virginia. It was AWESOME! There were still a few beautiful red leaves on the trees, the weather wasn't bad, the food was terrific and we GOT TO SEE JIMMY and CHARINA!

We had many adventures that included...

Visiting these amazing two houses right around the corner from where Jimmy's folks live.

They rival Temple square in lumen.

Going bowling, which is always fun.

And Dad did remain vertical...well most of the time.

And Summer kicked our trash.

Harry Potter left us out of breath but not as much as laser tag!

or ice skating.

And the final excitement was playing in a coed volleyball tourney.

Where the Gayton ward WON the whole enchilada, even though two of their players (Sum and Kris) had to leave the final match to catch a plane.

It was a thankful Thanksgiving. We are thankful for ALL our family and wished all of you could have been there! We were thinking about you!!!! And THANK YOU Willis' for your GREAT hospitality!

Cheerio-Chap

2010-11-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

This won't be a comprehensive blog of our most recent trip, I take the fewest pictures, but it will serve as notice that we're back safe and sound and we had a lovely time (every thing in London is "lovely", it's a favorite word). We were disappointed there were no "bushy hat" guards but his one was entertaining enough.

Trafalgar square. Yup that's a ship in a bottle, and yes it was raining, it's LONDON.

But we did see the sun for a bit.

Big Ben, it IS BIG!

A ride down the Thames River.

This is at the Tower of London. It's a fortress/castle place made in...1248!!!!!!

There are signs always reminding you to "mind" various things-your head, your step, the gap...

At the top of St Paul's Cathederal(they started this building in the 1600s)

And it took over 500 stairs to get to the top. But the view was worth it!

We ran across this by Hyde Park. It was a stainless steel art piece. The English are indeed a quiet lot. The subway has virtually no talking (unless it's very late and the people are very drunk). So Summer and I were sticking out like true Americans as Summer was doing handstands for this picture. It was great.

We enjoyed riding on the double decker buses, but it's easy to get freaked out by the traffic going on the opposite side of the street! I could never drive there and keep my pants dry.
From the top of the Tower Bridge. You can see the great blend of the old, old and the modern new in the skyline. That dome just off center to the right is St Pauls that we climbed to the top of (Also home of the birdlady from Mary Poppins)

And since these pictures are in no particular order...we're ending with a lovely loo or WC. There will be more to come when the rest of the pics get uploaded!

Disney FUN

2010-11-08T16:12:00.000-07:00

Enjoy some Disney FUN!

Tower of Terror

From this picture can you tell who loves riding roller coasters...and who doesn't?

We had our own personal Snow White and Dopey for Halloween!

Why going to Calif is great...

2010-11-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

need I say more?

And the winner is...

2010-10-09T23:30:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the delay in getting the pics up, Coralea broke her hip...But that news can't dampen the great victory of Summer, the 36th Homecoming Queen of Doherty High School!!!!! So, here's a few pictures of our beautiful Summer!!!! (And handsome Dad)

Mr Gertsma (Summer's teacher escort) and Sum at the assembly.

Nervously waiting to hear...

If you click on this pic and zoom in (it's fuzzy), you can see Dad's great reaction.

CONGRATS SUMMER!!!!!

Cuter than cute!!!! Faster than FAST!!!!

2010-10-04T21:03:00.000-07:00

No Time for details, let's just say: Carters, Lindes, a Running Boston qualified Krista, Cheering Summer, Mom and Dad, Conference and more and more grandkid time equals the BEST

WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!

Traveling Again...

2010-09-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had a WONDERFUL time in northern California for the wedding of Cassi Roy. It was great to see the California Roy's and to get reacquainted after 15 years.

Storm, Cassi, Tyger, Sydney, Joe, Aussie

We also got to spend our time with these two hoodlums! Let's just say we get to laugh alot

The wedding was held at Bodega Bay right by the ocean. You get a lot of extra guests watching and the waves crashing, it was nice but there are BETTER places to get married.

Uncle Joe walking Cassi down the aisle. She was a beautiful bride.

The sun was a bit much for Uncle Matt or maybe he was just envious of Uncle Joe's hair!

One of the best/weirdest parts was having brothers and sister in the same place at the same time in 29 years!! It was weird because we were all very much the same yet very much older, no, more experienced...how'd that happen!!!!

