Kurt and Kathy

Family Time, Christmas Time

2011-12-11T12:59:00.000-08:00

I find that the best part of Christmas is just being with family and friends, watching the happy grandchildren running around with each other, eating too much food, singing Christmas Carols and just enjoying each other's company.

Below we have pictures of us decorating the tree, Elli is being helping by Grandpa. I think the boys are dancing while Riley and Addyson decorate the tree.

Last night we went to the Church Christmas Party and listened to some of the grandkids sing... I recorded it on my camera, but I don't know how to download it on to my blog. One more thing I will have to learn before I die (the list just keeps getting longer, I'll have to live to be 102 like my Granny).

After the lovely songs of Jesus and a wonderful dinner, Kurt and I went down to the San Diego Temple to view the temple lights. Wow, they are beautiful this year, I hope 1000s of people come to the temple grounds to see the gorgeous light display and here the beautiful music.

Here is to family and friends!!

I LOVE CHRISTMAS

2011-12-08T10:29:00.000-08:00

It is true, I love Christmas. I love the hearing people talk and sing about Jesus Christ. I love the carols, the nativity scenes, the decorating of my home, and the excitement of Grandchildren. I love the strangers that greet you with happy faces and "Merry Christmas."

Today the grandkids who live in town are coming over to decorate our tree. We started this tradition last year, and I think it is one that will last. So for now, some pictures of the house decorated, the tree ready to be decorated and most important of all, the table set for a pizza party with the kids. I am so excited...this is as good as

the year I got a Barbi dream house for Christmas...and that was in 1960... actually, every Christmas has been wonderful!

I enjoy getting out the decorations that I have had for years and years and holding each one as I decide where to place them. I have ornaments that were on my Granny and Gramp Herrold's first Christmas tree...96 years ago. Well actually there are only two left, the rest were broken when Brian climbed the tree at 18months and the tree fell over...thank goodness he was alright...but he sure did scream with that 13 foot tree on top of him!

I have decorations that were painted by me, and by my mother-in-law, Jan. Getting those out remind me of the tole lessons she taught to the "Marler Sisters" years ago.

There is also my Santa collection, some quite silly and others very beautiful. I'll show the beautiful ones. The two red ones were gifts from Jan (she made them), the white on on the right was from the Graff's and the gold one, from an after Christmas special in 1999.

My other collection is of nativity sets, the one at the top of the page, was given to me by my children...I also have a set carved of olive wood from the Holy Land that Mom and Dad gave us in 1977, hand painted sets, a precious moments set...and a few others. I enjoy having them around the house as constant reminders that we celebrate Christmas as a gift to Christ, a way to thank him for all he has done for us.

I guess it is time to get ready for the family to arrive....

Things I have done lately

2011-05-23T20:14:00.001-07:00

In our family we celebrate Easter by attending Church, worshipping the Savior and glorying in his resurrection...but on Easter Saturday, we join the kids in a huge breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt. Here are the kids lined up by age, ready to find the eggs .

Even the cat got into the act, she must have figured if all of the kids were looking in the bushes, she ought to find out what was there also.

We almost got a picture of all the kids looking at the camera at the same time...key word...almost.

Here we have Jorden, Addyson, Elli, Gunnar, Michael, Axel and Aiden after the hunt. The real problem was that they wanted to count their eggs and start eating the candy... who can blame them.

On May 7 throughout the State of Calfornia we had a Mormon Helping Hands Service Activity. 60,000 plus members of the Church gave service to various communities across the state. Here in Escondido we cleaned Kit Carson Park, cleaned some of the alley ways in the downtown area, and wrote letters to servicemen with the Blue Star Mom's.

Here is Elder Lynn Robbins and Sister Robbins writing to the serviemen, you can see they were surrounded by kids who came to help

Here is a group of helping hands who paused to have a picture taken.. what cute boys!

Stef and Scott's Home

2011-04-03T20:12:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day and a great weekend. Friday, Kim, Becky and I drove to Henderson to visit Stefany and Scott in their new home. We arrived in time to organize the kitchen, bring in the furniture and make up the beds...then of course, it was off to dinner. Cafe Rio the dining sensation of choice!! Who doesn't love it. We were up chatting, organizing and moving in boxes...a little TV and a game on my Kindle. The next morning we were up again, and off to a few garage sales. My favorite past-time. We found a few fun thinks, like a new doll house for the grand-daughters. We found some porch lights for the new house, and had a great time. Our afternoon was filled with watching General Conference. I just love hearing the Apostles and Prophet speak. The lessons were warm and loving, and yet firm and warning. I love the opportunity to set new goals and strive to live by the messages for the next months. It is not that the messages are different, they are just so inspiring, I really want to do better in my life. Our Stake President, President Haynie, was called to be an Area Seventy, that was exciting. And the Area Seventy that I work with in my calling, Elder Waddell was called to be in the 1st Quorum of Seventy. So for us changes are in store. Kurt will be released on May 1, and I will have a new Agent Stake President to work with. Now to get ready to serve our mission. Only two years left until our planned departure date. This morning we left for home, and arrived just in time for the afternoon session of conference. Now I just need to watch the two morning sessions. Thank goodness for recording devices on the T.V. We had family dinner this evening, with Pam and Mike hosting. What a great weekend. Stef and Scott...thanks for having us over, we had a fun time. I forgot to take a picture of the house, maybe next time.

Raspberries, Babies, Peaches and Apple Pies

2011-02-20T06:41:00.001-08:00

Friend, 2nd Mom, Mentor, Teacher, Counselor, Traveling Companion, Adventurer.

These are a few words that describe my relationship with my wonderful mother-in-law, Jan Marler. At her passing, I want to share a few of my thoughts about her; her kindness, her love towards me and my family, her example to us, and how she always loved me as a daughter & friend.

When first married, Jan was a great teacher and exemplar in my life. Jan taught me how to become a good homemaker. On vacation in Idaho, she taught me how to make raspberry jam using her mother's recipe. I still make homemade raspberry jam to this day. She taught me to make strawberry freezer jam also, and I have passed down that very important skill to my daughters, in fact my grand kids won't eat a PB&J Sandwich without "Grandma's Jam."

Jan also taught me to can, we bottled peaches, pears, and made apple sauce with fruit from Julian or Utah. And apples...we made apple pies year after year, 20 or so each and put them in the freezer. That still wasn't enough to last through the year. That pie crust was the best ever, and I still use that recipe as well.

When my first baby, Becky was born, I had no idea what to do with her. Her first bath in the sink, was given by her Grandma Marler. I watched as she gently held and loved my little girl. Afterwards she ran next door to her house and brought up a cute little outfit that had been Melissa's, for Becky to wear. She was so adorable with that little curl on top of her head. Jan taught me better ways to put on a diaper and not stick myself with pins...it was hard work pushing them through those layers of fabric. And Jan loved babies, she loved to rock and hold them for hours, in fact over the years, she has spent hours and hours rocking and loving her little grand babies.

As Kurt and Don practiced dentistry together, we had the opportunity to travel to dental conventions together, we went to New York City, Washington D.C., Miami, Orlando, San Francisco, Boston, Anaheim and Hawaii together. Every time we would get on a plane she would ask me, "are you ready for an adventure." We always had one too. One of my favorite memories was going to the everglades and southern Florida with Jan and Don. While our husbands were in class we would go shopping, read by the pool, or drive around looking for an "adventure." As we were driving one day, we decided that we wanted to walk through the jungle and just see what was out there. We parked the car along side of the road and started our "off road" trek...within minutes we were surrounded by the biggest spiders and spider webs ever. As I recall, this was one of our shortest adventures ever, as we walked with great speed back out of the forest.

Mom loved Hawaii, I think those were her favorite vacations. The balmy weather, the relaxed lifestyle, time to read, walk to waterfalls and menehune ponds, and being able to swim at any time were the things she enjoyed most.

When I married Kurt, I was a fairly new member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jan was the person who escorted me to the temple, and taught me reverence for the temple. She taught me to be a good member of the Church, how to serve in the Church and how to serve others. She was always making an extra meal for someone, tending extra children, and loving the Mia Maids or Seminary students she served. I followed her example in these areas, the way Kurt and I serve today, is a reflection of his parents love and devotion to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and to their service in the Church. It was always easy to follow, with the Marler's in the lead.

Mom was always there to give me great advice, to help me with a problem, to just love me. She was ready with kind words, a TL (trade last), a little instruction on being better, and a hug. She helped to keep me grounded over the years, and always focus on the things that are the most important: our family and our faith.

I will miss her, I will remember and strive to live the principles she taught me, and I will look forward to seeing you again. I love you.

Today

2010-12-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

I have been sick for a few days, today, after two naps and 3 days of soup, I am feeling a little better. I have a hard time just staying down even when I don't feel good. I sleep hard then get up and clean a room, or go to a garage sale, then I take a nap. Today I went to Home Depot and bought one of those "do-it-yourself" book cases. I got out all the tools and put it together, J.J. only gave me a little help tightening some screw things. Any way, I now have a very neat closet with my genealogy stacked in file bins, the family histories and books all together, and once I get it all organized, I'll have the neatest cutest closet in the house.

Kurt is in San Francisco at a school board conference. I was going to go with him, but just didn't feel like being sick in a hotel room, far from home. It has been better sitting at home, fire burning, and going on a couple of outings.

I am so spoiled, Kim has been doing my grocery shopping for me for the last 18 months...but she is in Utah and I was out of food... who do you call? Vons.com I ordered my groceries and they showed up at the door with almost everything I ordered, milk, yogurt, bread, frozen pizza, fresh fruits an vegetables, its is like picking stuff out of your own garden, without the work. I think I may do this for the rest of my life...who ever thought of this is a genius.

Kim is on her way home with the two babies, I am going to be so happy to see them. It is hard to have the little ones be gone for over a week. I bet Riley will be crawling all around. It was nice to have some one on one time with Becky and Jenny over the last week. I need to do more of that. I have wonderful daughters who are some of my very best friends.

Last night, Pam and I went to dinner a Lourdes for a bowl of Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup...both of us with colds, eating hot soup to improve our health. Our plan was to go quilting, but we talked for so long we decided to just go home and go to bed. We did have fun texting Mike at the Valley Center Football game. Thanks Pam, it was a nice evening.

Today I went to a estate sale with my friend Marilyn. I found this really cool set of fireplace tools with a wood holder. I was so excited, but when I was checking out, they told me that it was already sold...didn't I know that was what the red tape was for? No, I obviously didn't...so sad, so I came home with a drafting square for $3. I should be glad, I saved a bundle. Marilyn found a few things, big pots, a wrought iron pot stand...just some odds and ends. It is always fun to go treasure hunting with Marilyn.

Well, it is 8:40 and time for another nap...maybe this one will last 8 hours. OK maybe being sick has it's benefits!

Halloween

2010-11-01T14:35:00.000-07:00

Every year I remember that Halloween is not my favorite holiday. I never did like to make costumes, dress up the kids, have them beg for candy and knock on stranger's doors. So over the years I put up a few decorations and called it good. THEN>>>ARNIE MOVED IN.....it is his favorite holiday.

For two years, the minute I leave the house after Oct 1, 12:01 am, the decorations go up, a blow up pumpkin, spider webs, jack-o-lanterns at the front door. Then of course the annual pumpkin carving contest... we have talent in this family and this year we brought in Pam, Jared & Arielle to add to the mess. Pam and I held the babies and roasted pumpkin seeds. Oh, I know, I was going to carve one this year but the mucky mess inside the pumpkin is just too much for me. Who really wants to stick their hand in that slimey, yucky stuff...oh yes, Arnie.

Then there are the costumes... I am done with that, right? I don't even have little kids, but Tiffany needed a little Daisy Duck bottom...very cute I might add, and Jennie Watson, Kim's friend, needed her Good Will dress turned into an Alice in Wonderland ball gown...I was glad I added sleeves to so many prom dresses over the years, because Alice looked "sweet." OK so I complain, but I love the outcome.

