Spring Break 2018

One of the major benefits of having a spouse in public education is . . . he gets a lot of breaks! And they're usually the same as breaks for the kids! This year, his spring break was the same time as spring break for the preschool, so we decided to go to California and spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Rusch, who are serving in the Fresno mission!
We had so much fun!
Chris said to me before we left that we should check conditions at the mountain pass. "Nah," I thought. "It's spring! No big deal!" Boy, was I wrong . . .
We left a day early so we could spend time in the Bay area, with my friend from college and a few other friends who live out there. But, I-80, over the mountains, closed. So, instead, we spent the day in Reno, Nevada.

These are pictures of Circus, Circus in Reno. We were sad to miss out on friends, but tried to make lemonade out of our lemons!
The next day, we had to take the back route to get to California. I was grateful that I have a husband who loves (obsesses over?) the Western States 100 race, because he knew which way to take when we got to a place that I didn't know. (Note to self: take an atlas in the future. At times, a map on the phone is not useful!)
We reached Fresno and had so much fun playing with Chris's parents! They were so happy to have kids running when they knocked on the door in the hotel room! Their ward is very friendly and it was great to be able to go to church with them. There were so many people who said how much they loved their missionaries!

Chris's parents live in backwoods, CA. They actually live in Prather, CA, which is 40 minutes away from any hotel, and a very remote location to get to. They showed us around their ward boundaries, and the area that they cover in their missionary efforts. It was so fun to see!
On Monday, we drove to Yosemite National Park. This has been on my bucket list for a long time, and it was so fun to see in person! The weather on Monday was great, so we were able to see El Capitan beautifully.

 Davis decided that he was a photographer, and took lots of pictures that are . . . maybe not the best. But, I think this one is actually pretty funny:

Chris's dad got us some great accommodations in Yosemite:

We had so much fun in the three-bedroom cabin that we stayed in! We just wish the weather would have been better for the occasion, but the company was great, so we can't complain!

Seeing El Capitan with the fog around it was pretty breathtaking though.

The trip back was basically uneventful. We stayed at Circus Circus in Reno again after making the pass over the mountains. It was cute to see Davis pulling some luggage in the hotel.

On the way back, we stopped through a place where Chris served his mission. This was a landmark for him, so we took a picture of it:

It was pretty fun to do a road trip. We were a little nervous to start, but it ended up being a ton of fun. The kids did great in the car, because we had DVDs, treats, and lots to do!

It was a fabulous trip! We learned a lot, such as:

• A road atlas would be a good idea
• Our kids are great on the road, especially if they have adequate entertainment!
• Davis was pretty much the ruler of his own little universe! He thought it was pretty cool to be able to reach the treats, toys, and everything his heart desired from his seat!
• Getting a room with two queen-sized beds actually works really well for our little family!
• There are adjustments that need to be made, but if we basically have a good time, it is a success! And we need to be very flexible!
• We love each other and are grateful for these opportunities!

Also, have you ever seen a WORSE misspelling of Chris's name?

Thanks, Arby's!

Grandma Davis

My Grandma, Devona Juen Stephenson Davis, died on February 2, 2018. Words cannot describe how much we miss her! She was such a wonderful woman, and we miss her a lot, but are so grateful for the knowledge that we have that we can be together forever. Here are some pictures from her life and the services:

Here is her obituary:
Devona moved to the great quilting club in heaven on February 2, 2018, perhaps because they have an eternal supply of fabric and patterns in the spirit world.  She was born July 8, 1933 in Pocatello, Idaho to Clarence and Iriminda Taylor Stephenson, the youngest of six children.  She graduated from Pocatello High School and Idaho State College, after which she taught home economics.  She married Hal Walter Davis on August 24, 1955 in the Idaho Falls Temple.

            The newlyweds married during Hal’s medical education and lived in France after Hal volunteered for the Air Force.  They saved up leave time and wages to travel and tent camp across much of Europe, and continued this family camping tradition for many decades.  Redfish Lake was the family favorite.

