Minute to Win It!

The day after Thanksgiving we gathered at Shaleice and Dustin's cute house for some food and games.  The hit of the night was Minute to Win It that Dustin put together.  It was alot of fun.  Thanks you newlyweds for a great party!

When you see these games demonstrated you think "Oh that doesn't look too hard, I bet I can do that."  And then reality sets in when you're doing it.

Old age

OK CHILDREN

I AM GOING TO TELL YOU A STORY THAT WILL TOUCH YOUR FUNNY BONE FOR A WHILE AND THEN
MAKE YOU FEEL SORRY FOR ME BECAUSE OF MY AGE.

DARVIL AND I WENT DEER HUNTING SEE, AND WE HUNTED FOR TWO WHOLE DAYS. ON FRIDAY WE
RODE OUR FOUR WHEELERS UP INTO A CANYON ON THE WEST SIDE OF MT GRAHAM. WE FOUND A
PLACE THAT WE WERE GOING TO WALK. SO AFTER DISMOUNTING FROM OUR DEPENDABLE, MECHANICAL STEEDS, WE LEFT THE ROAD AND STARTED TO WALK. WE HAD ONLY WALKED FOR A FEW HUNDRED FEET WHEN THE AGE IN ME SAID THAT I HAD TO DASH BEHIND A BUSH. DIDN'T QUITE MAKE IT. YUP, POOPED MY PANTS.GROSS, YUCKY, AND NO FUN AT ALL. GOT RID OF MY UNDERWEAR BOTTOMS AND HIT THE TRAIL AGAIN. WE SPLIT UP AND WALKED ABOUT 200 YARDS APART AS WE WENT UP THE CANYON. FELL DOWN. WALKED TO THE TOP AND SURVEYED THE AREA.
TOOK ANOTHER WAY BACK, DARVIL SAW TWO DOES BUT I DIDN'T, BUMMER. WE THEN DROVE FARTHER UP THE ROAD AND THEN TOOK ANOTHER WALK.SPLIT UP AGAIN AND WALKED TOWARD A
RIDGE. FELL DOWN. SPENT THE REST OF THE DAY IN THIS AREA BUT NO LUCK. WENT HOME
SATURDAY BROKE WINDY AND STORMY. SNOW LEVEL DOWN TO ABOUT 4000 FT. WENT TO ANOTHER PLACE AND BROKE SOME FRESH TRACKS IN THE SNOW CROSSING THE ROAD. DARV WANTED TO FOLLOW THEM SO WE DID. WE FOLLOWED THEM INTO THE WILDERNESS. IT WAS FUN FOLLOWING IN THE SNOW THAT WAS ABOUT AN INCH DEEP. THEN WE STARTED FINDING MORE TRACKS CROSSING THE ONES WE WERE FOLLOWING, TRACKS EVERYWHERE. WE WENT ROUND AND ROUND BUT TO NO AVAIL. FELL DOWN. FINALY WENT TO THE TRUCK AND DROVE TO ANOTHER AREA.

HERE WE SPLIT UP AND DROVE OUR FOUR WHEELERS TO TWO DIFFERENT AREAS. HE WAS TO GO TO AND AREA AND START WALKING TOWARDS THE AREA I WAS GOING TO. MY PROBLEM WAS THAT I WAS TO WALK DOWN INTO A CANYON AND THEN UP THE OTHER SIDE AND MEET HIM AT THE TOP. I STARTED DOWN THE HILL ABOUT HALF WAY, FELL DOWN. THEN HAD A THOUGHT, WHAT IN THE HELL AM I DOING HERE. UPON REACHING THE BOTTOM AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO CROSS THE SMALL SAND WASH, FELL DOWN--VERY HARD, DROPPED MY GUN, HARD, SMASHED MY FINGER, AND REALLY SCRAPED MY SHIN. HAD THE THOUGHT AGAIN. CLIMBED ABOUT HALF WAY TO THE TOP AND GUESS WHAT. FELL DOWN, CUSSED, WONDERED AGAIN. MADE IT TO THE TOP AND AFTER A WHILE MET DARV. WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO AND HE WANTED TO CIRCLE AROUND THROUGH A SMALL BASIN AND THEN BACK TO HIS MACHINE. I WENT ABOUT 100 FEET AND SAID BULL----. SORRY DARV I AM GOING BACK TO MY MACHING AND DRIVE DIRECTLY TO THE TRUCK. TAKE YOUR TIME. ON THE WAY BACK GUESS WHAT, YUP, FELL DOWN, TWICE, CUSSED. WE WENT HOME AND I WAS SO BEAT UP THAT WHEN I SAT DOWN I COULD NOT GET BACK UP. OLD AGE.

