A Wild Week

Where to begin...it has been quite a week at this household.

The big guy wrecked his pick up truck on the freeway early on Saturday morning. He got called in to plow snow for the county, while en route a guy lost control of his truck and Sam had no chance to miss hitting him head on at about 40 miles per hour.

I almost beat him up when I answered the phone to
"Nikki, first I just want to tell you, I am alright."

I thought to myself, well you are now because I am not with in reach to pound you for waking me up twice on a Saturday morning. First when the phone rang to call you to work and now what? He then continued to explain about the wreck.

Of course when you get in a wreck the first thing you want to do is call off of work...but the big guy didn't get that chance, as all the head bosses at work were out of town. Luck would at least offer him a work truck for the rest of the weekend.

As the snow fell all weekend he never got a chance to hurt from the wreck.

Monday offered all kinds of surprises. As Sam called the insurance and auto body repair shops and car rental places, an old co-worker (Danny)gave him a call.

Danny had a family friend in Las Vegas that is 3 weeks from delivering a baby girl. She knew that she would not be able to keep the baby and was looking for a family that would like to adopt.

Immediately Sam called me at work and we started all the conversations that we had been over time and time again...do we want to adopt?

The girl wanted to come to Utah to have the baby, looking only for the adoptive parents to get her a ride to and from Vegas and never to have to deal with the baby again. From what we were told she had an affair with a married man that wanted nothing to do with the baby and he would not agree to sign adoption papers.

I called the girl as soon as I got the chance. She was not available to chat as she was at her job. So I did the only other thing that I knew would help us make a decision...I called some friends over to have them give us a blessing in making a decision.

We gave it quite a bit of thought, and in the end I think we made the toughest choice ever, we called her and let her know that we just didn't feel like it was the right choice for anyone involved for us to take the baby, even though we have prayed for years for a child. We just hope that this young girl and the baby understand the decision.

Sometimes the holy ghost whispers...and you have to listen very hard, even if the answer is not what you want at the time. I pray for all that are and will be a part of this babies life.

A real treat

I guess looking through the world of the eyes of a child is still the most entertaining thing for me.

We went out to eat the other night with my parents and my nephews, who were spending the night. It is always a task to get the boys to eat dinner when we all go out because they are just such hams and like to play more than eat. So someone came up with the idea of letting them eat dinner with chopsticks. They had not only me and the rest of our table laughing, but a few other neighboring tables watching as well. Who would have known that just mixing things up a bit could be such a hoot. I was just glad that we didn't order soup. The little guys didn't quite have the knack for using the chopsticks in a traditional manner, but hey, we got them to eat.

Getting it all together

I never seem to be ready for Christmas, try as I may, every year I find myself out and about at the last second looking for the perfect gift.

But what is it really that I am looking for? Just that perfect item that conveys how much that someone special really means to me. It has to be in the true spirit of Christmas, yet also be affordable without looking cheap. I really like to find something in the right size so they won't have to worry about returning the item or hurting feelings about sizing them up wrong. It's also nice to find something that won't become a nuisance down the road...even thought puppies are so adorable! You have to consider allergies and storage and time constraints as well as if it will cost the person money down the road that they may not have. Then what about if they just don't like it.

So this year, We have changed strategies and would like to announce that we will be offering our love as a gift to all our friends and family.

Merry Christmas!

The boys

I know that this is going to be the last place that people involved will be looking for holiday gifts this year. But just in case...family members must don't ruin it for yourself. Turn back now! lol

I took my little nephews out on the town the other day and did a little photo shoot for them to give photos for their parents and grandparents. I can't say exactly what they thought about it all in the end, but I for one had a blast spending a little extra time with the munchkins.

Here is a little preview of some of my favorite shots.

But of course they are so darn much fun...I had to laugh at most of the ones that I liked because I just let them run wild a few times and snaped photos of whatever they were doing.

Halloween Party

We had a great time this Halloween when we invited friends and family over to share in the chaos that is our life.

Santaquin Celebration

What a weekend...Nikki started off the Orchard Days Celebration by walking the 5K with friends. Then we snuck away to enjoy the shade at Doug and Denise's home to watch the parade.

The whole family was there!

We took a quick tour of the Car Show and a little buggy trip up Santaquin Pole Canyon and then spent the rest of the afternoon hiding in the air conditioning. But it was after a few rounds on the karaoke machine before we hit the sack after a long and eventful day!

Happy 4th

A happy 4th of July, was spent this year being grateful for the beautiful land that we often take for granite. We spent most of the day making a trip over the Mt Nebo scenic loop and down Mona Pole Canyon.

Happy Father's Day

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Week in Review...mother's day

To Mother on Mother's Day!

