Another car totaled? Not again........

Joshua should be writing this post.........He was pulling in to the parking lot of his work and the truck in front of him, with a big hitch on the back(that's important information), backed up and hit Josh taking out the headlight and denting up the hood. Need I say more. We like dealing with insurance companies as of late what can I say. The great thing is the car is still drivable and that dent just adds to the other beauty marks that have come over time on that car. It's 25 years old what do we expect. The insurance actually didn't total it. YEAH! We just kindly took the settlement and said Thank You.

Dr. Seuss' Birthday

Joshalyn dressed up as Thing 1/Thing 2 for Dr. Seuss' Birthday on March 2nd. Her hair really was blue, but it is hard to see in the pictures. All of our kids love Dr. Seuss. I think Fox in Socks is their all time favorite with their dad reading it. I love listening to Hyrum and Shad read it too because they read it just like Josh does with the excitement in their voices. It is great!

Elementary Solo & Ensemble Festival

Joshalyn participated in Solo & Ensemble Festival in February. She played "Can Can" on her violin and then for the voice portion she sang "Castle on a Cloud" from Les Miserables. She received excellent remarks on both. I wish I would have recorded them. She did so well! I'm a proud Mama even though I can't take the credit. She gets her good ear from her Grandma Herzog.

Blue & Gold Banquet

Hyrum's cub scout troop had their Blue and Gold Banquet in February. We had a nice dinner and awards. They then played a game of pinning the neckerchief on the cub scout.

It was a nice evening.

Snow School

Joshalyn went on a field trip with her 5th grade class in February. They went snowshoeing up at Bogus Basin not to far from here in Boise. She had a great time and enjoyed learning how animals survive in the winter, hide from prey, the things they find to eat in the winter, how to identify their tracks, how to tell the difference between trees, and the most fun - how to slide like an otter!! Our friends Dan and Angela went as chaperones. That was a real treat for Joshalyn and I think for them as well. They all had a wonderful day in the mountains.

Happy Birthday Shad!

Wow Shad!  What a great birthday gift you got...............oh wait that is a Happy Birthday to all of us.  Shad turned 6 on February 4th and had a great day going to Wahooz playing games there, he opened gifts and we had cake.  He helped make and decorate the cake.  He called it a sundae cake or a parfait cake.  It was yummy.  On that same day we bought and brought home a van.  It is exactly like the one we wrecked just a different color.  How about that.  We are still feeling blessed and fortunate for so many things we can't begin to name or number them.  What a happy day that was to have a vehicle again that we can all fit in.  More posts coming soon.  One day I will get caught up............maybe.

"Oh my heck Lynette........everybody hold on"

December 27, 2010 is a day we won't forget. I rolled our van on its side 4 miles west of Meacham, Oregon around 6:30pm on our way home from spending Christmas and attending Andrew's farewell(going on a mission to Brazil) with Joshua's family in western Washington . I won't bother you with my three page journal entry but I do want to mention just a few tender mercies that still bring tears to my eyes when I think about this day and the days following.

No one was hurt or injured in any way

Good Samaritans who stopped(one of which was a mechanic from La Grande)and helped and took us in to a hotel in La Grande.

Having Joshua's cell phone on him(didn't have to find it like we did mine)

Rear window blowing out not in so there wasn't glass inside the van

No losses, except for a damaged DVD case(DVD is fine) and some earings of Joshalyn's
(all replaceable)

Finding Joshua's Duty to God coin that has been lost for a few years and out of nowhere turns up(I don't recommend finding something by getting in a wreck)

Kind waitress at Pizza Hut in La Grande who let us stay in the restaurant all afternoon who brought out books for the kids to read and activities to keep them busy since we were basically homeless with no rental cars to get home to Boise

Kind man at the hotel with gorilla tape who helped Joshua cover up the rear window

Joshua having cash and change on him to use at the hotel for laundry and snacks

Willing friends and family members to do what they could to help - your prayers got us home and in our wrecked van even.........AMAZING!


So here are a few pictures of the van......................apparently taking pictures of our wreck wasn't on our mind because these are the only ones we have and they were taken after we got home to Boise. But trust me the inside of the van was quite a site and the kids got a laugh at the coins and cards and papers stuck to windows from milkshakes we had bought in Pendleton just before the accident, not to mention all of the luggage that was tossed to and fro.