The Graff's were the Flinstones...too adorable....the Marler's were Disney characters...the Volk's were girl pirates, the grim reaper and an upcoming star ward character .... The Campbell's were SWAT men, Ninjas,Woody from Toy Story, Pocahontas (cutest one I have ever seen), head band girl (don't ask), and Dracula.

Now even I have to admit, if they keep Halloween this cute, it could become one of my favorite holidays!!!
Well now it is the day after Hallween, time to put up the Christmas Decorations... or maybe we should have Thanksgiving first...Happy Holidays to one and all!!

Why is it? Two Great Books

2010-09-18T22:25:00.001-07:00

Why is it that you find yourself reading book after book about the same period of time, the same type of events, or the same venue? I have read two excellent books lately, very different, yet very much alike. Stefany lent me the book, The Book Thief, it is the story of a young German girl in Nazi Germany who lives through the WWII as one who has love and compassion for the Jewish People. It is a great book, and one that will bring tears to your eyes.
The second book is entitled, Sarah's Key. This too is a heart-breaking story of a young girl of 12 who is literally ripped from her mothers arms in Paris during the French Occupation. This story is of the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup of the French Jews. This is a part of history that I had not heard of previously. The story is told from the point of view of Sarah, a Frech born Jewess, and an American Journalist in Paris, on assignment to cover the anniversary of the Vel'd'Hiv. The far-reaching effects of Hitler never cease to shock me.
With all that is happening in the world today, I think it is important to not turn a blind eye to the pain and hatred being inflicted on one group of people from another. These books show how easily we can turn our heads, and not see, if we feel we are not being affected, on the other hand, it also shows the courage and strength of those willing to speak out and reach out. I choose to be the latter.

Visiting Scott and Stefany

2010-09-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend visiting Scott and Stefany. They sure keep us busy and active.
We started out our day with a trip to Lake Mead, interesting place, a lake in the middle of the dessert. We thought it would be more develpped and have a few rocks around, like Lake Powell. Nope, just desolation. And with a temperature of 113, the lake seemed not refreshing at all. We did take our shoes off and do a little wading.
Scott came home from work and we went into Las Vegas for dinner at Brio's. JJ and Becky first intoduced us to Brio's in Cleveland, and we have loved it ever since. Great Italian food!!
Saturday morning it was time for hiking. We hiked Mount Charleston, up to a water fall. It was a strenuous hike, and a beautiful view. We ate lunch up at the water fall and then stood under it to cool off. That night we headed off to see the play "Jersey Boys," we just loved the music...we just love Broadway musicals.
Sunday we relaxed, went to church with Stefany and Scott and came home to a wonderful dinner by Chef Stef...she is getting to be quite the gourmet cook. After dinner, we took a drive up to Red Rock Canyon...another hike, for another day. What a terrific weekend!

My Life... Busy and Loving It

2010-09-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

My life, I love it, I love being busy, I hate being bored.

I also like being in charge of my own life, working at my own pace and choosing the projects that I work on. I like to paint for hours straight day in and day out, and then spend the next few weeks doing genealogy.

I love to be with my family. There is nothing better than having the moms and dads bring the grand children over for a swim. Today, I had my nephews children here as well, what a treat to play with them and have the opportunity to build a relationship with them....thanks Gweneth for teaching me to play "Dead Man."

I love my calling in the Church. For those of you who are not LDS, in our church we are asked to serve in a volunteer position in the Church for 1, 3, 5, maybe even 10 years. I presently serve as the Public Affairs Director for the Church in San Diego County. I really enjoy all of the folks I meet and the great relationships that have grown because of this opportunity. I have been working in this volunteer position for the last 7.5 years. Who knows how long I will serve here, then, maybe I will be asked, or called, to be a nursery teacher for the 18 month old children, or serve a mission in South America.

So what does a normal day look like for me: Yesterday: started with some stretches, did some genealogy, read the scriptures (I am studying the atonement of Jesus Christ), organized my painting room, played with A.J., cleaned the attic, had lunch with Kurt, tended Aiden and Eli for a couple of hours, went to the Fiorina- Boxer debate party in Bonsall...go Carli....great job!!

Today, what did I do?...did my stretches (a.m. & p.m.) a little genealogy,went out to lunch with Kurt and my parents...to Dave's Famous Bar-b-que in Vista (yum), tended grand nieces and nephew, talked with my daughters while the kids swam, washed the leather sofa, caught up on a few emails, talked to Stef on the phone, and I plan on" skyping" Brynnly tonight...

I hope tomorrow is just as interesting and just as fun!! Thanks to Kurt, I am organizing my time better... I may learn to get more done in one day, and have more nap time too...

Prayer and Friends

2010-08-15T19:44:00.000-07:00

First, I will report on Brynnly, she is home from the hospital and everything seems to be fine. She did, indeed, have a seizure. She is to see a neurologist this week for some testing. The doctor thinks that she is fine and probably won't have any more seizures.

Secondly, a heart felt, sincere, thank you to everyone who joined us in prayer...whether by phone, by facebook or blog, many friends have let me know that they were joining with us in prayer for our grand-daughter and we are so very grateful. It is comforting to know that we have loving friends and family that share in our trying moments and join with us to buoy us up, pray with us and for us. I feel so very blessed to have such friends.

Now I want to share a little of the joy I have had over the past few years with Brynnly in my life. I look forward to another 30 years of Grandma-Grand-daughter times together.This is Brynnly and I having a tea party at the tea room for her birthday...such fun, love the hats! Brian, Bryce and Brynnly taking on the tube at Lake Powell....
Brynnly....
We Love You.....
XXOO

Brynnly

2010-08-15T17:02:00.001-07:00

I sit and wait for word to come. Brynnly has just been taken to the hospital in an ambulance. My little grand-daughter is 4, cute as can be, smart and so grown up for only 4 years old. She is my first and oldest grand-daughter...a joy in our lives.

It has been almost one hour since we received a text, Brynnly perhaps has had a seizures and was on her way to the hospital. All I can do is pray for her. Pray that the Lord blesses her, and holds her safely in the palm of her hands.

You know, when my friends have problems, particularly health problems, they immediately call their prayer rolls. I wish we did more of that, we do put names on the temple rolls and I know that the Lord hears and answers the prayers of the faithful as they pray for those people. I also know that the Lord hears my prayers, and he has answered them in miraculous ways over the years. It is at times like this that we recognize our helplessness and our total dependence upon God. So I prayed, Kurt prayed, then we prayed together.

I just wanted to call everyone I know and have them pray for Brynnly...so I did. I called Grandma Marler, and she called our family members. We have the best family, we always pray for each other. Then I called Mary, Fran and Holly... then I decided to ask my facebook friends to pray. I am feeling the unity of those praying for Brynnly. I can feel the Lord's comfort and strength, and I know that our Savior will love and comfort us all. I will wait patiently upon the Lord as I hear the good news.

Lake Powell

2010-08-05T21:54:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I took a few days off from cleaning. We went on a family vacation to Lake Powell and had a wonderful time with our family. 4 of our 5 children and their families joined us. We camped at Lone Rock, some in trailers, some in tents. We had the best time ever.
Here is the tally: Michael- wake board, knee board Gunnar- wake board, knee board and ski Jorden- wake board, knee board Axel- wake board in his daddy's arms Brynnly, Bryce, Chace and A.J. knee board with parents. Riley and Addyson- ride in the boat exceptionally well.
All of our kids ski and/or wake board.
Kurt and I can still ski, though it is getting a little harder.
Brian and JJ enjoy flips.
Stefany loves Scott.
Kim still loves knee boarding best, but skis and wake-boards too. Tiffany wakeboards like a pro, and Arnie is becoming quite the daring cliff jumper.
Becky still skis with style and encourages her sons to do the impossible

Day Four- cleaning, family & praying

2010-07-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

OK, I couldn't keep up, one room per day. I forgot that all of my rooms run together, where do you start, where do you end....just keep moving. This house will be clean.
Kurt's sister is here from Idaho with her husband. We visited with them last night...it is so good to see them. They will be on their way, Thursday to move their daughter from Arizona to Idaho...what terrific parents.
I just love our family...our children, grandchildren, sisters and brothers, nieces and nephews, parents. we are just so blessed to have each other.
One of our blessings is the opportunity we all have to join in prayer on behalf of one another. One of my nieces, Kelsy has had an operation lately and is having a difficult time healing. We have all joined in prayer in her behalf, we have put her name on prayer rolls in the temple, and we remember her in each of our prayers. The joint faith of our prayers will bring the powers of heaven upon her and bless her to heal.
I am so thankful for the knowledge that God will hear our prayers and answer them. We may have a little hardship, adversity, and trial, but in the end our prayers are answered.

Day Three - Downstairs Bath

2010-07-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

Now this isn't how I started the day, I had decided to be methodical, go to the next space, upstairs, my bedroom. Then I walked downstairs for some unknown reason and noticed peach dripping on the floor...Kurt had been picking, pealing and freezing peaches. I started with the wood floors, moved to the baseboards, and then saw the bathroom...the floor, all of the cupboards (inside and out), and of course the regular weekly bathroom cleaning too.

Now things are really going great, I speed along more baseboards, the kitchen, hall to the garage, around the entry, and the window sills...beautiful. I am on a roll, the kitchen cabinets, the fridge. If cleanliness is next to Godliness, I am almost ready for the Celestial Kingdom :>) Only a little bit of the kitchen and 4 rooms to go!!!

Now for those who have left tips on the blog, or called me with ideas. I am cleaning one room at a time, mostly... I have read lots of books, and online cleaning hints over the years, and news flash...this is not the first time I have ever cleaned my house... now you can just enjoy the total affect more.

No pictures today, I have the battery on the camera charging and what would I take a picture of anyway, the alphabetized food in the fridge? Just Kidding!

Have a great day, and keep the suggestions coming.

Day Two, Room Two

2010-07-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

My cheering section, this is hanging on the wall of the room I am cleaning. As you can see, I am as lucky as I can be, looking up at these sweet faces that cature every emotion in one picture!!
I find that the more I clean, the more I find that has not been cleaned...ick. I did find a new trick, instead of taking the screens off the windows and washing them, I am using the little brush from the vacuum and vacuuming them...looks just as good with no hastle of pulling out those stupid little pins and re-aligning them to put the screen back in. I wish I had have thought about this 20 years ago. Today I worked on Kurt's office/ the Guest room. For those who have stayed here, I moved out my file cabinet, and put up the pack and play for Riley in its place (thanks Arnie for the heavy work). Brian gave me new blinds for this room, so I still need to put those up. Maybe Kurt will help me this afternoon...I think that is man's work. Or Brian needs to come visit again. I think I need a new bedspread to finish this room. Hmmm, something to put on my list.

Only problem, two down eleven to go. Thank goodness I will be going to Lake Powell for a few days, I will get a break in the cleaning schedule! Then, of course, I will have to take off my birthday. I may get done with this project by Christmas. Then I will have the attic to tackle...OK, forget I said that, no attic cleaning until K&A move out, S&S have all of their things out of the attic, J&C take out the mattress, B&J get the rest of their things...then I will clean the attic!!

One Room at a time

2010-07-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in the last post, I have been in Arizona...cleaning. It was great to see Brian and Tiffany get everything ready to move, we didn't quite finish the house while I was there, but Tiff's mom is coming over to help finish up on Monday...if there is anything left to do. I was working with the energizer bunny over there. I would work all day with Tiffany, and then go to bed, just beat. I would wake up in the morning, and another room would be torn apart, decorations washed and packed. I think she worked two days for my everyone one.

Coming home has been an eye opener... wall and woodwork need washing...I don't remember them looking like this when I left...but no one was home while I was gone, so unless we had burglers...we are not as clean and neat as I thought we were.

So I decided to clean, one room at a time, just like we did at Tiff and Brian's... first the laundry room. Now my laundry room is also A.J.'s room, so it is important to keep it clean. We do laundry around nap time and bed time around here. Anyway, I scrubbed the floor, took decorations off the shelves, washed them, and the shelves, re-arranged the stuff (perhaps I will start calling it junk that collects dust!), cleaned all of the cabinet fronts, door, base boards, window, and yes, Tiffany, I even cleaned the walls (inside joke).

