Respect the bird II

I love the respect the bird saying. I use it all the time, any time someone says something about Christmas or is playing a Christmas song I tell them to respect the bird.

Programming Note

Just in case you missed it there are two links on the blog now. One links to the Larsen Site and the other links to the Marley Acres site. That way it is easy to get from one page to another. Happy Blogs to you .....

Whaddya Say Pilgrim

Chas took part in 'Turkey Tunes' on monday. Half the kids dress up as Indians and the other half dress up as pilgrims for the show. Then the kids sing, chant and even put on a turkey Rap. Very entertaining stuff. The best part of the show was when the kids were supposed to act sad about something. Chas started to do a fake cry that looked so real I really thought he had hurt himself. I tried to get a picture but was laughing so hard that I couldn't get the camera to focus. The next time Chas acts sad I will check for blood first to see if it is real!!

Respect The Bird

A long time ago, in a land far away(North Carolina), a little girl named Katie heard her Dad complaining about people who put up Christmas lights and decorations before Thanksgiving. The wise dad said that we shouldn't forget Thanksgiving in our rush to get to Christmas. Katie listened, took heart and forever after was properly irate at every instance of early decorating or carol playing. Now fast forward a few years to a long car trip with Katie complaining on and on about all the Christmas lights. Dan finally just said "Yep, no one respects the bird anymore." A little Emma voice piped up from the back saying, "Yeah... they eat it!" HA HA "Respect the bird" has since become a favorite family phrase. Two years ago I surprised Dan with a sign to go with his big turkey. One of our elderly neighbors asked my good neighbor friend, ""Is that a religious thing?" We laughed and laughed. When I see the retail stores rushing towards Christmas, the big turkey in my yard reminds me to stop and be grateful. I love the holiday which only purpose is to eat lots of food, hang out with family and friends, watch football, ooh and ahh over the Macy's balloons and most of all to give thanks for our blessings. I, for one, have too many to count, including you all! It's only 3 more days, hold out, Respect the Bird!

New Blogs

If the fire pit could talk

I have created a couple of blogs of mine own. One of them is from my years of being a lonely business travel looking for something to keep me somewhat fit and entertained. The other one is designed for all the descendants of Charles and Marjory Ward. You are all welcome to post on both sites, I have not put any restrictions on there, but just like the pigs site I will, to keep it our site, for us to talk amongst ourselves. I used this site for ease of cutting and pasting information between the pigs and the acres.

http://high50pointer.blogspot.com/

http://marleyacres.blogspot.com/

Mt Moran from Jackson Lake

Please forward the acres blog site on to Kelly, David J & Monica, Kathy, Amy & Roy, Jenny & Bryant. Please include your kids as well as most of them are more computer literate then the rest of us (excluding Dan) combined.

Brent and Great Grandma July 4th 2007 on Jackson Lake

Screeming Pigs Book Club

We discussed starting a family book club this weekend and I've found the book.
We all heard stories this weekend about the Hospice of the Valley (HOV) and how much support they gave our Uncle, our Dad, his Siblings and Mother, and our Cousins David and Monica. Today, I had a little time and was researching the HOV and while doing so came across this amazing book. I think we'll all enjoy reading it.

Book Club Info:
Get a copy and read it. (I got mine free from my local public library) In a month we'll discuss the book, then we'll choose another book to read.

This month's book:
The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall

Synopsis

The Ultimate Gift, written by Jim Stovall, is a story of Red Stevens, an accomplished man, who learned too late that giving material things is more like taking than giving.

Red owned everything a man could ask for and generously gave his family a piece of that everything. However, right before he died Red Stevens realized one thing. Red looked down along the long list of things he gave his family and suddenly came to the conclusion that he had given them nothing by giving them everything.

While most of his family were lost causes because of his mistake, one stood out with potential to learn. That one was in store for the year to end all years. That one was his nephew Jason. Every step of the way there is a lesson for Jason and the reader. Things such as values, hard work, the appreciation for money, and the love of giving are taught to Jason. Uncle Red hits a homerun when he teaches Jason the most important lesson of all.

For those of you who prefer books on tape, it's available in that format as well.

Finally, with those who are too... "busy" to read it's also been made into a major Hollywood movie which is available for rent or purchase in most areas.

Ukraine

This is Mt. Hoverla in Carpathian Mountains near Chernivtsi Ukraine where I will be working.

The other day I was e-mailing with a colleague and she told me that she was going to the Ukraine and she then invited me to go along. In late May I will be doing 5 days of OT work, 3 days of sight seeing, and 2 days of riding on planes, trains, and automobiles. It is a very exciting opportunity for me yet very nerve wracking at the same time as I hope that I have things to share in the Ukraine that will help improve the quality of health care available there.

Science is So Cool!

Emma wanted to post a picture of her science homework tonight. She made some great discoveries about the properties of heat. (It rises!) It was a lot of fun and she even enjoyed writing about her findings. Thank Heavens for good teachers who aren't slaves to worksheets!

Uncle Brent has passed

Brent Harris Ward (62) passed away November 14, 2007 in Phoenix, Arizona after an extended battle with a degenerative brain disorder that robbed him of the active life he so thoroughly enjoyed. An avid skier, Brent shined as a slalom racer on a very strong Weber College ski team in 1964. Following his passion for skiing, and under the tutelage of Earl Miller, Brent became a fully certified PSIA ski instructor at Snow Basin at the young age of 22. Many young people, including his son David, benefited from his thoughtful and patient instruction. Born in Ogden, UT on December 26, 1944 Brent attended Ogden secondary schools, Ben Lomond High School, Weber College and went on to graduate from the University of Utah with a degree in Chemical Engineering in 1970. That same year, Brent married Laurel Kunz and was the proud father to son David in 1972. Brent loved the outdoors and enjoyed water skiing, photography, sailing, hiking and bicycling, especially with his family members. He was preceded in death by his father Charles E. Ward (1995) and is survived by his mother Marjorie H. Ward, brothers Doug and Kelly, sister Kathy Willis, son David, sister-in-law LaRee Ward, daughter-in-law Monica Ward, and grandchildren Simone and Nicholas Ward. A member of a large family, Brent was a beloved Uncle to many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, all of whom will dearly remember his bright smile, gentle manner, and loving guidance. Services will be held at the Lindquist Mortuary (32nd and Washington) in Ogden, UT on November ___, 2007 at _____. In lieu of flowers donations to Hospice of the Valley in Phoenix, AZ (602.530.6900) would be greatly appreciated.
Note: We're still waiting for word from the mortuary as to the date and time of the service.

Harvest moon hurrah

Spanish fork has a little fall party for its citizens, this is our second year attending. Last year was free in celebration of our 150 year anniversary, this year we had to pay a dollar for our diners. But we still had a good time, with the face painting, and the hayrides. There were many more activities, but the lines kept us from doing them this year. I always like small town activities like these.

Better late then never

I have been busy getting back from one vacation and getting ready for another one. The younger 4 kids went out trick-er treating this year. We had a prize fighter, Miss Utah, Your worst nightmare and vampire. Candy was gathered from all our neighbors, and there was much joy when the candy was inspected by the proper authorities. The older two were smart enough to watch the inspections, the younger two had a little of the candy confiscated for security and safety reasons. The kids were a little disappointed this year as one of our neighbors had in the past given out a dozen krispy kream doughnuts to each tricker, but they were not doing it this year. They are famous around the neighborhood and their doorbell gets rang a lot. They did stop at another home and did get 2 dozen non KK doughnuts (so they were good doughnuts) from a doughnuts and hot chocolate party that was wrapping up.