So, here's a picture of each of the cousins:

Cassi with Joe and Joe's sweetie Sydney. Cassi has a great job in marketing. Sydney is a psychic on the radio and Joe does his bird shows, etc.

Aussie with Aunt Oray. Aussie is wandering, or is that wondering...

Tyger is still a gentle, quiet, sweet soul. He does carpentry work in Grass Valley.

Storm is a senior. He was on the swim team and is a great student. He got a 5 on the AP lit test and 4 on history. He wants to be a writer.

This is all of us (plus Tyger's girlfriend Amanda). The boys are TALL, like 6'4"!

It was a GREAT weekend and shame on us for not seeing each other more often.

Guess what?

2010-09-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

Summer is lucky, she usually has the best seat in the house for Doherty football games. Down on the field, right on the sideline. Well, on Oct 8th she'll have an especially good seat RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD. Okay, it's half-time when she's out there but when you're on the HOMECOMING COURT that's what ya do!!!! Congrats Sum! Dad's already gettin the tux out of the moth balls.

Peek of Hawaii

2010-09-08T14:59:00.001-07:00

We're back ... and Hawaii (the Kona coast on the big island) was GREAT. I mean really, how bad can it be that Dad had to work on vacation when he could work from the lanai with this lovely view?

I don't have many pics on my camera. When I can get Sum or Dad's we'll add more. We went to a live volcano and of course the beach. Other than that we enjoyed watching the sunset, eating amazing hand dipped ice cream bars from Costco (only $1.50 at the snackbar- but DON'T try them or you will be hooked!)

And we came back happy and rested and ready for another batch of real life. Alas...

Do ya like Dad's anti-wrinkle face pose? hahaha

life got crazy

2010-08-26T18:10:00.000-07:00

life is insane, so if you keep looking for more Germany pictures (yes there are more), they are soon coming, but first, we must be off to Hawaii before another blog comes!

as for now, enjoy this sneak peak of the blogs to come!

Germany Part II

2010-08-15T16:25:00.000-07:00

Germany was probably one of the most joyful places that I have ever been to, besides the wilderness and the redwoods. These three places should definetly be in your bucket list. One of my favorite places to visit was the Marianplatz. It basically is a big shopping market place....or more of an outdoor mall. There is this huge government buidling in the middle of it all (picture below). This building was SOOOO huge and so detailed. there was not a single inch of it that was not covered in some carving or elaberate design. On the middle of it is a big clock that dances, chimes and turn at 11,12, and 5. Luckly mom and I got to see it! SO COOl!

The green part of the building is where the characters of the clock were.

Since so many people are there every day, there are these creepy looking people every where trying to get money. this lady was so weird and moved like a robot. I was happy to get this picture with her...although i stood so far away from her because I was too scared to get too close. tehehe!

An up close shot of the dancing clock

Basically, there are bikes EVERYWHERE!!! EVERYONE rides a bike! So funny! they even have thier own 'lane' of side walk to ride on!

THis was at the back of one of the palaces. Very cool. There was a whole line of these masive sculptures along the side of the castle.

This is the back garden veiw of the castle from the previous blog. SOOO beautiful and quaint.

They have the most quaint gardens with cute tree paths off to the said! it was like a maze!! it made me SO happy!

Part of the paths of the garden

Me in the tree paths.

This is at another castle that we went and walked in the gardens at. The grounds were so big and SO beautiful. we went there around sunset and there were just people running around in the garden. So awesome and lovely

Dad standing in the gaurds place infront of the castle

Me in the back of the castle in the garden. Good timing mom! :)

Mom and dad did a jumping picture too!....and though it may not seem like they are off the ground but they did jump up! Good job :)

ROY!

I LOVE this picture! So romantically happy!

Germany Part ONE!

2010-08-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

Soooo! we finally have had something exciting in our life to blog about again. Europe was the most happy and wonderful experience of my life. Ever. Everyone at some point in thier life needs to go to Germany. It was SOO great. I loved every second of it, even the part of being stuck in the airport for three days and even having wet feet for 48 hours straight (you'll see why in blogs to come)! This is just the first batch of pictures to come. This was our first day in germany and mom and i stumbled upon this castle and it was so huge and so beautiful. The pictures are in backwards order....sorry! and dont worry more blogs are to come.