Here is what I learned:
1. If you put bar-towels under your feet you can scoot around on the floor to mop up any left over moisture after you scrub on your hands and knees.
2. A room is not cleaned until you wash the walls.
3. More dust can live under a washer, dryer and refrigerator than we generate in 6 months in the entire rest of the house (does that mean I should do it more often that once every 6 months...no!!)
4. It is more fun to clean, paint, etc. with a daughter than by yourself.
5. I have too much junk in my house.
6. If you mop the floor in bare feet for several days in a row your feet become clean, even if you constantly go barefoot outside, step in those sticky rat traps and through the dirt, and try to clean them every night with a scrub brush. Yahoo
7. I love my family and had a great time in Arizona...thanks for the Cafe Rio break!!

Marler's Moving Mess

2010-07-21T15:27:00.001-07:00

Well here I am at Tiffany and Brian's getting ready for the big moving day. As you may have heard, Brian is ending his successful career at U of Phoenix and headed back to school. Nursing School...they are so excited. Tiff and I have been packing, cleaning, and throwing stuff away. Before I came Tiff has been working night and day packing, sorting and having a garage sale. We are about down to the last few things, and then the move.

The walls are bare, the baseboards clean, and the boxes are stacked. Tiffany is amazed by how much stuff one young family can accumulate. It made me wonder, what if I had to move. Do my semi-annual D.I. runs keep my house de-junked? I doubt it, I may have to live in my house forever, and then let the kids worry about throwing everything away.

Tomorrow we will be looking for a new place for them to live near Eastern Arizona University. Then hopefully they can move in right after the family Lake Powell trip. Kurt flies in tomorrow and then he will help me drive back on Friday night. What a full life we live!

Grand kids and two weeks

2010-07-06T17:47:00.000-07:00

The last two weeks have been crazy:
One grandbaby born
12 Grandkids swimming
Dinners every night for 11+
4 Sick kids with Coughs and Colds
People come and going
Relaxing and Napping
And Brynnly using my camera incognito

Here are a few pictures documenting the events:

First we have our new grand daughter, Addyson

Next: Addyson and Riley, only 3 months apart...they will be great friends. As you can see Grandma enjoys buying the babies matching outfits...they have quite a few now. Then we have A.J. the cool riding his bike with Brynnly.

The grand kids have all played so well together. Even with the sick ones, they just play together all day long. They love to swim too, and both Bryce and A.J. (who will be three in September) are swimming without swim floaties or life jackets...yeah, now if Axel can swim by Lake Powell, life will be a great deal safer around here.

The next picture is by our secret photographer, Brynnly. She found my camera and took a few very interesting pictures of the dog, the pantry , and of the doll house, after setting up a few scenes. Maybe she will be a movie producer.

Italy: The Art

2010-06-15T19:41:00.001-07:00

I have a real desire to share my thought on the beautiful expressions, through art, of religious doctrine found in the Cathedrals, Basilicas, and in the Vatican. Italy is a Catholic Country, the Vatican, though a County of its own, is still within the Country of Italy. It is evident that many of the artists of the 17th-mid 19th Century had a deep and abiding understanding of the doctrines of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They were able to express the love, kindness, concern, passion, and sorrow of the Savior through their paintings. The picture to the right is of Jesus Christ, sitting on a throne, as a reigning God, he is giving the "keys of the priesthood to Peter")

In the Mormon Church, I volunteer as the Director of Public Affairs for San Diego County, and because of this "calling" as we call it, I have the opportunity to befriend those of many faiths, I learn of their doctrines, sit in religious dialogues to share our faiths, and enjoy my friends of various backgrounds and religious cultures. So I found it particularly interesting that the art depicted by various artists followed the doctrines of our beliefs more than that of Catholic and Protestant current beliefs.

For instance, the doctrine of the Trinity, one God, vs. the doctrine of the Godhead, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost, who we believe are three distinct individuals with one purpose. Painting after painting depicted God the Father, Elohim, above in the Heavens, always the highest being in any picture. His right arm is usually extended to Jesus Christ who is below him. And finally the Holy Ghost somewhere in the picture, depicted in the "Sign of the Dove." (This mosaic of Heavenly Father is in the top of the Dome at St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican.)

The Holy Ghost is depicted as a "Dove" that leaves the Father and descends upon Mary, the "Dove" that is sent from the Father to show a sign that he is well pleased as His son, Jesus Christ, is baptized. Always the Godhead is depicted as three distinct individuals, I think this is because they fully understood that God the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are three separate personages.

Finally, I would like to share the scupture that touched me the most, this is Michelangelo's Pieta. It is the representation of the Savior after being taken down from the cross, being held by his mother, Mary. This touched my very soul, to see the sorrow in the eyes of the mother, as she holds her dead son, and yet the quiet acceptance that she knew he was God's son and she accepted his death and subsequent resurrection as a part of the great plan that she had a magnificent part in. What love is captured in her face, as she holds her son, the son that was God made flesh, the Savior of us all.
I am very grateful to the artists who shared their testimonies of the Savior with us, through their artistic renderings. We spent hours wandering through old Churches, just gazing at the paintings, mosaics and sculptures, discussing the Savior, Jesus Christ and his love for us. Paintings told the story of his life, his teachings, of the plan of happiness that the Lord has for each of us. It was a magnificent experience.

Italy

2010-06-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

Kurt and I have just returned home from a wonderful trip to Italy. Two weeks together visiting the Ruins in Rome and Herculaneum, the phenomenal Cathedrals and Basilicas and their beautiful art depicting the Savior, and just relaxing in Venice and Cinque Terre...life is sweet.

Sisters: The Gifts God Gave Me

2010-05-03T11:12:00.000-07:00

If you have been reading my blog over the years, you know that I love my sisters. I love being with them, playing with them, having spiritual experiences with them, eating with them, vacationing with them, and even shopping with them.
You also know, I grew up never having sisters, they came as I married Kurt, as Steve married Mary Beth, and as Kevin & Jaren married. Now I have 9 sisters...
A few of us got together this last weekend in Utah. Our first day was spent at the Women's Conference in Provo, at BYU. What a great experience! From the minute I was on Campus and we saw so many faithful, women of faith all around us, I knew it was going to be a great weekend.
Lori, Diana, Karen, Mom and I enjoyed uplifting talks, one from Julie Beck (General Relief Society President) inspired us to be "lionesses at the gate." There is an urgency to strengthen and to lift the family and the world, to help families find their moral moorings.
So our goal is to know our responsibilities, and know how to fulfill them; to be more righteous, have more faith, to seek out and help others in need, and to provide help and strength to others. Also important to us as women is to prioritize our efforts, making certain that the essential and necessary things in life are taken care of before the things that are nice to do.
We then attended a class presented by a mother, Pam Hodson, and two of her daughters. What a lovely class. The lessons taught as these three women shared their stories of building relationships within the women of their family, brought tears, laughter, and an increased love for my mother, sisters, and daughters. We left the class with the feeling that even if this had been the only class attended, it would have been worth the trip to Utah.
We heard other classes and speakers, and enjoyed the entire day. We hope that next year, all of the sisters, and our daughters can come to Women's Conference...what a great strengthening experience it would be.
Now, we had a lot of other experiences while we were in Utah. Thursday night after the conference, Michelle arrived and it was so nice to be with her again. For the next few days, we all shopped, ate great food, talked into the we hours of the night, watched movies, ate, and watched more movies. Karen is a gracious hostess, and the McA B&B was a delight. We so enjoyed relaxing, napping, and reading books in between our activities. We did get to see the invisible man a few times, it was great to see him too, and thanks for letting use your castle for our retreat.
What would we do to make this weekend any better? Have everyone there, and go to one more day of conference classes....perfection!

RATTLESNAKE

2010-04-15T08:29:00.000-07:00

That title explains everything...My house, sitting out back, listening to the birds, visiting with my daughters (Becky, Jenny and Kim), and watching the grand-kids play on the bank.... a new sound, running water? A broken pipe? Jennifer, the responsible one, rises to check out the situation, goes into the pool yard...sees the cat, ready to attack. "The cat is trying to get something"
It then comes to my recollection, I've heard that sound before, "Jen, get away, it is a RATTLESNAKE!" Yep, right there, by the jacuzzi, in the dry leaves, under some stepping stones. The cat won't move, so Kim, the animal lover, tries to get here from batting at the snake, the cat waddles away in disgust. Little does Cali realize her fat, life was in jeopardy.
Becky, always the mom, keeps the rest of the kids outside the pool gate, an arbitrary barrier against a snake, but distance was what we were going for (close enough to watch the action, but not get bit).
Now what does one do, I run to the garage, grab a shovel and run back up to the yard, snake still rattling and I am too scared to tip the stones over to kill the snake...plan two, my neighbor has a gun, he can kill the thing. Neighbor not home!! Wife suggests next neighbor.... he is home, comes down to help out, decides he can't kill a rattlesnake either!!! Oh my, who do I call, Ghost Busters? NO!!! 911
"I am really sorry, I am not even sure if I should be calling 911" I say hesitantly, "but I have a rattlesnake in my backyard and 7 grand-kids here playing, I don't know what to do." The nice 911 operator replys, "Ma'am, you made the right call, yes, I will put you through to the fire department." In a few minutes, I could hear the fire engine coming up Mary Lane...I walk up to the top of the driveway to flag them my way. What excitement...three firemen hop out of the truck with snake tools. The heroes to the rescue.
Within a few minutes the snakes head is in the clutches of the snake catcher, the snake is pulled from the stones, and boy does he rattle now! They carry him over to a patch of dirt, hold him down with a second snake tool and whack...a shovel cutting off his head. The grand-kids got to come closer now, see the head try to bit the stick, the rattles shake, and the long 3 1/2 foot, fat body... I had the firemen cut off the tail for sharing time at school (me, always the grandmother).
Excitement over, wow, there is always fun at Grandma's house.

Being An American

2010-04-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

I find it hard to journal in public. I have deep seated feelings however and have a desire for my family to understand how I feel, and what if means to me to be a Citizen of the United States of America.

I received a flyer in the mail, to vote a particular way on a proposition. It sounds good at first glance, take the time for the people to have a say in local government and decide why taxpayers have a right to vote on city expenditures...unless of course you believe in our Founding Fathers, and the basis of our Constitution. You see, we don't live in a Democracy, we live in a Republic and there is a huge difference. The writers of the Constitution intended for us to live in a Republic, to have a representative government. We have a voice by "who we elect," not be voting on individual propositions.

I might add that a democracy has never survived in this world, they have all failed. Whereas, when a Republic, has stayed a Republic, it has thrived. It is not until the people try to work outside of the system, using electorate (mob) rule, and elect value-less individuals that Republics fail.

When we start to rule by the voice of the people, by proposition, we lose a sense of "seeing the entire picture." Votes and decisions, laws and legislation are based on one issue, not based on the good of the people, with a look at what is best for our nation.

The social issues in America have taken precedence over what is good for us as a Nation and a people as a whole. Because a person believes in one particular social issue, that becomes the deciding factor for a vote, regardless of the other issues being decided. Hence, we are a mess. Just because a candidate is pro-life, doesn't mean that they will protect us from the burdens of excessive taxes, business regulations, tort reform, or a variety of other issues. On the other hand, a person who is in favor of charter schools, and school vouchers, may not understand that the only safe sex is no sex, that morality is alive and living in America and that we still believe in tradition marriage as a Nation.

So, it is a lie "It's hard to believe, but right now voters have no say when local governments spend billions of dollars to get into the business of...." Nothing could be more true, if we make an informed decision when we vote, we have the say, the power, in everything government does.

Be a good American, read up, be informed, vote...your future, the future of your children and grandchildren is in your hands, today!

General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

2010-04-03T15:23:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day, I have just finished watching the second session of our Church's General Conference broadcast from Salt Lake. What a wonderful experience to hear the Prophet and Apostles share messages of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I feel so uplifted, so hopeful and so grateful to the Lord for all of the blessings in my life.

