The Work House Chronicles

2009-10-18T19:31:00.001-05:00

We've Been out of touch For a Year

2009-10-18T18:14:00.004-05:00

In some respects, this is just like my journal. I usually write about once a year!! There is always an entry right around January 1st as I solidify that resolution to write more often in my journal! HA! Anyway, the biggest updates are:Carston graduated number 3 in his class and is now at Utah State University on a full ride scholarship. He also got a Research Fellowship from the Physics

Triathlon Times

2008-10-15T20:33:00.004-05:00

Since Arlen moved to Amarillo in 2005, he's trained for and participated in several small triathlons. We have actually gone and watched at a few of them, but always sans camera. This time we took a camera, complete with supportive logo t-shirts, but somehow ended up without any photos of Arlen. He's just too fast!! (That's the only thing I can think of.) This particular triathlon was held in a

More News from Hong Kong

2008-10-10T08:04:00.006-05:00

Dalon sent more pics. Just a little update on him. He was made Senior companion several months ago and more recently a trainer. His mission president sent the nicest letter. (Arlen wonders if it's a form letter, but I choose to think he only says wonderful things about MY son.) :-) He said, "I want you to know how much I love and admire your son and I know that Heavenly Father loves him as well.

Summer Recaps

2008-09-21T08:02:00.012-05:00

I figure this is better late than never.Carston and cousin, Collin at EFY held at Utah State University in July. The VEST family reunion met to celebrate Kari's mom and dad's 50th wedding anniversary. Mom and Dad's posterity = 5 children, 25 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren, so far. Grant and Gayle Vest hold up a gift given by my sister, Kami. I loved what this said. "All Because Two

TOO FUNNY

2008-09-15T22:51:00.003-05:00

Man, this is hilarious. I took it from the Greenmun's blog, so I thought I would give credit there, but I wanted to expose those who don't surf that blog to some great political satire... Kind of in the tone of SNL. Loved the Sarah Palin/Hillary Clinton spoof too, but that's a different link.Click HERE to enjoy the joy of Politics.

Heroes

2008-09-15T07:47:00.000-05:00

A Little More Space

2008-07-18T18:37:00.002-05:00

Lauren has had an exciting vacation this year. Her first tooth came out and the tooth fairy left a whole dollar!!

Gone Fishin'

2008-07-18T18:33:00.002-05:00

We're currently in Providence, UT visiting Grandma and Grandpa Vest. Grandpa took the kids fishing one day. Look what happened in the first fifteen minutes!

Independence

2008-06-24T14:03:00.008-05:00

Each child has their own phase of independence - Lauren now makes her own peanut butter sandwiches, Bowen asserts his independence by answering everything by saying the opposite of what we need to hear. Landon now rides his bike around Canyon without supervision. And...Carston got a job! He's officially on duty at Wendy's - which by his estimation is better than McDonalds. We warned him not

Lovin' Summer

2008-06-12T10:48:00.004-05:00

I so enjoy the summer and the lazy days and the lack of someone else's schedule. We're getting up later, eating breakfast unrushed and (after chores) playing throughout the day. We've got our little garden growing and progressing with plenty of water and the kids also surviving with plenty of water. They regularly wear swimsuits and play with the hose to keep cool. I am still working a few

Promenade

2008-06-12T10:35:00.003-05:00

Another driver!

2008-04-28T09:44:00.000-05:00

Woo hoo! Carston got his driver's license! I have no pics at the moment. I'll post one sooner or later. It's still hard for me to see him behind the wheel, but I've been taking full advantage of the situation and have him running errands for me OFTEN! Luckily, Canyon is a small town and the max speed is 30 mph and there are plenty of stop signs, lights, etc. Keeps the teenagers grounded and

Catching UP!