DARV WENT BACK OUT AGAIN THURSDAY BUT I WAS HURTING SO MUCH I DECLINED TO GO. HE SAW A FEW DOE'S BUT NO BUCKS. I CALLED HIM TWICE ON THE PHONE TO CHECK ON HIS WELFARE BECAUSE HE WAS ALONE.

I HAVE DECIDED THAT IN FUTURE HUNTS, IF I CAN'T RIDE I DON'T KNOW IF I WILL GO.


SO THAT'S MY STORY AND THAT'S THE TRUTH.

DON'T GET OLD.

OLD DAD

Thanksgiving

The blog is alive with activity!  It's great!!  Let's keep it up.  I've been trying to think about my Thanksgiving memories.  You know I have the memory capacity of a rock, but there are some good memories in there somewhere.
  I just loved the anticipation of it all, whether we were staying home and having the grandmas over or going to someone else's house.  I loved the thought of mom's homemade crescent rolls and putting olives on my fingers, and all the pies.  I loved making place cards with people's names, and helping to set or decorate the table.  Getting together with cousins was just about the best part.  And then knowing that Christmas was just around the corner!!  Now, I just want it to all  s-l-o-w  d-o-w-n.  But I can't wait for pies.  Lots of pies.  We've all been so blessed and there is so much to be thankful for.  I'm thankful for wonderful family to share memories with.   Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and leave some room for pie!

Here are some of the pictures I took for Grandpas and Grandmas combined birthday--Halloween party. We told everyone to dress up. Nobody did. FUN TIMES!!!!!

Hot Air Balloons

Hot Air Balloons. I went to the Salsa Fest Hot air balloon lift off. When I pulled up in my truck everyone was just standing around. I didn't realize how close I was to all the action until they started unloading the balloons. One of them was literally just feet away. It was sort of a cool morning so I stayed in the truck for awhile. I kept thinking "I think I need to back my truck up." As they set up the basket and then unrolled the balloon it was only about 20 feet away from me. I thought "This is going to be GREAT!!" They use a huge fan to blow air into the balloon and then they turn on the propane heater to heat the air inside the balloon. The balloon really started to stand up when the heat was applied. Two or three people climbed in and they guy turned on the heat and it was "UP, UP, AND AWAY." In some of the pictures you can see my truck and the balloon. As the balloon filled I could stand and touch my truck and the balloon at the same time. I think it would be fun to go up in one. Except for the landing. I saw one hit a fence and nearly threw everyone out on the ground. FUN TIMES !!!!

Darvil

How do they do that??

We have this hummingbird feeder on our back porch. It amazes me how they can fly like they do. There might be 10 -15 of them trying to get a drink. I sometimes go out on the porch and sit in a chair just feet away from the feeder and watch them. They don't seem to pay me much attention. Later in the summer a sort of brown or orange hummingbird shows up and he takes over the feeder. He fights off other birds as they try to come and get a drink. He sits in a tree and watches the feeder, when another bird approaches the feeder he zooms in and sometimes even hits the other bird. The other birds have learned the "Power in numbers" theory. They all come in at the same time and the brown one finally gives up and they all get a drink. Fun times!!!!

Darvil

What do you remember?

