Fishing with Grandpa

The kids spent some time with my dad while Daniel and I were away on business this weekend checking up on some of our stores in California. They love his happy spirit and always look forward to any time they have to spend with him, since he lives in St. George (4 hours away) and we don't get to see him as often as we'd like. They went out fishing up Big Cottonwood Canyon and had a blast (even though they didn't catch anything!). Or as Grandpa would say it when passersby asked how many fish they had caught- "Well, this one and six more will make 7!"

Today is Sunday. I think because it is a day of rest, I am able to reflect more on the things that are most important to me. The Lord truly knew what he was doing when he gave us a day to slow down and refuel. I must admit that sometimes I have to make myself remember this concept.

Anyway, I am in S. Cal visiting Mom. She has been asleep for most of the time that I have been here this morning. Her awake times have shifted more to the afternoons. She loves when I come and clean her room. She is not able to get out of bed to do it herself. That must be so frustrating! She has been in this very bed for 15 years. She is such an example of patience and endurance. 

So as I sat in this room I reflected on her life. Behind her on the wall is pictures of a life well lived. There are pictures of a girl's trip to Europe, college graduation, a loving grandfather, a even a page containing her name of "Who's Who in American Colleges".  Anyway, even though at a quick glance you see a woman reduced to a bed and few bookshelves, this is one woman who lived life to the fullest. Maybe somehow she knew that her life would change drastically with a stroke at 30 years old.

I love you mom and am so grateful for the fullness of life that you gave to John and I. The only thing that holds you back from those pearly gates is that they just aren't ready for your energy. After all it has been bundled up for quite some time.

Updates

Ok, so we've kind of fallen off the face of the planet in both the blogger and real-world sense, but I'm trying to make a comeback so bear with me! Over the next week or so I am going to try and post every couple of days to get everybody caught up on what has been going on in our lives.

I guess I'll start with the most recent event, Thanksgiving. Daniel and Katie came to visit from New York and we had so much fun while they were here. It was a short trip and they only stayed for the weekend, but we look forward to many more visits in the future!

In other recent news, we just released a new look for Buffalo Chips this last month, and the new bags look great! We just got in with a new distributer, Nature's Best, and have already picked up 23 new stores in Arizona and the surrounding area. That's a lot of new! We're getting ready for the big food show in California in January and hopefully pick up even more stores!

The Great Bambino

Michael really has a gift for baseball. He loves the sport and really gives his all. At an age where most kids out on the field are typically picking their noses, staring sleepily into space or flat out lying down in the outfield (and I'm not joking!) Michael is so intense on the game you would think it was the major leagues. We redecorated his room recently and Melissa took some pictures of him in his uniform to put up in his room. We think they look great and Michael couldn't be happier!

Happy Birthday Pop and Joe!

Joe's birthday present this year was a plane ticket out to visit us over his and Daniel's birthday. We had a big taco night to celebrate and it was so wonderful to get together with our family and spend time with Joe. It's hard having Joseph so far away from us but the distance makes us appreciate having him around all the more! Happy Birthday! (P.S. our camera was taking pictures on a very small file size, so hopefully you can see the pictures ok!)

Buffalo Beginnings

We have been trying to organize our family photos one shoe box at a time, and the process has led to some great walks down memory lane. Some of the greatest memories in the last 10 years have been the beginnings of our Buffalo Chip business. All the sweat, blood and tears that went into endless days at summer festivals, endless nights cooking at Eat-A-Burger (listening to Beatles music and overdosing on soda) and years on end of trying to make things work. Best of all we always had our family behind us to help us out and support our dreams. We have the best family ever! Thanks for the help and happy memories!

Vrrroooom!

Well, after 20 plus years of driving around in beat up cars that are falling apart in more places than holding together, Daniel joined the ranks of good-looking men driving good-looking cars. :) We sold his Ford Taurus, a van we had bought for some quick turnaround money and drove home yesterday in his new Nissan Murano. It is a great car and he deserves it!