2010-02-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

Stefany and Scott were married on Saturday, February 20. Thanks to everyone who made it such a special day. For those of you in Utah and Idaho, there is a reception this Saturday in Draper, Utah. I hope to see you all there.

The wedding day was perfect, and Grandpa Marler did a wonderful job of performing the sealing.
Stefany and Scott told us that their day was just perfect...everything was perfect.

They are now settled into their new home in Mesa, Arizona.

What a great blessing to have your children married, happy and sealed in the house of the Lord.

Our joy is full.

New Mormon Battalion Historic Site Opens - LDS Newsroom

2010-02-02T22:42:00.000-08:00

New Mormon Battalion Historic Site Opens - LDS Newsroom

Blogging is Hard

2010-01-31T17:30:00.000-08:00

I have decided that is very hard to live in the age of blogging, twittering, email, widgets, gadgets, and cell phones. I lose my phone or drop it and it quits working, I forget to blog...or just can't find time, I don't know a gadget from a widget, and I have never seen a tweet, twit or whatever it is. I went to a meeting today, the Director of Public Affairs, Mike Otterson, was there from Salt Lake. The presentation was on the "New Media." Let me tell you, I still don't like the old media...you know; reporters that trip you up when they ask you a questions, TV cameras that make you look 10 pounds heavier (it can't be the pie and ice-cream can it?), and letters to the editor that no one reads.

Now they want me to tweet. First I have to find my cell phone...

A Quick Trip to Washington DC

2009-12-20T21:00:00.000-08:00

This was the quickest trip I have ever taken...on Thursday I hopped on an airplane bound for Washington DC. My friend, Donetta had asked me to join her for a tour of the White House, hosted by her nephew Josh.

I arrived Thursday afternoon and Guy Shultz picked me up at the airport. I visited their home in Manasses and had a wonderful dinner with them...then met Jacque and Donetta for a trip back to Arlington, where Jacque lives.

Friday morning we were up bright and early. We visited the Capital Building, then a couple of museum at the Smithsonian and walked and walked. I should have taken a picture of our new friend. You see we were asking how to get into the Capital Building, and a young man popped up and wanted to join us. I think he was sweet on Jacque, and so he spent the entire day looking at the Hope Diamond, various crystals, gems, and minerals, and a few
paintings as well, all with us...kind of weird right.... unless you were going to ask the girl out... but alas no...less I digress further I will carry on.

We met Josh and his wife at the White House all set for our tour. We made sure that we didn't have any sharp items with us, no makeup, no purses, no weapons, or fireworks (the list of don't brings went on and on, but we only snuck in one tube of lipstick...I will be on a new terrorist list for that). I think we looked pretty spiffy. We toured the White House and it was just beautiful...I wish I could decorate like Michelle. I wonder if she did any of it herself, or if she had help. There were so many lovely trees. I loved the White Chocolate Model of the White House... and the National Christmas tree was grand...I didn't know it was a living tree.
Here is a picture looking in the window of the White House looking at one of the trees. This picture of the National Tree has the White House in the background. These trees are in the West Ballroom, and there was the largest Creche I had ever seen in the East Ballroom, I was glad to see a Christ Centered Christmas in the White House. After the tour, we went to a wonderful dinner, it was at Old Ebbott's, across from the White House.

After we returned home, the news report said that it was going to snow...buckets of it, so Jacque took us to the airport see if we could leave a day early. I was able to get on a plane, thank you United, Donetta is still in Washington, perhaps she will stay forever...at least she can live with her daugther, Jacque! Thanks all for a perfect 24 hours in Washington. I had a wonderful day.

Holloween

2009-11-11T15:42:00.000-08:00

I guess it is better late than never to post my Halloween pictures. As you can see Halloween was a big holiday for us this year. It is Arnie's favorite holiday, so when I returned from our vacation, Arnie already had the house decorated. Kim and I headed out for the pumpkin patch in Valley Center.

A.J. had a great time climbing on the pumpkins and eating treats at the store.

on Halloween Eve we had a pumkin carving contest. The unbiased, wonderful judge gave Stefany the first place ribbon (actually a Halloween Wreath).

You can see the jack-o-lanterns Kim's is the cat, Arnie's the witch, Kurt's is the 1/2 man 1/2 jack-o-lantern, and Stefany's is the Haunted House. Too bad Scott's isn't in the picture. Kim left his out....oh well.
On Halloween day we went costume hunting for those of us who didn't already have a Wizard of OZ costume. Kim, Arnie, Toto (I mean Daisy) and A.J. were all set to go and with a little encouragement the rest of us found the perfect costumes. In case you can't tell, from left to right, Dorothy, Toto, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, Glenda the Good witch, The Wizard of OZ, The Tin Man and The Wicked Witch of the East. We all went to the Church for Trunk or Treating, decorated the truck and had a great evening.

Hawaii

2009-10-11T22:01:00.000-07:00

We had the Annual ADA convention in Honolulu, then spent some days on the North Shore. I sure love Hawaii, balmy warm nights, even warmer days, and perfect water temp.

We went on hikes, swam every day, went scuba diving, snorkeling and did a little sight seeing.

Avenue H

2009-09-04T18:20:00.000-07:00

My nephew (actually, my niece Michele Nelson Miller's husband) Conor Miller is in a band called Avenue H. They play smooth jazz and it is beautiful. They have just released their new CD. If you would like to listen, go to http://www.avenueh.com/

Conor is the cute one playing the guitar and keyboard!!

Here is a picture of Michele and Conor and their son Isaac on our recent trip to Lake Tullock.

My Birthday

2009-09-03T06:33:00.000-07:00

This year for my birthday, I decided to take all of my family to see the play Wicked. We had planned on this for a few months and I was very excited to go. The day before my birthday, I was given a surprise by Brian and Tiffany, they came over from Arizona to be with us...how fun. Getting ready for Lake Tullock was set aside (and yes we did forget a few things at home) while we played for 3 days with our Grandchildren and Children.

Aiden, Michael, Gunnar and Jorden just loved the play Wicked. They had most of the songs memorized and just sang along. I think the best part of the 3 days was just being with all 10 of our grandkids at the same time. That is a real rare occation. They are so fun, cute, very entertaining, and they love each other so much!!!! Life is great.

Summer, Family, Fun

2009-08-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

We have had a great summer. We have been able to see all of our family, on numerous occasions and playing with my family is the favorite thing I do. Here are some pictures of our summer!!!

Here is a picture of Brynnly and I painting a picture...my newest budding artist.

DISNEYLAND

2009-07-17T08:31:00.001-07:00

I haven't been for years, and I feel like a kid as I wait for Jenny to get here...this is so exciting...it is Kurt, Jen and Kim's birthday...and I got invited to join them for a trip to Disneyland.

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

What a great week...we spent some time with Brian and Tiffany, and new little baby Chase. Then we came home to celebrate America's Independence with the family here in Escondido. Here are the 4 grandparents of these cute Arizona kids, Chace, Bryce and Brynnly.

We just loved playing with Brynnly and Bryce and having time to love and hold Chace.

We flew home in time for more family fun and the 4th of July Celebrate at Grape Day Park.

Kim & AJ enjoy the pre-fireworks as Elli tells us all what is up!!! G&G Nelson with me.

Grandma is excited about something... Conor and Jen just love the party, and Axel is in heaven watching bubble fly around the park!! We hope you and your family had a great 4th of July. May we have many more celebrations, may we continue to be proud American's who are willing to "fight for our freedoms."

A New Beginning

2009-06-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of our newest Grandson, Chace William Marler. Brian and Tiffany had a new baby on Monday, June 22. Chace was 7lbs 12oz and was 20.5 inches long. The picture is from a phone, and is the best one I have. We are so thrilled to have Chace in our family. welcome little angel....love Grandma.

Grandkids

2009-06-12T05:59:00.000-07:00

I started the month by taking my parents to Washington, where they both grew up, had friends and family. This first picture is of my dad and his two cousins, Bobby and Mary Clare. This house is the one I grew up in. It is in LaConner, Washington.

We had a great time, and I got to see most of my cousins. I also met some new cousins on my Grandmother Anna's side of the family.

As soon as I got home from Washington I zipped onto a plane, and flew to Wisconsin. It was Arnie's graduation from law school.

Yeah!!!!!

Then Kim and I began the long trip across the U.S. to move them to our home while Arnie studies for the California Bar Exam (not to be a bar tender, it is a test for lawyers).

Kim and I did some sight seeing along the way, here is Kim posing with the Presidents at Mount Rushmore. It is her goal to be President #5 on the mountain. It was cool to see, one more of my life goals checked off the list.

We thought we would never, ever, ever see California again. This photo gave us hope. It was a car stopped in front of us in a construction area. We knew we were finally headed in the right directly. Wyoming and South Dakota are a really long way from everywhere!!!!!

After a few days at home, we left for Arizona. Kurt had a class in Scottsdale, so Tiffany, Brian, Brynnly and Bryce met us as the hotel and we have time to play together. We have a waterslide and pool at the resort and just loved out time together. Brynnly and Bryce love the water and put on quite the show for us. They are so cute!! So now I am back home, after a month of being away. We have been swimming, and playing with the grandkids here, having bar-b-ques, going to end of school activites and just love playing with A.J. , Aiden, Elli, Michael, Gunnar, Jorden and Axel. We are so very blessed!!!!!!

Next episode: Daisy the dog meets three Coyotes and survives

Trip to Salt Lake City

2009-06-03T22:01:00.000-07:00

I just had an exciting trip with my calling. I was able to join some Faith Leaders from San Diego on a Tour of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, Welfare Square and the Humanitarian Center. It was a great trip. We are planning another one in two weeks.

(and who took this picture? none other than Stefany, she and Scott joined us for dinner...great experience!!)

Here is a picture of our group, included is Imam Taha, Rob Howell (SL Public Affairs), Imam Battikhi, Holly Brown, Gagandeep Kaur, Faye Presley, Swami Harinamananda, President Haynie, and in front, Halim Mostafa and me.

We are all members of the Interreligous Council of San Diego. If you want to find out more about the IRC, see their blog. They are all good friends and we had a wonderful trip together.

Here we are at the Humanitarian Center. I had never been there, I was amazed at how much the Church does worldwide for people of every faith.

We ate well, at the top of the Joseph Smith Building, and here at the Lion House Pantry. Our hosts, Elder and Sister Banks were so kind and friendly, and our chauffeurs were just terrific. Thanks Mike and Rob for answering 100's of questions and helping with the tours.

We took a lot of pictures, here was a quick one as we did the "running tour" of Temple Square and the Conference Center.

Halim was the photographer to beat all photographers, he just couldn't take enough pictures. Does that mean we were always looking for Halim?

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

2009-04-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

Melinda Armstrong Ford asked for a little Stefany on my blog...here you go!!! Stef just turned one in the first picture, cute, cute, cute. The next one is a school picture.

Then of course, Junior in High School, GO SPHS....all smiles in this one.

Oh yes the Stefany album would not be complete without some of her friends, Melinda, could that be you. Pass this on to Brooke too. Too bad the GO-GO boots aren't showing in the picture.
I am so glad that Stef does not read my blog. If you do, honey, just remember that I found out about your trip to San Diego on your friends face book page, oh yes and remember, I love you.

One last picture, Stef, last summer with Brian and Kurt, fishing at Rai...oops, I almost divulged the family secret fishing grounds....I think they kick you out of the family for that. Anyway, this is Stefany as she is today, happy, lovely and the best fishin' buddy two boys could have!

March 2009

2009-04-08T17:28:00.000-07:00

We have had a fun filled month. First in March we went up to Salt Lake City for our Nephew, Cody McArthur's Wedding. Cody and Sara were married in the LDS Mt. Timpanogas Temple.

It was so fun to be with the family and gather together.

I went up a few days early and spent some time with Stefany. Jenny and Elli joined us and we ate our way through Salt Lake City. I have a new favorite spot, Kneader's Bakery. The Raspberry Bread pudding, hot, with extra sauce is delightful...

I also did some genealogy and the library. Had a great time. Kurt joined us for the wedding and playing with Stefany.