Who remembers a Thanksgiving from long ago? Do you have a favorite one? Or just random memories? Let's get some Thanksgiving posts going. I remember a Thanksgiving when we were young at Von and Alice's house. It was just a few days before Grandma Hancock's birthday (Nov. 30th) so some of us grandkids thought she should have gifts. So we went outside and found some pieces of tree bark and then found cute rocks, pieces of broken glass, whatever we could find that looked pretty and arranged them artfully on the tree bark and gave it to Grandma. She seemed so thrilled and happy to get our "masterpieces". I remember many Thanksgiving meals with Grandma, mostly at our house I think. Mom always made the most delicious meals and always made yummy mashed potatoes with Grandma's gravy recipe that is like no other. Waking up to the smell of turkey cooking (since Dad always put it in the oven at 4 or 5 a.m.) was so exciting! We knew the food was going to be GOOD. I always looked forward to the Danish Dessert (and still do). Our table was always decorated and we'd use the "special" dishes. And of course the varieties of pies was another meal in itself. Thanks, Mom for making our Thanksgivings so homey and delicious and wonderful. We had the best Thanksgivings ever. Now let's hear your memories, people!

A lovely Sunday

It's a beautiful Sunday.  To some that may mean a bright sun shiny day.  To me that means a cloudy, drizzly, cool day.  We get enough of those bright sunny ones.  It really feels like fall today.
 It's also our ward primary program.  I've never had so much invested in one as I do as the president.  Even though my counselor totally did an awesome job putting the thing together.  But I feel a sense of responsibility for it.  I'm excited and know it will be great! 
Today I will also most likely be selling a couple of items I put on craigslist.  Don't really want to sell them on Sunday, but with flaky people, you take what you can get.   A little Christmas money. woohoo.

Hope your Sunday is  lovely one! 

Today Eli is 10. He has left single digits forever. We love our Eli. He's smart, funny (Oh so funny!), and compassionate. When Brady left he cried and cried for the first few days. He always says sorry immediately after hurting someone's feelings or getting angry. He has great acting skills, often entertaining us with his plays and impersonations. He is trying to read his scriptures every night, and recently decided to try reading them in Spanish! He is well-rounded and happy and capable. I love being around him and having him for a son. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELI!!!!!

I repent

Becky has inspired me. I don't know why I haven't been posting. No reason really, just either nothing to say or not organized enough with photos to put a story and pics to go with it. But I have changed my ways. Turned over a new leaf. And to kick it off, here is a cooking tip you simply must learn:

If you love fish and are tired of it being over-cooked and tough, here is something you must try. Go to the store (Smith's is the only place I've had luck finding it so far) and buy some Orange Roughy filets from the meat counter. Why Orange Roughy? Trust me, just buy it and you'll see. Now, come home and cover your baking pan with foil (for easy clean-up) and put the empty pan in the oven and preheat it to 500 degrees. You read that right, 500 degrees. Meanwhile, get your fish package opened and ready. Start making a salad or some asparagus. Once your oven is ready, remove the pan and quickly put your fish filets on it and put it back in the oven. No salt or spices yet. Now turn the oven to 275 degrees and set your timer for 8 minutes. While it's cooking, get your plate ready and cut a lemon in half. When the timer rings, take the pan out and use a lemon half to squeeze a generous amount of juice all over the fish. Next sprinkle with plenty of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Put a filet on your plate with your salad and veggie and take a bite. Delicious. You will swear someone snuck in and poured melted butter all over your fish, but it's just the natural combo of the tender fish, lemon and salt. Mmmmm. A healthy, fast dinner. Wish I had some to cook up right now. This method works with any type of fish, but if the filets are thick, you'll need a little more than 8 minutes. But so far the Orange Roughy is our favorite by far.

Where in the world are all the Borens?

Tonight the girls and I looked back on the Boren blog and watched the reunion videos of the four girls singing about mice and cows on the penisula.  And we watched grandma rapping.  Isabelle watched it over and over and laughed just as hard the fifth time as she did the first.
 What's happened to our blog, people??  Are we all just too busy?  Too busy to blog?  Say it isn't so.  We have to hold on, blog on, keep on keepin' on. For posterity.  I know you all get on the computer.  I know you don't think you have anything blogworthy to say.   I say nay!  Where's all the projects?  I know you all are doing projects.  Where's the pictures?  I know you take pictures.  I hear there was a fantastic costume dinner party with a bunch of Borens.  Where are the pics??

So, while you're getting your next post ready, enjoy these young movie makers.

I'm waiting.
.