2008-04-17T10:24:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe how long it has been since I have blogged. Time seems to speed by leaving us in its wake at times, seems to sweep us along with it at times, and then there are those rare moments when it stands still long enough for us to take a mental picture and form an impression that we will never forget. Today I'll share some of those moments and even share some actual pictures so you can

Finally Here

2008-01-22T08:58:00.000-06:00

Finally! Pics from Hong Kong. Proof that Dalon is alive and well and loving what he's doing. The above pic is of Dalon with his Trainer, Elder Ross. We thank God for him and the goodness he showed Dalon in his first weeks in Hong Kong! Dalon's emails are very positive and he continues to improve in his language skills and his people skills. They do not tract there in HK, instead they street

Meet Data

2007-12-26T16:00:00.000-06:00

One of our Christmas surprises for the kids was our new puppy, Data. For those who don't know me or my children well, he's named in honor of one our favorite Star Trek characters, Lieutenant Commander Data. The character was killed off in the last Star Trek: Nemesis movie as he saved the lives of his captain and fellow shipmates. (Our friends, Jim and Melanie, will remember me sobbing as his '

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way Home from Waco

2007-12-01T07:31:00.000-06:00

We received a wonderful invite to attend an Eagle Court of Honor for one of Arlen's former scouts in Waco. The timing was right due to Thanksgiving holidays so we thought we'd make a quick trip to Waco/Robinson area on Saturday, attend church and return on Sunday evening in time to prepare for school and seminary the next day. We had such a terrific time visiting with our friends there. The

Seminary Stars

2007-11-16T13:18:00.000-06:00

These are most of my seminary stars. There were a few missing on this particular day, so I'm hopeful I'll get another picture when the others are present. As you can see, they are enjoying their "Friday Food" which is served after our scripture mastery activity has been completed.I've so enjoyed getting to know these youth and hearing them share their testimonies, knowledge and discoveries as

Happy Halloween

2007-11-02T20:52:00.001-05:00

Carston wanted to be Mr. Darcy for Halloween. From Pride and Prejudice, of course. I thought he looked rather dashing. He said he had his picture taken 3 times at school, the girls all identified who he was, and the teachers remarked how handsome he looked. Several kids even said he looked like Joseph Smith. How do a bunch of non-LDS kids know this? Guess what they are studying in US History at

Timely Wisdom

2007-10-14T15:30:00.001-05:00

I also really enjoyed General Conference this year. I always end up feeling like they were speaking directly to me. It seemed to me that there were a lot of General Authorities who mentioned their mothers and their gratitude for them. And, it also seemed that there were several talks about mothers this time and their righteous influence. It's been timely for me to hear these loving things

The MOM Song

2007-10-10T09:20:00.000-05:00

You have got to see this!!! It's so fun to be a mom! How amazing to have the life of a mom summed up in 2 minutes and 54 seconds!! Enjoyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxT5NwQUtVM

Familiar Faces

2007-10-06T09:16:00.000-05:00

Dalon recently told us that he had run into Josh Flynn who used to live in Waco when we lived in Robinson. They live in the same building at the MTC and see each other often. Elder Flynn is going to the Indepence Missouri Spanish speaking mission. Dalon was so thrilled to have a familiar face nearby. He tells us that others from the Killeen Stake have joined him at the MTC as well. Carl? Jones, I

Anniversary update - finally

2007-09-28T23:00:00.000-05:00

One of the many beautiful bays around St. John Island in the US Virgin Islands. A great way to celebrate twenty years of weddedness.These guys just twaddled around everywhere. It was such a surprise to see them touring the neighborhood. Not your neighbor's dog, that's for sure.I realized two of my life goals when we traveled to the British Virgin Isle of Tortola. 1.) I got my passport stamped. 2.

Friday Night Lights

2007-09-28T22:44:00.000-05:00

I watched Carston for the umpteenth time play with the band, but I always come away thinking he is SO cool. The link below should show you "Tactical". He's one mean marimba!!http://www.motionbox.com/video/player/1c9fdab01d1be692/0fd7f9d60716db94

Shoeless Landon and the Power of Prayer

2007-09-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

Each morning I get up at 4:50 to get ready for Seminary. In the past, throwing on a sweatsuit and dropping the boys off did not require such dedication, but now that it takes a little more time to put on a dress and the face to match. It's been very rewarding and challenging so far to meet with the youth each day and try to somehow give them a glimpse of the Spirit and inspire in them a love for