Then Becky and I loaded up the boys and drove to Gilbert to see Tiffany, Brian, Brynnly, Bryce and Baby. Here you see from left to right: Bryce, Jorden, Gunnar, Axel, Brynnly and Michael. Note they are eating pizza, Tiffany spoiled them by offering alternate fun meals instead of stuff like roast and vegetable.

We had such a great time we ate, that seems to be a re-occuring theme when the Marler Family gathers, doesn't it?

We walked across the street to the park at least 5 times a day to play. Here you see Bryce and Axel holding hands to cross the street. They were adorable and loved playing together.

And here, the cookie fest, yes all of the grandkids are related to me...they love dough, cookie dough, bread dough, pancake batter...yeah!!!!

Brian and JJ played basketball, made up an olympic course on the playground and played Halo all night. I think that is called male bonding.

We also took the kids for hikes, walked around a lake and had a great time together.

Have I mentioned lately, I just love my family. Each and every one of them.

The Random Picture Tag

2009-04-08T08:55:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by my niece, Casey. Here are the rules:
1. Go to your documents/pictures.
2. Go to your 6th file.
3. Go to your 6th picture.
4. Post it, and blog about it.
5. Tag 6 people to do the same.
6. Name your picture.

Here is Kim playing 1st base at our annual Thanksgiving Baseball game. As you can see Kelsey was safe as the ball is not in Kim's mit. We miss the ball games and time spent together on Thanksgiving. We had Turkey Bowls for years, my first Thanksgiving with the Marler family was when I was at BYU and Kurt took me to Idaho Falls, to his Aunt Barbara's for the holiday. I guess it was a tradition for the Marler Family. We kept it up for years, then switched to baseball, now the men do a ward game, and we can't get everyone together, too busy, too old...now we watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and eat more.

I guess I will tag: Tiffany, Jennifer, Rebecca, Kim, Lindsay and Grace

Pay It Forward

2009-04-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

Pay It Forward...My daughter Becky is playing a game on her blog and I decided to do it too. So this is how it works - The first 3 people to leave a comment on this (my) post will receive a hand made gift from me during this year. When and what will be a surprise. There's a small catch...You knew there would be didn't you? Post this on your blog then come back and leave a comment, telling me you're in. Fun, huh? Remember, only the first 3 comments receive the gift. Can't wait to see you responds!!!

Amazing Grace...click on link

2009-02-25T10:49:00.000-08:00

I don't know how to do this, but I will give it a try. Here is a link to Il Divo, singing the most beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Amazing...the song...Amazing...His Grace. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtrnB4FZ-yc

It was a Great Idea

2009-02-22T16:29:00.000-08:00

I thought I was so smart to post a little note on my blog, referring to Kim's. She has informed me however that it just won't do. So just for Kim!

I slept in A.J.'s room, here he is, discovering that Grandma is in his room and that if he smiles really cute, Grandma will get up and let him sleep with her. It worked every time.

Now here we have Arnie and A.J. playing Guitar Hero. A.J. strums right along and Arnie never misses a beat. With the music they "Hero" to , who knows if he misses the beat or not?
Now this is A.J. standing at the top of the steps at the Madison, Wisconsin Capital Building yelling, Mom, Mom!! What an echo!!Here I am at the Capital, this is a replica of the Liberty Bell, don't ask what I am doing...I have no idea.Kim and I have always wanted to stand in the middle of a lake that was frozen over. We walked out about 8 steps and frieked when the ice started to crack. Arnie snapped the picture and we just hoped we would get off before we fell through. Now we can say we did it and lived to tell about it.We also worked two puzzles. As you can see we had help from the puzzle-meister. When he was through working the puzzle, he threw a couple of pieces around the room. We found the final piece under the oven, the day after we quit working the puzzle.

You may ask why we were inside the house playing games and working puzzles...because it is dang cold in Milwaukee, 30 degrees (that is below 0 for you in Sweden). ...and I am a California girl who likes my winters in the low 70's.

My Trip to Wisconsin to see the Graff Family

2009-02-19T21:58:00.000-08:00

O.K. I admit I have a lazy side. I was ready to post my trip to Wisconsin to see A.J., Kim and Arnie, but then I noticed Kim already posted it. So why go to so much trouble. For info on my trip. Just go to Kim & Arnie's blog.

Now as a disclaimer, I have no idea what this run over thing is, I didn't even slip in the ice, or freeze to death in the snow, or even get bumped a little. I guess Kim just wanted to make her blog more interesting.

Jaunuary is Over Already

2009-02-02T05:10:00.001-08:00

O.K. I have got to get going, there are only eleven more months until Christmas.....

Meanwhile, we will play a little, we went to visit our family in Arizona, Brian, Tiffany, Brynnly and Bryce.

Grandpa took the kids on the Merry-g0-round... what fun!!!Tiffany and the kids picked us up at the airport and we played for awhile, waiting for Brian to go to lunch with us.

We went to the zoo and Brynnly and I got to ride the camel. I always wanted to ride a camel at the San Diego Zoo, then they quit the camel rides, so we were really excited when Kurt said we could go for a ride.

Brian and Tiff have a cute house, and we spent 3 great days eating, playing in the park and just loving the kids.

Brynnly and Grandma swinging in the park. There is a cool park right across the street from the Marler house, so we can swing and play on the bars anytime we want to.

Brynnly kindly gave us her bed for us, but upon awaking in the middle of the night would crawl into bed with Kurt and I...I actually love having kids in bed with us...so that was a special treat. We made sure we trained Bryce right too, we'd get him up and throw him into bed with us too!!

Here is Brynnly demonstrating the correct way to floss your teeth...go Brynn!!

Not to be outdone, Bryce demonstates getting ready for church, with a little help from Daddy.

Little Bryce is always smiling and happy...what a fun time we had.

The rest of January was busy, enjoying new friends, going to Post Prop 8...the-next-step meetings, getting a screw out of my foot, and enjoying the family. Michael had his 9th birthday on Tuesday, and Aiden turned 4 yesterday. What fun to be with the family for their special occasions.

Last but not least, was our Mormon Battalion Commemoration this last Saturday. You young folks should bring your kids next year. It is a hands on family pioneer day with all kinds of activites. We had a great turn-out this year of over 2000 folks...what a great day!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

2008-12-28T21:05:00.000-08:00

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. Here the Marler family enjoys the live nativity. During this program, we sing Christmas Carols, and share the story of our Savior's Birth.

Here, A.J. the Chocolate eating sheep, almost walks off the stage. Never a dull moment at our parties.

This year Santa Claus came to the party and brought gifts to the little children. Here Eli displays here beautiful tiara and ear-rings.

My parents, Becky and J.J., Jenny, Axel & Jorden enjoy the White Elephant gift exchange.

Christmas morning, we opened gifts from our family, enjoyed each other's company and ate a lot of food. We had a wonderful time playing with the kids. Our tradition of going to the beach on Christmas afternoon was tarnished by the duluge of rain....so we had a bar-b-que at home and played "Do You Love Your Neighbor". What fun to play a game that the entire family can enjoy.

For our finale, we all watched, and sang along with the movie, "Mama Mia" We then danced and sang and just had a wonderful time...I guess you had to be there to see the craziness of it all.

Thanks for sharing our wonderful holiday season with us. We send our love and best wishes to all.

2008-12-15T13:02:00.002-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving Kurt and I went to New York City with Brian and Tiffany:

We went to the Empire State Building, and looked all around New York.We ate alot, here we are at Bubba Gumps with Jenny Norlander, my cousin from Sweden and her friend Katherina.We went to see the plays Wicked and Mary Poppins. We love Broadway.

We went shopping on 5th and Park Avenue and in China town.

And we went to the Statue of Liberty. We had a wonderful time. We slept in, ate a lot and played until late at night. A great vacation.

You Win Some and You Lose Some

2008-11-05T20:02:00.000-08:00

Election Day Coverage

I am glad to be a citizen of the United States of America. What a great system, we fight like crazy amongst ourselves, pick a candidate to represent us, then fight with the other side for about 6 months, then we go to the polls, a new president is elected and we get a little teary eyed when he talks about uniting America. We wake up in the morning and we go back to being Americans, together...proud of who we are!

Well, Obama won the Presidency, Yes on 8 - the Protection of Traditional Marriage won, Kurt won his school board race, Prop. T the school bond passed. I actually voted no on Obama and the school bond, yes on 8 and Kurt, so my 50% wins will make me rejoice this day.

For my family in Sweden: please note that though I didn't vote for Obama, however, I will support him as my President, and keep a close eye on everything he does. That's what we do as Americans. We are a bit strange, we get really involved in these elections and then go back to our everyday lives as if nothing ever happened.

Here is Kurt my favorite candidate for '08

I Want to be Kind to Everyone....

2008-10-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

I need a place to vent...so here I go. Yesterday, I spent a lot of time on the phone calming down some people. It seems that some precinct walkers were really rude to those who didn't think the same way they did... it offended people on both sides of the issue.

So today I was reading my scriptures and I read in Proverbs 18: 17-19 the following:

"He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth hi.
The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty.
A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle."

So what does that mean to me? Well, we have a cause, and we need to always remember to not offend as we go about our business, or the Lord's business. We just need to be loving and kind and share our thoughts kindly. This isn't about making enemies, it is about preserving the definition of marriage and family as we have known it for generations. No contention is necessary. Gee, why can't good people just figure this out...

Marriage is Sacred

2008-10-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

I read Meli's and Kelli's blogs and thought that I should stand up and be counted too. I believe that marriage is ordained by God, to bring a man and a woman into an eternal relationship. The purpose of this relationship is to bring children into the world, and in so doing, together, we will have great joy.

I am thankful for my family, for my eternal marriage, for our beautiful children, their spouses and our grandchildren.

I trust that the definition of marriage will hold fast and true, marriage...one man...one woman.

Please join me in voting "YES on Prop. 8"

2008-10-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

ALOHA!!

Kurt and I had a great time in Hawaii. This is the beach outside our little cottage. We were able to snorkle and swim right outside our door.

We had a little rain, no actually a lot of rain...

which brings lovely rainbows.

and beautiful sunrises.

We enjoyed days of reading, swimming, sunbathing, taking a few hikes, driving around the island and enjoying the huge surf.

We loved eating fresh Mango, Pineapple, Papaya, Kalua Pork, and garlic shrimp from our favorite "shrimp truck."

What a great vacation...

Sisters

2008-09-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

As you know I have been fortunate enough to gain my sisters through marriage. I have 9 wonderful sisters that I just adore. I was thinking about them this morning and how much a part they have all played in my life. The first night Kurt took me home, I loved his family. As I mentioned to some friends the other night, I fell in love with his family first, and then in love with him. ...and as for Mary Beth, my brother's wife, she is one of the sweetest, kindest people I have ever met, she is very dear to me.

I treasure memories I have had with my sisters, from the first visit to Michelle's to pick and bottle cherries when the kids were young, to book club last week with Lori, to family dinner today, I just love being with you all.

Michelle: she is full of wisdom, and love. She is one of those women whose "family call her blessed." She has taught me to make pies, pit cherries, and love my kids, even when I am busy. She has also shared great wisdom in my times of need.

Mary Beth: as I mentioned, she is kind, loving and spiritual. She has taught me to be a more thoughtful wife, and to have fun and not worry so much about life. She has also shown me how to be a good daughter and to honor my parents.

Lori: is adventurous, loving, a great mom, intelligent, she knows how to nourish friendships and loves her friends. Lori has taught me to keep house, to always have enough food in the house for boys (how to be a mom to a boy), how to make great cookies, to protect your children but not over-protect, and to really enjoy friendships. Thanks to Lori, I got re-involved with politics this year, attended a Romney Rally and she invited me to join her book club...which I really enjoy.

Pam: Pam is wise, spiritual, resilient, loves the youth, an artistic decorator, and serves in her callings with great fervor!! She is a great missionary, lives her principles and has a zillion friends. She has taught me to serve better and that it is OK to have a lousy day...tomorrow is always better, that it is fun to travel with friends, and that family is first. It was great to sit by Pam in church today, she just adores little Elli, whom she held almost the entire meeting.