OUr car was brocken so i had to push it back all the way down this big row of cars.

The beautiful front view of the castle! so awesome!

Mom and I liked this statue. It was in a trophie room, and this guy is totally checking out his muscles! haha!

Buisness class! oh ya!

Ice Blocking

2010-07-23T15:32:00.001-07:00

Today Summer and her little charge, Hallie, went ice blocking.

Ally and I tagged along. Ally liked helping to pull the block back up the hill...

But wasn't a huge fan of the downhill ride.

Mostly because she had visions of her favorite downhill ride...THE SLIDE

She loved it!

But better than the slide, THE SWING!

Although swings aren't as much fun when Grandbill isn't there. Who else can say "Don't kick you me!!" and then stumble all over and fall on the ground better than Grandbill.

After all he has been doing that for nearly 30 years!!!!

It was a GREAT day at the park!

For Krista and Charina and everyone else too.

2010-07-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

Tis the season!

Krista, your tree is alive, well and productive. This is it's status after our second picking this week. We've frozen 7 full quart bags of cherries.

And they are YUMMY!!! Can hardly wait for the pie!

This is one of Summer's great photos from the garden at the old house.

Hope all of you are having a GREAT SUMMER!!!! And hope these reminders bring some happy memories to you...from us with love!

LA Trip and Mom's Birthday!

2010-07-11T16:56:00.001-07:00

OK!!!! Happy birthday to mom!!!!! I got up early on the morning of mom's birthday and after much trial, I made her some delicious crepes!!! We loved them! YUMMY!

"peaches...."

I think that mom had a pretty good birthday. I even shniked and got her some cherry pie....although it wasnt all that great, sorry mom :(

These are all of mom's presents combined! And not to mention, we did get her a nice sink...although, it was quiet the hasel to get it in!

I went to go visit the Linde family this week!!! YAY!!! it was so much fun, and i am so grateful that I can go fly over there to visit. Daniel is pretty much the most happy and fat baby ever. He was also so happy and delightful, I like him! Ally is more precious then ever and her laugh is a crack up. She still is getting used to walking without her cast on. By the end of the week she actually got pretty good at walking and even some attempts to jumping! LA was AWESOME!!!

This is Ally looking at the Elephant display at the Natural HIstory Museum. I think that all of us LOVED this awesome museum. Jame and I definetly agreed that it was worth the money. Ally loved all of the awesome animals, they were great. I liked the awesome rock display that they had. There were so many different minerals and gems, it was awesome. I forgot how much i really do love rocks!

They had a sweet rain forest room that kind of freaked out Ally, but it was way cool.

Friday night we went to the Santa Monica Pier. I had so much fun and it was really funny and enjoyable to see all of the different people there. I was suprised at how completely differnt the atmosphere is at night. Totally awesome. Plus, we got the most tasty cotton candy ever. I have not had it in FOREVER!!! Jamie and I pretty much scarfed down the whole thing. It was SOOO good!

On the corner to the pier there were two guys dancing. Such a funny and wierd thing to me. That doesnt normally happen in Colorado. But they were actually pretty good. I liked it.

On saturday we took a nice drive down by bel-air. We saw some of the most amazingly HUGE houses. I got a little car sick but I enjoyed it nonetheless!!

I had such a great time in LA! Thanks for letting me come visit Jamie, LaDon, Ally, and Daniel! It was the greatest.

Young Women's Camp! Camp Joseph

2010-06-26T14:11:00.000-07:00

I am much to lazy to make a real blog about camp and so here is just a bunch of pictures for enjoyment. Camp was such a wonderful experience for everyone. The spirit was so strong, mom did AWESOME (even with a ear ache), the weather was perfect, the girls had fun, the food was awesome, and it was so joyously happy! It was great to be a Camp Joseph and it was even more fun to walk through every door way and think," Krista and I painted these!"....or be making break fast in the kitchen and look at the stove and admire how grease free it was! It was great!!!

Puffy went!! She's 12! SOO weird!

Yay for awesome Camp Joseph 2010 FEAR NOT!