The First and the Last

2007-09-01T20:18:00.000-05:00

The first day of school for the last of our children. Not only has our first child left the nest for an extended period of time, but our last has left for the vast world that school provides for 5 year olds! I think I'm growing up!What's so funny is that by Thursday, Lauren was thoroughly exhausted by her new experiences and begged me (in between sobs) to let her stay home - it was too long

He's official

2007-08-31T17:38:00.000-05:00

Well, Dalon is officially a missionary. We had a great send off dinner - thanks to all who came or sent their best wishes. Wednesday we piled all the kids in the car at 5AM and took him to the airport. My folks met him in Salt Lake and transported him to the MTC. Below is his address at the MTC. He will be there until mid-November. I'll be posting this on the family blog and the Work family site

Just call me Hannah

2007-08-29T08:10:00.000-05:00

"Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord." (1 Sam. 1:28) Today I am Hannah. From the day Dalon was born, my focus has been to teach him to love and serve the Lord and today he enters the MTC. He actually made my job easy because he naturally leans toward the light of Christ. He innately does good, desires and seeks good in this world and shuns

To the temple

2007-08-15T07:06:00.000-05:00

Friday the 10th we took Dalon to the Lubbock Temple where he received his endowments. I think when I saw him walk into the room looking SO young and handsome, it became a surreal moment. I couldn't wrap my brain around the fact that my child was there-with me- in the temple. He looked a little lost but later he remarked the he could have stayed there forever! Good sign! My thoughts, "He gets

Kirtland events

2007-08-12T16:57:00.002-05:00

Our time in Kirtland, Ohio was very interesting. I think I learned more about the history of the church in this spot than in any of the others. We started at the visitors center in Kirtland where they had a display on the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It was of special interest to us, one of our relatives on my dad's side, Anthony C. Lund, was the choir director for many years. He was the director

Kirtland pics

2007-08-12T16:57:00.001-05:00

Cool Slideshows!

One amazing experience

2007-08-05T23:18:00.000-05:00

Before we left New York we took a little detour farther north to the great Niagara Falls. I had been to the falls when I was about 14 yrs. old with a 4-H group. That particular day I remember being gray and rainy and not very impressive. This trip with the family was spectacular. The weather was perfect, the sky brilliant and the water so impressive as to render one speechless. I heard the

Niagara Falls

2007-08-05T23:16:00.001-05:00

Cool Slideshows!

Other Palmyra Sites

2007-08-05T06:56:00.000-05:00

We visited the print shop where the first Books of Mormon were printed. E.B. Grandin originally turned down the opportunity to print the book. He did not want his reputation ruined by associating with Joseph Smith. The Lord softened Mr. Grandin's heart through his friends. When his friends told him he was nuts for not taking $3000 in gold and assured him they would see it only as a business

Sacred times

2007-08-04T17:25:00.000-05:00

Walking through the Sacred Grove was one of the best experiences our family had. All the children remarked how quiet and peaceful it was. As we walked through the elegant, tall trees with the sun peeking through the leafy canopy, we could see how Joseph Smith would go there to pray on that very important day. We were also in awe of the circumstances in which he lived, how hard he worked and

The Sacred Grove and Smith Farm

2007-08-04T17:24:00.001-05:00

Cool Slideshows!

The Hill Cumorah

2007-08-04T16:46:00.000-05:00

Our first stop was the Hill Cumorah visitor's center. The building is beautiful and had some marvelous original paintings of scenes from the Book of Mormon. About three minutes after we arrived at the site a huge bus of teenagers arrived from Utah. An institute director from Weber State University organizes a Church History tour each year. (We actually ended up dodging this group at several

The Hill Cumorah

2007-08-04T16:40:00.001-05:00

Cool Slideshows!

Church History Trip - Chatauqua, NY

2007-08-04T15:09:00.000-05:00

We recently had the pleasure of taking our family on what we termed a 'Church History Trip'. We made some side trips to Niagara Falls, Aunt Jolyne's and Arlen's brother, Glen's home. But our focus was on learning more about Joseph Smith and the beginnings of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth. On Friday, June 29th we started out for New York. We drove all night with

Chatauqua Family campground

2007-08-04T14:13:00.001-05:00

Cool Slideshows!