So it's Christmas!

Well it is here...Christmas Eve and the excitement begins. Everyone but Kyle is home for the holidays. Well kinda. I am so looking forward to being together, and to see and hear the excitement in Sterlings face and voice. He is gonna love it as well as London. Piper will too, but she is still a little young.

Merry Christmas to all!!

Homecoming

Wow...Kate is coming home tommorrow from Peru. She is sick and is coming home on a medical release from her mission. This is good that she will get some better medical attention than what is available in Peru. We will pick her up Wednesday night in Calgary. December 15th update...Kate has been in the hospital 13 days as of today, and no diagnosis yet! Wow we are anxcious to see what is going on. She is doing better, but we need to determine the cause of her illness.

Why can't people learn to drive?

On the average driving day coming to work from Cardston to Lethbridge and return there are at least 3 or 4 driving incidents that frustrate me to no end. Why are people allowed to even drive when they drive the way they do. There is one lady that tailgates me quite often in her Volkswagon Jetta, she is an older lady and heaven forbid if she gets behind ya, she just sits right on your bumper. One day I think I made her crap her pants tho, cause I slammed on my brakes. Had she hit me I would have said a coyote ran out in front of me and I had to brake. But instead she slammed on her brakes and had this scared look on her face like she was gonna hit something. I watched all this in my rear view mirror as she was so close. That seemed to work for the rest of the trip to Cardston...but a week later there she was again.

Then there are the guys that have to pass to get ahead of you just to arrive at the Cardston highway corner at the same time you arrive, or the guy that passes you just to turn off 1000 feet ahead...so like why can't they wait 4 seconds to turn?

Then there are the idiot drivers that pass you on double solid lines when there are oncoming cars and you have to slam on your brakes so they can get back in front of you, or the guy who passes and the oncoming car has to move onto the shoulder so he does not get hit.

Oh and how about the guy who passes you and then slows down so that you have to pass them again to maintain the speed limit.

There are so many bad drivers on the road, and the only time you see the cops are when it is their break time sitting at coffee and donut shops.

Projectionist and Werewolves

So as a result of volunteering so much at the theatre in Cardston, I got asked to be a projectionist at the theatre and work there showing movies. So I took the job and have been doing the job for a number of months now...since July I think. So anyway I get to see lots of movies, some I like and others I don't.

So what is the big craze over New Moon anyway? I don't get why all the moms and teenage girls are all so crazy over this movie??? Vampires and werewolves...Hmmm! Should I be howling at the screen too?

Mittenaries and Misc.

So now that our two missionaries are out there...one in Boise Idaho and one in Arequipa Peru, we are empty nesters! Wow it is so quiet at home! Peggy and I often just have to sit and stare at each other! Well Peg did get the TV back from the repair shop, so that helps Ha! Ha!

We both got our hini shots and are good to go. No real concerns with the flu here! Although we know someone that has passed away from it.

Moose hunting for Corey and Mandy was great...they got a bull and a cow moose in Grandeprairie the first week of November. They also have gotten 3 deer this season.

I am looking forward to going Elk (Wapiti) hunting in the late season in February near Waterton.

Life Changes

Pictured here is Peggy with our 3rd grandchild Piper Isabella born July 10, 2009. 7lbs 5 oz

It is interesting the way things happen in life. We all experience so many different things. Our family is no different...Kyle and Katelyn are both leaving on Missions this fall. Kyle will leave Sept 30 for Boise Idaho and Katelyn will follow 3 weeks later and will be going to Peru (Spanish speaking). That will make Peg and I empty nesters for a couple years at least. Corey and Mandy are working hard and hunting hard. Andrea and Mark are the newest parents, and Megan and Jeff have there work cut out for them with London as she is just a going concern! Peg and I are very involved with the theatre in Cardston, and love it.

Summer Fun

Well it is almost over and it has barely started...summer that is, but we are keeping busy this summer, and it has not been to difficult when our son Kyle has been involved in the Carriage House Theatre summer productions once again this summer. He is playing Don Lockwood (the lead) in Singin in the Rain, and Ham in the Ark, and is also in Leader of the Pack. So Peggy and I spend a lot of time at the theatre volunteering and helping out where we can. I am even doing the lights for Singin in the Rain.

As I have seen the talent from all the cast this summer, I have been totally impressed with one 16 year old girl in the Ark. Sydnee Ralph has an amazingly gifted voice for her age. She and Kyle sang "Come What May" 4 years ago as a duet at Raymond days, and I always wanted to hear them sing again...I never imagined they would end up singing and acting in the Ark this summer together. So here they are, and they will also be opening for Trace Bundy (www.tracebundy.com) together on Sept 12 at the Carriage House Theatre in Cardston Alberta...so come see for yourself, the talent that I am seeing!! I think I am going to miss all the Kyle shows for the next two years while Kyle is in Boise Idaho!

Piper

My 3rd granchild was born July 10, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. Piper Isabella Burbank, parents, Mark and Andrea Burbank. She was 19 5/8 inches and 7 lbs, 5 oz, with lots of dark hair!

1954 Willys Jeep

Well it has been a while since I last wrote on my blog. I have now purchased a 1954 Willys Jeep truck 4 x 4. It has a 226 Super Hurricane inline flathead 6 cyl engine, 3 speed T90A transmission, and a PTO driven winch. I am currently re-building it completely from the ground up. It is my 2 - 3 year project. Anyone wanna help sand?...Come on we are all SANDERS!!!

November 2009 update...So I have been working on my Willys , at present it sits in the garage beside Kyles 1966 Jeepster Commando which is stored for two years while he is in Boise Idaho on his mission. So my Willys is now all dismantled and I continue to sand, and sand, and sand, and weld, and grind, and so forth. It is coming along slowly, but surely, and I find a lot of satisfaction in working on my truck. It is good therapy and fun at the same time. I am so enjoying my Willys Jeep time!