For all the times you scrubbed my ears,
Spanked my pants
and dried my tears,
Patched my clothes
and troubles too,
this comes with loads
of love to you!

We really are quite blessed, having our loving family so close by, that we often take them for granted. I just wanted to thank both of our mother's this week for all that they do for us...all of the time.

I don't think they know just how much we really appericate them...

My mom for example drives me to work every day, takes me out to lunch, and makes sure that I always have someone to go with me when I gamble!

Mert on the other hand, always is ready to drop everything for a day to house sit for us when we won't be home to have something delivered. And for crying out loud, how many of us can say that their mother in law took a trip to watch them shoot their first big game animal! By the way she even held a leg while I did all my own gutting...what a woman!

Thanks ladies for all that you have done and I'm sure that you will continue to do for us! We love you.

Happy Mother's Day

Week in Review

What can you say about the cutest kids in town? Well I can sure say a lot...since they just happen to be my nephews. Look how adorable...I know I'm partial. We were just hanging out at Grandma & Grandpa Pockets house after going to the movie to see Monsters vs. Aliens on Easter Sunday!

Easter was a little different this year, with Sam working about 40 hours in 3 days for the Search and Rescue, and me playing sick to this darn cough that is still holding on. We just had to play it all by a new set of rules.

I got a whole bunch of yard work done Saturday in the rain, and then tucked in early and watched movies in bed. By the way how long has it been since you watched your favorite childhood movie? I watched The Never ending Story, I forgot how cheesy the graphics were. But I still loved it.

Sam bribed the Highway Patrol for a helicopter ride Sunday. I can't believe that he got to go, they usually just tour the 'big wigs' around. From what I gathered he was left in charge at the Sheriff's post and the guys came in to try out the 4-wheelers on the sand dunes. Sam got them all unloaded and cooked up the guys a steak for lunch, when they got all finished up he talked the pilot into a ride. He told me that that is definitely the best way to go up Sand Mountain. I tried to talk him into a photo in his uniform, but you all know how shy the big guy is. But let me just tell ya how handsome he is in his get up.

We can't wait to get this week all over with. Our trip to California is just around the corner!

Week in review

Sometimes when your loved one is feeling under the weather you forget all the little things that they do all week long to keep your home moving along the right track. But when it strikes the whole family all at once you see the unraveling happen quite a bit faster.

With the weather playing all the tricks that spring can pull, both Sam and I caught a cold. Everything that we thought we 'had' to do this week just got put on the back burner. While we both got in a full week of work (and Sam his little extra) we both broke down on Sunday and took the day to relax and enjoy the rays of sunlight creeping threw the blinds.

As you can see, the buggy didn't get a whole lot done. The parts that we needed to put the old gal back together are getting harder and harder to come by. An afternoon spent calling around you soon find that we live in quite a geological oddity...we seem to be about 5 days from anywhere that can get us parts.

Even Steele and Marilyn came by to help us wish the thing back together. A ingenious idea that seldom works around here.

On a good note thought...with Easter creeping up on us next week, Sam finished up his qualifications for his new gun to carry on duty at the sand dune.

As terrifying as it is to think of the other guys that finished up this training as well, I will feel much safer knowing that Sam will be prepared for anything crazy that could happen while he is on duty.

Flashback Friday - Grandpa Harold

I always thought that everyone had a family like mine. Before I was ever a twinkle in my parents eyes, both of my grandfather’s had passed on. I was luck to have two very loving grandmothers that spent loads of time with me. Where the unusual part rolls in…my paternal grandmother had married and divorced multiple time after grandpa was gone. I don’t blame her…raising 6 children (the youngest was only 3) after you lose your husband would be hard, and I’m sure very lonely.

One of the men that grandma married stuck around even long after the divorce. And boy howdy…I had the best grandpa ever!


My grandpa stopped by our home every Sunday morning for coffee, a smoke (always Pall Mall cigarettes) and Fig Newtons. Unless my mom had made his favorite, lemon meringue pie.
Dad and him would argue about everything, mostly driving truck. They could one up any story the other ever told. But the best part was, we had all heard the same stories a hundred times before. Grandpa had one of those husky smokers voices though, you could listen to him for hours at a time.

I was his little girl though. I remember his huge hands grabbing me under my arms and swinging me up for a hug and a whisker rub across my cheeks. He was always clean shaving, so I really don’t know how his whiskers always seemed so ruff.
I think this photo was following a birthday for me. Grandpa, dad and me always celebrated our birthdays together, we only lacked 8 days between them all. I can honestly say that the care bear in that photo is still in my possession to this day.
Unfortunately Grandpa is not with us still, but I’m sure glad of the memories that we shared.