What does 50 look like...??

Here's what 50 looks like in 2008...when hubby turned 50.  Don't mind the look on my mom's face...we were in Provo at a place strange to her and with family she didn't really recognize...so she sat quietly on the couch while we celebrated Dave's 50th birthday...he looks really good!  Funny thing, he still looks the same!!  Now it is my turn to be 50.  I don't think I look quite as good as he does!

But my sweet family knew I had a lot to get done before our upcoming trip, so instead of gifts, service was given.  I LOVED it!  Clark washed both our cars and cleaned the inside too!

 Dave cleaned all our ceiling fans...

 Clark also did the cobwebs and dusted the base boards...

 And Joel cleaned the grout!  It was a wonderful day!  There would have been more outside yard work done, but the yard was wet from an earlier rain and it was too muddy to be out there...oh well, maybe later!  I appreciate how they looked at my list and just picked things and did them.  What a wonderful gift!

 I had been very busy working on my Aunt's life history, trying to finish it before we go to Utah so I can hand deliver it.  This has been time consuming but I loved every minute of it!  That's why extra help with the housework was so appreciated...and also why there is no picture of me. I was a slave to the projects on the table...

 That was all on Saturday.  My actual birthday was on Sunday.  It was the Primary presentation in Sacrament meeting and I was in charge.  Everything turned out beautifully (it always does with the children!) and Dave cooked dinner for me so I could just come home and relax.  Teri S. brought me this lovely rose out of her garden, it's lightly brushed pink on the outside edges...I wish I would have taken a picture before it was opened up so much, but it is beautiful!  And of course she gave me a nice gift of a frame to match my kitchen and a darling bracelet she made herself! 

Donna M. also gave me a handmade towel holder for the kitchen (crocheted) with some towels.  And Ann W. gave me some warm vanilla lotion and hand soap.  It was nice to be remembered by my closest friends.  It was so sweet each time the doorbell rang.  I also received cards in the mail from Parents-in-law, Aunts and cousins with gift cards or cash...everyone is just so thoughtful!  Even when you're old and FIFTY!  And the best gift (not that I'm biased at all) was the video chat with the grandsons in Georgia who sang to me!  And chatted.  What a wonderful ending to my day! We chatted with Eric's family and Clif in Utah as well.  My brother and sister-in-law called from Alaska to visit with me too.  I truly felt the love all day!

On Monday when I went to work, the gang had brought stuff for a healthy lunch - no sweets!  They all know I have given up sugar and it was so thoughtful of them! The meat and cheese sandwiches were yummy and Ruth gave me a nice blue frame that says "Family."  They also decorated around my desk with birthday banners and dangly butterflies from the ceiling...It has truly been a wonderful birthday week (longer than a week actually!) And don't worry, my next post will have a picture of me so you can see what fifty REALLY looks like!

Buried Treasures...

Just when I thought I had scanned every picture, slide, and negative of my parents' that I possibly could...I came across another large package of negatives!  So I decided to start scanning them and see what there was.  Most of them are pictures I have already seen (or scanned previous) but it's nice to have the "source" of the image.  But then I came upon this little treasure...a photo I have NEVER SEEN BEFORE!

 I love it!  Me and my brothers at our home in Loa, Utah when I was 4.  I don't know why I have never seen this picture...I thought perhaps it was sent to my dad who was serving in Vietnam, but I never found it in his military pictures, so who knows...but I am glad I found it now!  And as a lot of my pictures when I was little are black and white, it was fun to see this one in color! And then there was this picture, of Grandma Farnsworth's 70th birthday party.  It's our house in Moab, Utah and lots of cousins, aunts and uncles...I do not remember seeing these pictures anywhere either.  Can you see me in the picture?  I'm there!  I was 10 or 11 years old at that time.

I truly find looking at the old pictures is a treasure box of memories and it made me realize how much I miss my grandparents.  I got quite sentimental looking at them all.  They have all been gone for a very long time, but I love them and have so many wonderful memories of them.  I hope I can unbury a few more treasures as I continue to scan whatever I might find in my parents' belongings!

An afternoon in quaint Solvang...

Our first stop after the bike ride was LUNCH!  We ate on the patio at "Paula's Original Pancake House."  When Dave and I had walked around a bit that morning, this place was crowded!  Lines of people waiting outside!  we knew it must be good!  By lunchtime it wasn't as busy and we enjoyed our al fresco lunch. 

 

 Bishop ordered Norwegian pancakes and swedish sausage...WOW.  Those pancakes were huge!  He said they were very tasty! And that the sausage tasted a lot like his polish sausages.

 Here are just a few shots from around the main street there...windmills and thatched roofs were a common sight...

 Fun little shops everywhere...I found souvenirs and of course a t-shirt for me! Dave found an ice cream cone shop (made his throat feel good) and of course we visited the bakery for eclairs and other treats.  Everyone that has been there before has tasted all the eclairs and said the Olsen's baker was the best!  The eclairs were good (I took a couple of bites of one) but I really liked the meringue.  That was my favorite.  I even liked it more than the chocolate covered whipped marshmallow...and that's saying something! 

 We visited the fun Christmas shop and an amazing clocks and music boxes shop. So many fun things to look at!   

 This was an antique store which was very fun to step into and have a look back in time...some amazing stuff!  The door way was impressive with it's lions and architecture.  The picture doesn't do it justice, but Joel and Melanie coming out right when I took the picture was fun...Joel had his camera from photo class and was capturing all kinds of different photos...