Diane: fun, busy, full of adventure and excitement, never slows down, a friend to all, compassionate, all round terrific. Diane taught me how to be a sister, by being mine. When our kids were little we taught them to swim together, babysat for each other, and just enjoyed great days together... now even with an occasional lunch we can catch up and enjoy each time together.

Karen: A wonderful wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. She is talented, an artist, willing to try anything, exciting, full of energy, organized, a wonderful teacher, and again, a wonderful example of friendship. Karen always has time to fit in a person in need...(thanks for the shopping trip). She has taken in more BYU "strays" than Noah took animals on the arc...each of our children have benefited from her loving kindness. From Karen I have learned that I do like subdued colors, and it is OK to put things I like in my home. I have learned patience, how to really enjoy my kids, to share my life with others, and how to take time for myself and Kurt.

Dianna: Dianna is loving, kind, generous, a wonderful mother, very intelligent, a terrific daughter and great walking companion (I'll be back). She loves nature and her neighbors. I have learned to be more thoughtful of my neighbors from Dianna, and that life is short, so enjoy your parents today.

Jenny: Jen is loving, constant, calm and a true family woman. From the first bedtime story I told her, I just fell in love with little Jenny, now known by those who love her best as "big Jenny." Jenny has taught me about unconditional love and priorities.

Meli: She has always held my heart-stings, from that cute little girl who loved to have someone hold her hand in the dark, to the woman who cruises through life like a whirlwind. Meli is so creative, and artist, able to leap tall buildings and raise 5 kids in a single bound! Nobody loves more than Meli and she is a person you can really count on.

I would also like to mention my lovely daughters. They include me in their "sister plans", conversations, and reunions. All 5 of them (Becky, Jenny, Stefany, Kimberly and Tiffany) call and talk to me regularly. They share their lives, their joys and their fears with me, and as sisters, they allow me the same.

I have been blessed to be surrounded by all of these great sisters...I love you all...thanks for being such a great influence in my life. And thanks for the great times together.

The Comforter

2008-09-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

I sometimes think that we get so busy doing things, that we forget to do some of the most important things. I reflected upon the first (and only) time I was in London, there was a sign as we got onto the subway and it said, "Mind the Gap."

This sign is a warning, that there is a gap between the platform where you are standing and the train you want to get on. Sometimes the gap was rather large, other times, a very small gap. The sign warns us...DANGER!!! DON'T FALL IN THE PIT. In our lives we have gaps...between where we are and where we want to be.

For instance, we want to be a wonderful mom, but we are busy doing our calling, working in the community, walking precincts for Prop. 8. We want to be a loving wife, but we are pulled everywhere else. We want to do our best with our calling, we want to serve the Lord, but we forget to do follow through, we don't have time to pray because the baby woke up to early, or we don't read our scriptures because there isn't enough time in the day. The list goes on and on, and we have 2 choices, either to beat ourselves up for our shortcomings, or learn to rely on the Lord to "bridge the gap."

That is what the atonement was for, we fall short, no matter what we do, no matter how hard we try...we can't do it all. However, if we try with all our might to follow in the Saviors footsteps, he will make up for all of our shortcomings. This is the greatest gift given to us. So what are we asked to do 1) take the name of the Lord upon us
2) always remember Him
3) keep his commandments
One minute at a time, one hour at a time, one day at a time, let us follow Him, so that we may always have His Spirit to be with us, to guide us, comfort us and show us the way.

So "Mind the Gap," be careful of those deep pits, and turn to the Lord for help, very simply, "the Holy Ghost can make us smarter, wiser, and more resilient than we inherently are." (Sheri Dew)

Kurt, Stefany and Brian at Rainy Creek

2008-09-22T09:30:00.001-07:00

Kurt took Stefany and Brian fishing this weekend...what fun!! I thought you might like to see the pictures

Kurt and Stef...yeah fishing

Brian fishing in the bushes????

Brian and Kurt at the Rainy Creek Hotel

Stef fishing at Rainy Creek

Oh yeah, my favorite fisherman... handsome isn't he....

Stef catching the fish of her life....

Why do people kiss fish?

Brian with the biggest....

Kurt Marler for Escondido High School Board

2008-09-21T18:05:00.000-07:00

http://kurtmarler4schoolboard.blogspot.com/

Kurt is running for re-election for the Escondido Union High School District Board of Education. Help out by putting his web address on your blog...
Thanks and vote on November 4 for Kurt Marler

Saturday is Grandkids Day!!

2008-09-20T15:57:00.000-07:00

I started the day by cheering the Wizard's on to victory...well they don't keep score, and so what if the other team made one goal and we didn't...my grandkids are best!! Here you see Jorden and Aiden kicking that ol' soccer ball.

Then it was off to Axel's first birthday party...you will need to go to Kim and Tiffany's blogs to see pictures of the other two one year old's in the family... It was fun to be together and enjoy a grandkid day!!

Axel is jumping right into this new gift as Jenny and Elli watch from near-by. That is Lance and Michelle Anderson (JJ's sister, next to Jenny).

2008-09-19T08:17:00.001-07:00

Here is my latest painting. I took the picture in Gissjo, Sweden where we were staying.

Do I Have Any Quirks?

2008-09-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by Kim and my first thought was, I don't have any quirks, then I remembered who reads my blog and you all know me too well. If you haven't been on Kim's blog lately, note that you have to list 6 quirky things you do and then tag 6 people to do the same. I'll tag people first, that way, if you want to you don't have to read any further and you can never know about my dark side: Donetta, Grace, Marcie, Trudy Dawson, Kelly Klos, and Karen McArthur (now Karen, I know you don't have a blog, but this is a hint that you need one, and your first post can be your quirks...no more lurking on other's blogs).

1) I have to make my bed every morning the minute I get up. When Kurt is still in bed, I get bugged, I do let him sleep on however. After 30 years, he is even making the bed if he gets up last...sometimes.

2) I cannot go to bed before I clean the kitchen. I love to wake up to everything picked up and in its place. After everyone goes to bed, I pick up the papers, mail, toys, put the last few classes or ice-cream bowls in the dishwasher...then I can rest peacefully. It makes every day a joy to have a picked up house.

3) I hate down time. If I have more than an hour to myself without a project I go crazy. That of course means I have been a little off-my-rocker since the surgery. I have read 5 books now, and am in the middle of 3 others. I, like Tara, love being busy. I used to apologize for it, but I'm coming to see, it is just me and it is O.K.

4) I love dishes. I can't help myself, it is hereditary, I got it from my mother and grandmother. Kurt put me on dish restriction a few years ago, before I get any new ones, I have to give away and old set. Get in line, I have supplied more college kids and young couples with dishes than Mikasa. I think right now, I have the smallest number I have ever had!

5) I can't get rid of a book. I just sorted through my entire office, threw away two bags of trash or D.I. stuff, and went through every book. I was able to give three away...Kurt took two of them out of the trash and they are on his desk.

6) Most of my other quirks, I'd just not like to share. Actually, I guess that is it...nice to only have 5 quirks. I suppose if you asked my kids, my brother, sisters-in-law, or Kurt the list might grow. I agree with Kim...I'll be going to need a therapist to sort all this out. Have a great day!!

Haircut and weight loss

2008-09-14T08:34:00.001-07:00

O.K. I looked at Grace's blog and saw that she put a picture of her new haircut on her blog. Very cute, I decided, I can do that too, I had a hair cut on Tuesday. Time for pictures...I hold the camera out....top of my head to nose. I try with the timer...can't make it across the room to the chair in time before picture is taken. I move the chair closer...picture is of my chin and chest...So you are just going to have to believe me...I got my hair cut, and I think it looks good.

#2, on Tuesday while getting my hair cut I noticed an ad for a pill that will drop you weight, one pound a day. I decided if it looked that good to me, that it was time to lose my baby weight (I can rightfully call it that, as I weigh 1 pound more than when my last baby was born). So I cut back, eat well, 5 days of vegetables, salmon right out of the can (don't worry, I like it), and I get on the scales. I am hoping for a 2 pound loss, without drugs, without exercise (remember the foot is still propped up). I get on the scales...up two pounds...that is ridiculous, so I hop down (literally on one foot), rip off my clothes and get back on, I lost 1.5 pounds immediately.

I am already feeling better about myself and thought I looked much better after shedding the unwanted pounds...I thought momentarily about that, then glanced in the mirror. New decision, cut back on a little more food, cut out the pie and ice-cream...it was a smaller piece than the week before, and start a little exercising. I'll report back next week.

My Life

2008-09-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

Well when you have a blog, it makes you take a look at your life and what you are doing. Right now I obviously have no life. I could post talking about my foot surgery, and my recovery, but who cares...only old people talk about their surgeries and I refuse to admit I am old.

I could tell you that I am thrilled about Sarah Palin, I only wish I could vote for her for President. The more I learn about her the better I like her. This means of course that I am watching more T.V. Up from 0 hours a day to 2...

Oh yes, really exciting news, I called Becky and learned how to change the background on my blog. I really like this Americana theme. It only took a couple of hours to figure out how to do it after she gave me the web site...

I am painting a picture from a photo I took in Sweden. I'll post it along with a few others that I painted recently next time.

Then of course the really big news, I signed up on facebook, I have no idea why I did this and can't really figure out yet why people communicate this way. I have a couple of friends who do this and they invited me on...so I thought I'd give it a try. I requested a couple of friends, Stefany, Kim, my nieces Kelly Klos and Carli Morasco and my brother-in-law, Steve. Wow!! my friends have grown, friends of my kids want to be my friend, people I hardly know what to be my friend, and yesterday, I couldn't even put a comment on a wall...my computer is facebook illiterate.

So now I sit around, with my foot propped up on my desk adding to my blog...I have decided that I like being busy. I don't like sitting around with my foot propped up. I like real friends better than cyber friends...I mean can you do cyber lunch? Go out for cyber-ice-cream? Cyber-walk in the park? No... On the other hand, it is nice to catch up on everyone. So have a great day. No pictures...I mean who wants to see a foot on a desk....

Our Trip to Meet our Swedish Family

2008-08-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

Our visit to Sweden was wonderful. We met our wonderful family and immediately felt as if we had known them forever. This picture was taken from a tower at the Geographical Center of Sweden.

We were treated to Swedish meals, a trip to the Geographical Center of Sweden, to Family homes and farms, to a museum with beautiful carvings depicting the life and culture of Sweden in the late 1800's-WWII.

Everyone here is descended from my Great-grandfather, Erik Peter Johansson. Our family showed us the beautiful country of our heritage.

Here is Kurt in a sea plane over the lake.

The best part of our trip was the time spent with family. I had no idea that we had so much family. Being from a small family, this was what I loved most. Just being together, and getting to know each other better.

Ronnie and Bodil (my cousin) were great hosts, we stayed at their home for a few days.

This is some of my Grandma Anna's family

This is my cousin Marianne and her husband Kenneth and their family. Marianne and I were pen pals when we were 12 and 13 years old. They also hosted us at their home.

In the Bible, it talks about the Spirit of Elijah, "the turning of the hearts of the Children to the Fathers". I always thought that only had to do with my love of family history and my ancestors. Through this trip, we learned much more...that we were families before we came to earth and that we already know and love each other. It was wonderful to be with my family again.

This picture is of my Papa Axel's family. The blank space in the back is where Kurt was supposed to be when the picture was taken...run Kurt run...

Erik, Birgitta and Martin were our hosts and took us all over Skåne, where Papa was from.

This is one of the farm buildings where my Great-Grandfather, Nils Mansson worked.

The house below is Nils and his wife Kerstina Andersdotters' home, where my grandfather, Axel was born.

Other memories:
Monica's boots The Döss

The Church in Fränsta where Grandma Anna was Baptized.

Our trip was perfect...thank you to all of our family in Sweden who welcomed us to your homes, fed us like kings and loved us...with all our love, Kurt and Kathy

Kurt and I look forward to visits from our Swedish family to America, and one day, our return to my grandparents homeland.

