Mountains of Potatoes

Well, I hate to say this, but (excuse time) I don't write in my blog very often because I am afraid
the average reader would find my life terribly mundane. However, I guess that is why reality T.V. and peeking in people's lighted living room windows at night is so popular--people like to know how other people live their lives. Besides that, I have determined that I need to make my blog more for me, anyways, so, here we go. Turning over a new leaf. (How many times have I said that one?!)

So this last weekend was quite enjoyable. Uncle Steve and Andy came down to visit for a few days, and it is always so much fun to have them here. Friday night, Steve accompanied us to our annual stake fall harvest festival. It was nice, but afterwards, I was lamenting the fact to Curtis and Alli that our stake is so unoriginal in its activities. We do the exact same thing every year, and not to sound rude, but I think people are looking for something a little different, as evidenced by the very poor showing...probably about 50 people came from our whole stake. Anyway, I should not have opened my big mouth, because a couple days ago Sister Summers called me and asked me to be in charge of our ward Christmas program. Serves me right, I suppose.

Saturday, we went up to the Williams' (our dear friends) parent's lodge in Island Park and helped them cut wood for the winter. Their house is heated the old fashioned way! I have to say, I love doing hard manuel labor like that. Not only is it invigorating, but cutting wood brings back good memories from my childhood of doing the same thing. I loved when Dad would read books to us in the winter by the fireplace, and we would sit around cracking and eating (and being) nuts. Fun, fun!

Later Saturday afternoon, Steve and I went out to the country in search of some farm run potatoes to purchase. We found some, and looking in those potato sheds, I have to say, I have never seen so many potatoes in one place in my entire life! Mountains of them! I asked the farmer how long it took to truck all the potatoes out one of their sheds, and he told me about five days. Wow!

After getting potatoes, we were invited to join a bunch of the college kids at Craigo's for dinner. Cousin Kristin had come up for a visit to surprise Cherstin (Curtis' sister), so it was defintely a cause for celebration. It reminded me of the last time a bunch of us cousins got together to eat--we went to Los Hermanos in Provo. The meal stood out to me because I convinced the waitress to pretend that the $50 bill Kristin paid for her meal with was counterfeit. The look on Kristin's face was priceless and will forever be etched in my memory as one of the funnier things I have seen.

In other news, our ward calling is going well. I think I am actually starting to enjoy it. Curtis and I are the nursery leaders in our ward. I generally dislike babysitting small children if they are not related to me, but I have been doing my best to enjoy it, and praying that I will be able to love and serve the kids. It's working. (Boy, I sound like I had a bad attitude! Not to worry-I have repented.) This Sunday we had a fun lesson...we talked about Lehi's dream from the Book of Mormon, and how the scriptures are the word of God, and part of the iron rod that keeps us on the straight and narrow. I had made this big cardboard cutout of a tree, and we had the kids tape leaves and fruit on it. Then we draped some string around the room (our iron rod) and had the kids follow it to the tree through the mists of darkness (our fog machine). The kids loved it! That fog machine has been one of the best splurges we have ever invested in. We have used it for lots of family home evening lessons as well!

So, more later. See, this is one of the problems I run into when trying to write...I could just keep going and going and going. Blah, blah, blah, that's me!