 Here's the gang!  We sure had fun with them all and look foward to trying it again next year.  Hopefully Dave will be able to do the whole ride and maybe the Swinneys will be able to join us too...they weren't able to come this time.

 There is a little park there, the "Hans Christian Anderson" park with a statue of him (Joel got a picture of it, I did not) and it reminded me so much of the movie with Danny Kaye.  Has anyone else seen it?  I would like to find a copy of it and watch it again.  It's a musical and not really based on his life, just a fairytale about the fairytale writer.  But I remember really enjoying it!  In Solvang there is also a "Little Mermaid" statue and other things representative of him. 

All in all our two days in Solvang were very fun!  It was a great way to begin my "birthday week" and I hope we can go again next year.  Again we thank the Winieckes for inviting us and helping make it all happen!  In the meantime, I will wear my Solvang shirt and Dave will wear his Solvang Prelude shirt and we will relive the memories...

Solvang Prelude 2012...

 Here is where it begins...

 Joel and Dave ready to get started...Dave was still sick so decided to just do as much as he could...he wasn't sure how far he could make it...35 miles sounds like a lot when your head is all stuffed up...

 Bishop and Ann on their tandem ready to lead the way! 

 Melanie, Ryan, Melanie's brother and friend, and Tom all left earlier...they did the 50 miler!

 There's the tandem with Dave and Joel right behind, heading off into the fog...

 I stayed out in front of the hotel for a few minutes and took pictures and watched all the riders.  There were a lot!  A cold and foggy morning, but it didn't deter them.  All ages, all shapes, it was amazing...

 They just kept coming!  And going!  It was fun that our hotel was right on the main street and we could watch a lot of it.

 I saw a LOT of tandem bikes.  There were three together but by the time I snapped the picture one had already passed...I even saw one tandem pulling a trailer with a child in it!  Amazing.  Talk about a family affair!  Dave made it about 10 miles and he was done for.  He was so congested and was having a hard time breathing.  I was afraid I was going to have to carry him upstairs to our room!  But he made it and then he crawled back in bed!  A couple of hours later he got up and we went for a walk down the streets of Solvang.  Then we found a spot to watch for Joel and the others to get back.  We hadn't been there 5 minutes when here they came!  If you look hard you can see them in the picture.  They were coming too fast so I knew I had to snap one quick!  I will enlarge it and zoom in on them when I scrapbook it.

 We followed them back down the last block to the hotel...I wasn't there in time to get the picture of Ann and Dan doing the high five...but it was cute! 

They don't even look tired!  (But I think they were a little...)  Congratulations Joel for completing your first ride!  Thanks Winieckes for the inspiration to go cycling! 

 And the 50 milers at the finish line...woo hoo!!  They earned their Solvang eclair!  (We had already had ours by the time they got back...but we saved them one!

After everyone cleaned up, we had a fun rest of the afternoon in Solvang...more to come!

My birthday week starts in Solvang...

We have always wanted to visit Solvang, CA., a Scandinavian town...and this weekend was our chance!  There was a bike ride (The Solvang Prelude 2012) that Joel and Dave entered with some of our friends.  First stop...AJ's Spurs...dinner!

We had a fun time here...very good food...and as a present to me, Joel tried something new!  (and he liked it!) Tom is as proud of him as I am!

 My favortie dinner dates...Joel and Dave!  Poor Dave was fighting a bad cold and didn't have as much fun as the rest of us I'm sure.

 Tom and Melanie Martinez bring lots of fun to any party! 

 Ann, Bishop Winiecke and Ryan are a lot of fun too...we thank them for getting us to come!  They helped my Solvang wish come true...

 And of course they told the waitress it was my birthday so they came and sang, ringing the cowbell and gave me a huge brownie with ice cream and whipped cream...

 I was so full I could barely put a dent in it, AND you get rootbeer floats after dinner, I couldn't touch mine!  Thanks for the fun birthday dinner!

 We had to take a picture by the stuffed buffalo...they had all kinds of huge stuffed animals and little ones too...

 What did I tell you about Tom?  He's a party! 

After dinner we went to check in for the bike race and check out their merchandise...

 Sign waiver, get bib number, and a bag of little goodies...water bottle, protein bar, a patch, a magnet and lots of papers!

 This picture is for Clif.  They had a booth with your name all over it!  Spelled correctly!  :) 

We were there pretty late...it was almost closing time...and it was cold!  We were trying to imagine how cold it was going to be in the morning!  Next up, the big bike ride!

 



Halloween 2012

Have you ever seen a cuter Mario and Luigi?  I don't think I have!  I hear they got lots and lots of candy!  Wish they could have come trick or treating to Grandma's house...but I guess the candy is just as good in Georgia.  Our Halloween was pretty quiet.  Not a ton of trick or treaters, but just about right.  We did enjoy our church trunk or treat on Saturday...lots of people, food, and fun.  There was a cupcake walk and homemade donuts along with the traditional hotdogs and chili.  My kind of halloween!  Here is the "graveyard" cake I made for the grand prize of the cupcake walk...I thought it turned out pretty cute...

The cake idea on pinterest had skinnier chocolate fence pieces, but I don't know what they were so I just used Twix.  So my fence is fat.