Family Reunion

2008-08-03T04:22:00.000-07:00

A Family Reunion at Casa de Marler (Kurt and Kathy's House)...20 of us for 3 days....a fun time for all.

Taking pictures of A.J., Axel and Bryce was like hearing cats...almost impossible. They loved following each other around the house in their little 3 man "train", where one went, they all went.

We had plenty of time by the pool, For swimming, playing....

And doing our ninja exercises....
Elli lounged by the pool, sporting the latest in bathing attire.

we were joined by Grandpa and Grandma Nelson at Aiden's soccer game. We all cheered the little guy on to victory......

We had our own Amazing Race... 3 teams, cheating to the finish.
Here you see Conor in one of our Amazing Race events....
It was fun, a little dangerous.....

...and we only had two family accidents....

We ate well, and often, there we are gorging on a huge cookie, covered with ice-cream and toppings.

Brynnly made sure that Cali was never lonely....

Boating is always a family favorite and this trip to Lake San Vicente was no exception.....

We are still practicing for our interview with Cypress Gardens in Florida....

All in all, we just had a great time together!!

2008-06-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

First, I want to say that I am so happy that Becky changed the background on her blog to the body of the naked man with his arms hanging down his sides...now I get to have the blue dot background to myself...stealing another's blog background should be illegal, but Becky puts up with me and didn't call the blog cops.

I am getting excited to go to Sweden, Kurt and I are going in August. You see, we just love to travel and I love to to genealogy. I have always loved my Swedish family, even though we had never met. When I was 12 I was a pen pal with one of my cousins, Marianne Persson, but after a few years we lost touch. When I was in the 6th grade, my teacher, Miss Linde, was from Sweden, I wrote my reports on Sweden, tried to learn Swedish words (Dad taught me to count to 10 and to say you smell like an old goat). I always felt connected with the Swedish side of my family, and hoped one day to meet them.

Well about one year ago, while doing some genealogy research, I decided to get out an old travel journal of my granddad's. In 1956 he went to Sweden and visited his family as well as my grandmother's (she passed away before I was born). Anyway, I decided to write letters to these family members and introduce myself. I waited for a few months and finally three of my cousins wrote back to me, one was Marianne who I had written to when I was young...she now had children and grandchildren of her own. The next cousin, Bodil wrote back and we began to exchange letters, with her daughter, Jennie translating for us. Both Bodil and Marianne are on my grandmother Anna's side of the family. Then I got a letter from Erik Nilsson, complete with some genealogy charts on our family.

I kept writing and then talked Kurt into taking me to Sweden for my birthday. Wow!! now it is only two months away and I am getting so excited. I think I have the best husband in the entire world...he is so good to me and going to a Country where neither of us speak the language will be challenging (though everyone learns English in school there, Jennie assures me that we will get along with hand signals). Kurt is a great negotiator though, he asked something in return for the trip to Sweden, that on the way home we go to Paris, I was willing to compromise... did I mention I am excited?!!!!

2008-05-18T05:54:00.001-07:00

Elliot Lauren (baby Elli to those who know and love her best) has arrived. She was 7lb 14oz, 19 inches and absolutely adorable. Mom and baby are doing fine.

Aiden just loves her to pieces and wants to kiss her all of the time.
Her Daddy thinks that she is perfect and kisses her a lot too!

What a great blessing it is to have another grandchild in our family.

While Conor and Jen have been at the hospital, I have been playing with Aiden. We have been "chalking" our front walk, playing with the Animal Planet Tree house that Elli gave to Aiden, and we went to a Primary Activity at Church. Here is Aiden playing in an African Band. We have been having a fun time together, but he will be glad to be back with Mom, Dad, and Baby Elli. I think I am wearing him out!!

2008-05-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

Life is sweet! Last week we had a shower for Jenny (due to have little ___oops, I'm not supposed to write her name until after she is born). Oh, new thought, She is due to have her baby next week. What fun it was to have Stefany, Kimberly, Tiffany and 4 of the 8 grands together for a few days.

from left:
Stef, Tiff, Jen,Kim and
me

I am sure that Aiden will be glad to have a new little sister too...now she will dress up in tutus and play with Brynnly instead of him having to dress up. He would much rather be a pirate or giving us a performance of some kind!

Notice in the picture however, he carried a club
and is ready to fend off evil doers and wicked
pirates even in the midst of the crowd.

Bryce will be glad there is another girl in the family too! Cousin Lindsay brought her bow-tique collection and Bryce was our model.

Kim had a fun time reading to A.J. and Brynnly. It was really nice to have her here for a week. We don't get to see that much of A.J., Kim and Arnie.

The weather was warm, so Kim took A.J. for his first swim. He didn't even mind the cold water!

Aiden just jumped right in...no fear...

My mom and dad enjoyed the time with the kids too...what a great family. Thanks all of you for coming to the shower and being terrific...thanks for supporting Kim in her new business endeavor too...Pampered Chef. She got a great start.

Graduation

2008-04-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Kurt and I went to Stefany's graduation from the Orem College of Dental Hygiene. It was a very nice graduation and we enjoyed a little time together, shopping and going out to eat. (why do so many of my entries mention food?)

Karen, Steve and Micah McAruthur joined Stef for her graduation, and Lori was there too. Steven Kolb's fiance, Jenny was also graduating. so it was a real family event.

Here is a picture of Stefany and Jenny (soon to
be Kolb). Kurt always wanted a hygienist in the
family and now he has too. Too bad Stef plans on working in Utah and Jenny in Hawaii. Oh well, not all dreams can come true.

Easter in Arizona

2008-03-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.kiddiekandids.com/ Now you are probably wondering why I start the blog with a web address. If you go to www.kiddiekandids.com and watch the add you may just see some people that you recognize. Go to the bottom of this page, I put the link there, just click on it to see the advertisement.

It is true, Tiffany and Brynnly are the feature models for their Mother's Day Advertising. If you have a Kiddie Kandids in your area, there are bigger than life pictures of them too. Tiffany is a little embarrassed, but hey, I think it is great.

Easter weekend was fun, we headed off to Arizona to visit Brian, Tiffany, Brynnly, and Bryce. As you can see the kids were really happy and we think that they had a great time playing with us over the weekend.

Kurt is pictured here a few times with Bryce, as you can see, he fed Bryce his first solid food meal...baby oatmeal.

Bryce was the neatest first time eater I had ever seen.

Or maybe Kurt is the neatest feeder I have ever seen,
Bryce would spit out the food and Kurt kept putting it back in.

After a few minutes, Bryce started the baby bird thing, where he would open his mouth toward the spoon and wait for the next bite. They were pretty cute to watch.

A Day At the Beach

2008-03-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

We had a little company this month, Cody, our nephew, and his friends went on a road trip...we felt pretty special that they came by here for after dinner snacks, a late night visit and we all chipped in to make a great big breakfast...here is the group ready to go to the beach for the day.

It was a beautiful day, so we picked up Aiden, Grandma and Grandpa N. and went to the Beach to feed the birds.

We made sand castles.And just looked around at the beautiful beach

What a great day we had!!

It is almost Spring...Yeah!!!

2008-03-13T20:50:00.001-07:00

What a great day, the sun is out, it is 84 degrees and winter is almost officially over. This has been a cold winter for me...yuk. O.K., now that I have complained, on to the good stuff. First, I love readying all of our family blogs, I include Donetta, Grace and Adriann in that comment. I enjoy reading about my nieces and all of their family happenings, it is great to feel closer to you all. As you know we had our Sister's Reunion in February...here we are in all our splendor.

As you can see, Diane is missing, she ran home for a furniture delivery. We had a great time at the K&K, B&B. We were lazy, sleeping in, or talking in (you'll have to ask Lori and Karen). We watched chick flicks, talked, played games, went to one movie, ate a lot of food and sat in the jacuzzi.

I done a little painting, here is one of my latest. It is hanging in a gallery in Escondido...OK, don't be impressed, it's an adult ed exhibit. Don't mind the lines across the picture. I took this in the gallery and they are the reflection of the wall behind me.

This painting is named "Orchids of Friendship. " My mom has a friend Nancy who always gives her home grown orchids. I painted the picture thinking of her and their long time friendship.

Also, Brian and Tiffany came to visit...so I am posting this picture of Brynnly, Aiden and Bryce...what fun to have everyone together to play. I think Bryce is trying to ducking a kiss here from the two big kids. This next picture is of Bryce, just loving life...how did I get this underline thing going on...how do I make it stop. O.K., this is a sign...stop blogging!!!

2008-03-02T19:05:00.000-08:00

I have been tagged by my daughter Becky, wow, what a world we live in, just a few years ago I thought tagging was something you did in a game...it was the only time we could hit another kid and get away with it. Then I was corrected, tagging became a kind of art that the neighbors at our office like to create on our trash enclosure wall. And now it is something that someone passes on to you in a blog (come to think of it, what the heck is blog anyway), that requires you to think and be clever.

Last time the subject of the tag was me, this time it is labeled:
Everything you want to know about my Husband

I mean really, do you want to know all about him? O.K., you asked for it!

What is his name? He is your dad, did you forget his name? Dennis Kurt Marler, but we know him as Kurt or D. Kurt, honey, Dad, Grandpa, Papa...

How long have you been together? We met in 1973, right after Kurt got home from his mission, that makes it 34 years, 4month, 3 days, but who is counting. We have been married for 33 years this May.

How old is he? Very personal question, politically incorrect...especially to someone as old as he is... that would be 55, but who is counting. I can't wait until he gets a little older so we can get the senior discount at movies.

Who eats more? Kurt eats the most, especially the vegetables and dessert!!

Who said I love you first? Probably me, I am not very patient. He said it a few days later, but in Spanish, less committal, I guess.

Who is taller? Kurt is taller, thinner, smarter and more spiritual than I am.

Who sings better? One of the reasons we fell in love, was because we enjoyed singing together. Kurt would play the guitar and we would sing the night away... so I guess it is a tie.

Who does the laundry? Me

Who pays the bills? Kurt takes care of the household bills, and keeps us running well!! He also makes all of the money.

Who sleeps on the right side? If we are laying in bed, he is on my right (unless I am laying on my stomach, then he is on my left), if you are standing at the bottom of the bed, then I am on the right. This questions needs clarification.

Who mows the lawn? Pancho, he has a landscape business here in town and keeps our yard looking great!!

Who cooks dinner? Let's see, this is a trick question...If someone cooks dinner than it is usually me. I have mastered making one or two meals a week and then serving up left-overs. Kurt does bar-b-que, and makes a famous Potato Cheese Soup that he served to Elder Quentin Cook in our own kitchen...yep it is true.

Who drives? Usually Kurt, when we are in the car together. Most of the time, we are in separate cars, so we both have to drive...oh yes and we drive each other crazy sometimes too.

What does he like to do? Dentistry, His church calling, Play with the grandkids, Sing, Play the Piano, Waterski, Go to the Temple, Go out to dinner with me, Go to the beach, mess around with his computer.

Who is more stubborn? I'm filling this out, so it is definitly Kurt.

Who kissed who first? Kurt kissed me first, it was on our first date, it was great!

Who proposed? He did, in a rain storm at Utah Lake at the American Fork Reststop after a most romantic walk by the lake.

Who has more friends? We both have a lot of friends.

Who is most sensitive? It is a tie, he just hides it better.

Who has more siblings? Kurt, he has 8, 6 sisters and 2 brothers, I have one brother.

Who wears the pants? He lets me think that I do, until he really has an opinion, so I think that means he really does, he just delegates the stuff he doesn't want to think about.

Just for the record, he is a great husband, and I love him very much. It is nice to be married to my best friend, the one I like to be with, go on vacations with and just sit in our chairs on the back porch and have our lunch together.

O.K. now who do I tag. I'd tag Kelli, but she never updates her blog, I'd update Tiff and Kim, but they were already tagged by Becky. Most of my friends do not have blogs, so I can't tag them. I can't tag Meli, Bobbi, Marci, Devan or Casey because they have already been tagged. Wow, this is limiting!! I got it...Lindsay is back to blogging, so I will tag Lindsay!! And since Becky did not tag Sabrina and Misti, I will also tag them.

Moving Right Along

2008-02-20T19:12:00.000-08:00

Too bad Mitt dropped out of the race, but it is time to move along. There are always good causes to be involved with and who knows what cause I will take up next. For now, with a little encouragement from a friend in my painting class, I will share a little of my art with everyone.

I started taking lessons from Jeri Rothey about 3 years ago. I just love water colors, the way the colors flow together, the transparency of the colors... and when I water color, I am in a world of my own. This first painting is called "Buoyed Up", Kurt named this one. My inspiration was obviously a bunch of buoys hanging on a fence in Orcas Island, Washington. I love the sea and the time I spent living on the water's edge as a child. These buoys brought back memories of "crabbing" with my cousin Sarah, and walking along the docks of LaConner.
One of the reasons that I wanted to paint, was to capture the things that I see in life that I am passionate about. My grandchildren bring out such a rush of emotion in me, I love painting their pictures. This painting, "Buckets of Fun" is a picture of Jorden playing on the beach in Oceanside. I have painted pictures of Aiden and Conor walking on the beach, Michael and Gunner on a big rock, and I hope to paint all of the kids doing something that just touches my heart. Finding the right "feeling" is really important to me, so I keep taking pictures, looking for the perfect subject.

Another passion I have is nature, expecially flowers. I just enjoy the beauty that God has created. I know that I can't improve on his creations, but to put them on paper brings me a lot of joy.
This white rose is one of my favorites. I also have painted orchids, sunflowers, poppies, tulips, geraniums and a few others. I have shown a couple of my pieces at the Escondido Art Association Gallery, but I think that I really paint for myself. I have given a few pictures away to friends and family members. So my paintings hang in some of the finest homes in Seattle (my uncle's), Vista (my mom's), Cleveland (my daughter's), Milwaukee (another daughter's) and of course Escondido.

This is a painting of Mt. Baker, in Washington State. I took this picture as the ferry left the landing at Lopez Island. Jeri and I took a painting class up in Washington about 1 1/2 years ago. It was a wonderful class, not only did I learn a great deal, but I was able to take some great photos that serve as inspiration for the paintings.

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of these. It has been fun for me to share them with you.

GO MITT!!

2008-01-31T19:35:00.000-08:00

O.K. don't faint, I did something exciting today and had to put it on the old Marler Blog. Lori Kolb (my sister-in-law) and I went to a Mitt Romney Rally today. We were right behind Mitt and have been on the news all evening. That is us holding the blue sign to the right side of the picture. It was great to be at the Rally and feel the energy. If you like Mitt on TV, he is even better in person. His message is great, he is bold and willing to stand up for his principles!!!

For those of you who don't know this side of me, I have been involved in politics for years. I have campaigned for President from the time I was in the 8th Grade...that was for Richard Nixon. It has been fun, and days like today make it pretty exciting.

Not only have I done a lot of campaigning over the years, but my kids have been right along side, knocking on doors and telling people to get out and vote. They were my best campaign workers when I ran for school board, and won...thanks to them.

My only regret, Lori and I didn't have our picture taken together, but here is Lori in front of the County Administration Building. Remember...vote early and vote often!!

January 2008

2008-01-27T15:51:00.001-08:00

I will never keep up on this blogging. I sit down with the best of intentions and then I realize that 3 hours have passed and I started working on genealogy instead. So, I have been meaning to put the pictures of our St. George trip on the blog...just go to Brian and Tiffany's...it was really cute and I wouldn't have done any better. O.K., O.K., I admit, I am lazy, here is a picture of the three cute little grandsons

They are so sweet and it was so fun to be with them. The one on the left is Axel, he is Becky & J.J.'s 4th boy. The one in the middle is Bryce (born the same day as Axel), he is Brian and Tiffany's first boy, 2nd child, brother to our only perfect grand-daughter Brynnly. The baby on the right is A.J., Kim and Arnie's only little one, and the reason for the gathering...his blessing.

This next picture is of the 4 generations of Marler Men...cute aren't they. Yep it is true, we even took all of the grandparents on this weekend trip, it made it even more fun. And speaking of fun, Brian brought a "Rock Band" game. Every one except Grandpa Marler and Grandpa Nelson thought it was great!!
I think you will enjoy this video of Aiden as our "Rock Band" lead singer. Watch out Justin Timberlake!! Of course we took lots of pictures of Brynnly too. I mean she is the only girl...for 4 more months... She and Aiden had a great time playing together. They are so fun to watch.

We had a great time, playing, eating, visiting, holding babies and shopping. My mom couldn't wait to have a picture of her holding all three of the little babies. She just loves all of these great-grandkids. My niece will be having a baby in June, making their total 11 greats.

Here is a picture of the entire group who came together for our little reunion.

It is official...Arnie named him...Arnold LaMar Graff the 5th... It was so fun to be together. The rest of the month was filled with Kurt giving talks at Stake Conference, and Kurt and I dressing up in Pioneer Costumes for the Mormon Battalion Commemoration in old town yesterday. I know you are very sad that I did not include that visual!!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-03T08:12:00.001-08:00

I thought that instead of sending out a letter in our Christmas cards, I would just give everyone the blog address and write here.

We have had an exciting year in our family. The first part of the year was filled with fun and games. J.J. went off to the Dominican Republic for a dental humanitarian project, so I headed to Cleveland to play with Becky and the boys for a week. We went to the water park, the science museum and had a great time. We love visiting our kids across the U.S. As we go to their homes, we get to meet their friends and experience the great lives they are living. On the other hand it is also hard to have them away. Brian, Tiffany and Brynnly lived with us for the first part of the year. It was so hard to see them move to Arizona in June.

July was a fun month, we had a family reunion with the Marler Clan at San Clemente Beach. What a fun time we had together. It was nice to be with all of Kurt's brothers and sisters and just have a relaxing week. The best part of all was that we came home again with all of the great-grandchildren still alive...there were days we worried that may not happen.

In August, we went on a family vacation to Lake Tullock (Northern California). We missed Brian and his family, but everyone else in the family was able to come. The boys all learned to knee board and everyone else skied, knee-boarded and wake-boarded. We stayed at a lovely home on the lake, now named Fanny's house after our daughter Stefany. The boys still think that is really her house and that she just let us all visit there. Thanks Stef!

We only had few weeks left before Becky, Tiffany and Kim had their little babies (for pictures of the new additions, see below). Kurt and I were off to visit the little ones in Milwuakee, Clevland, a few days home and then we were off to Gilbert, Arizona. We just loved being with each family and spending time with them. Becky and J.J. never slow down, so we went to the Cuayahoga Falls, and to Amish Country while I was there. Kurt flew in to be there for a few days and for Axel's blessing.

While I was in Arizona with Brian, Tiffany, Brynnly and Bryce the firestorm hit Southern California... wow! I went right to work helping to organize relief for the fire victims, we ordered supply trucks from Salt Lake, helped to set up a center for vicitims to get house hould items and clothes and kept really busy. Kurt was here at home and had to handle the evacuation himself. We are getting better organized now, we decided that some of the important things he took (like the movie "Land Before Time") could burn in the fire next time and we would try to take the family videos. The fire came within a few hundred feet of our home, on the other side of the Ryan Drive hill. While being evacuated, Kurt kept busy here at home, setting up an evacuation center at the Church and then helping to set up a National Guard Camp. We felt very blessed that all was safe for our entire family. An unexpected blessing came as Elder Quinten Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came to visit our area. Kurt and I were asked to join him with two Stake Presidents to visit the fire areas. After the tour he came to our home for dinner and had "Kurt's famous potato cheese soup." What an experience to have an Apostle visiting at your kitchen table. (the picture is of Elder Cook at our friend's burned out home)

In November we were able to go back to Brian and Tiffany's for a little visit. Brian blessed Bryce, what a great day that was. We had a wonderful visit with Tiffany's family. They always treat us so very well and have the best dinner's for us. We all had a Thanksgiving meal together. Our real Thanksgiving meal was pretty small this year, but the food was delicious. Jenny and Conor had us over to their home for the day. We then "shopped 'til we dropped" the day after Thanksgiving. That little Aiden can shop with the best of those early birds.

Now Christmas is upon us, we reflect upon the blessings of our life; our children and grandchildren, our parents' good health, our callings and the opportunity that we have to serve. We are grateful for good friends, love and laughter.

We hope your holidays are filled with joy, memories of Christmases gone by and a little extra time to reflect upon the reason we celebrate this season, to honor the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I've been tagged

2007-12-02T07:19:00.000-08:00

Thanks Meli, this experience of being tagged has taught me 3 (no make that 4)valuable lessons. 1) check your own blog once in awhile someone may tag you 2) I learned what tagging is and I won't think you are all out putting grafiti on Kurt's wall at the office 3) I was not meant to be a blogger...it takes more tech brains that I have 4) Without Becky's help I couldn't do this at all!!!! (thanks Becky) None-the-less, here are the 7 things folks may not know about me.

1) I scuba dive. My first time was in Hawaii with my son Brian. Kurt wouldn't go with me, as he was unsure of the safety of the activity. One year later we were taking lessons and we have been diving for the last 10 years. We have been diving in San Diego, Catalina Islands, Hawaii, Fiji, Bora Bora, Rangiroa, Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta, and British Virgin Islands.

2) Next to being with my family, my favorite thing to do is vacation around the world (as you can see from #1). Kurt and I started selecting our destinations within the U.S. by going to Dental Conventions, we seen many beautiful places throughout America.

3) I have a goal to go to each of the 50 States. My Grandpa Art Herrold went to 49 of the 50, he never made it to Hawaii, it must be a family goal of sorts. I only have 11 more to go; Alaska, North and South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, Tennesee, Kentucky, South and North Carolina and Vermont. Wish me luck!

4) I don't own an i-pod, or any clone to it, and I don't think I ever will. I wish I didn't have a cell phone either...life used to be so much easier, if you weren't home, people just had to call back.

5) I grew up in LaConner, Washington on the Puget Sound. My brother and I used to sneak down to the Channel (like a river between islands) and play on the docks. We were only 6 and 8 and didn't know how to swim...my mom would have killed us had she have known (I only told her this year).

6) I have always wanted to hang glide. One of my favorite outings is to go to LaJolla to the glider port and watch. You can go tandem now, so just watch out...hang gliding here I come.

7) I am a closet genealogist...I have submitted over 7000 names to the Church. I am 1/2 Swedish and this year in August, Kurt is taking me to the land of my ancestors (unlike the commercial on TV, I know for sure I am Swedish). I have been writing to three cousins there and we will be staying at one their guest homes on a lake...I am so excited.

Now I guess I have to tag someone...Becky, Kelli and Tiffany, you're it.

Aiden, Bryce and Brynnly

2007-10-07T20:51:00.000-07:00

While I have been in Cleveland, Jenny and Conor went to visit Brian and Tiffany. She sent us some pictures of little Bryce with his big sister Brynnly and cousin Aiden.

2007-10-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

Little Axel Campbell was born at 12:15 pm on Sept. 17, 2007. What a little angel. Becky, J.J. and the boys just love having a new baby brother at home.

Later the same day, Brian called, Tiffany was in labor and Bryce Kurt Marler was on his way. By 8:45 pm we had two new grandbabies.

Weighing in at a hefty 8lb.15oz. Arnold Lamar Graff V (A.J.) was born at 12:32 pm on Sept. 19. He obviously wanted to be his own man and wait for Grandma to arrive. It was a wonderful experience to be there with Arnie and Kim for this special birth.

2007-10-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Kurt and I decided it was time to start a blog. Becky, our daughter in Cleveland is teaching me how to put it together.

Kurt is in Milwuakee with our newest family member, A.J. Graff and I am here in Cleveland visiting the newest Campbell, Axel. Too bad there aren't three of us and then one of us could be in Gilbert, AZ with Bryce Marler, Brian & Tiff's new baby. It has been an exciting time with 3 grandsons born within two days of each other.