            Devona had seven children: Stephen (Jan), Kent (Sonja), Doran (Chris), Joni (Boyd Phillips), Monty (Shelli), Leslie (Earl Fields), and Ruth (Kevin Pickens).  All were her favorites, and each was loved and treasured.  She currently has 30 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren and at least three more will join her family this spring.  She labored diligently to tie baby quilts for each new child.  Each grandchild chose quilting fabric and the quilt pattern of their choice for wedding gifts.  In reality, she used love as fabric, dedication as thread, and the gospel of Jesus Christ as the pattern.  These quilts will be eternally treasured.

            Devona was completely dedicated to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and served diligently in many callings including ward and stake relief society president, primary president, and ordinance worker in the Idaho Falls Temple.  She was ward organist for six decades, and passed her musical passion on to all of her children.  Her favorite church calling was Cub Scout den leader, and her cubs are all still her boys.

            Devona has always been a dedicated missionary and was very successful as a district missionary in France.  She spent a total of five years on full-time missions with Hal, including Durban, South Africa, Vietnam, and Boston, Massachusetts.  Not long before her death she gave a personalized set of LDS scriptures to her neighbor.

            She loved her time with the Patchwork Quilt Club, the Idaho Falls Music Club, the Idaho Falls Medical Auxiliary, and many PTAs.  She “adopted” many needy souls and lovingly served them however she could.  Valentine’s Day will never be the same without her individualized cards, each with a crisp, new $2 bill.             

She was preceded in death by her parents, siblings Eldred, Delbert, Melvin, and Donna, leaving only her sister, Margie Clark, behind.

Devona’s funeral will be on Wednesday, February 7, 2018 at 11 AM in the Idaho Falls Stake Center, 1155 First St., in Idaho Falls.  Viewing will be from 6 to 8 PM Tuesday evening, February 6^th at Coltrin Mortuary and from 10:00-10:45 AM preceding the funeral at the church.  Interment will be at Fielding Memorial Park Cemetery in Idaho Falls.    

We love and miss our sweet grandma!

Bedroom remodel

I decided that with some of my birthday and Christmas money, I was going to redo our bedroom! It's been a fun project.

Before:

After:

I (meaning we) got new curtains, painted an accent wall blue, and moved the desk upstairs that was in the basement. It was a fun project! We really love our new bedroom!

Reagan is a SUNBEAM!

Reagan is a SUNBEAM! Holy smokes! Davis was pretty excited to have her come to primary with him today. He wished that they could go to the same class, and wondered if they would after she turns five. She is giving a scripture next week in primary, so we will see how that goes!

She's a pretty cute sunbeam, if I do say so myself!

Christmas 2017

We decided to spend Christmas this year with my parents, who are serving a mission in Cincinnati, OH. They are having a wonderful time, and you can read about their experience here. We decided this summer to spend Christmas there, because we thought it would work best with Chris's work schedule. It turns out that we were right, even though his work changed in between planning it and going. We had SO MUCH FUN!!
We got in late, so Minnie took a nap on our way. It's good that she has such a good mommy to take care of her. :)

Kids running to see Grandma and Grandpa

 Davis thought it was cool to wear Grandpa's tag at church

 Eating lunch at the coffee table at Grandma and Grandpa's apartment.

 Our family with the mission president at church. They are fabulous people, and it was fun to get to know them.

 We had quite the dinner at a pretty small apartment, but it was fun to get to know all the missionaries!

 Kids in their Christmas jammies back at the hotel on Christmas Eve

Christmas morning at Grandma and Grandpa's apartment:

Christmas night, we went to a Chinese place for dinner. It was fabulous! Fa-Ra-Ra-Ra-Ra!

The day after Christmas, we went to a Children's Museum to see the train (Davis asked me a few weeks ago if I knew that he really likes trains. I did recall that). They also had Lego's as well. We also went to a Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Museum, which we have no pictures of, but it was awesome.

That night, we visited the zoo to see the lights. It was the shortest visit to the zoo ever, I think, because it was SO DANG COLD!

On Christmas, some other missionaries in the same complex as my parents had to go to Canada, and so they offered us to stay at their apartment for the week. It was so nice to have a home base close to my parents, and we appreciated it so much.
So, we were able to put the kids to bed on Grandma and Grandpa's bed, then take them to the other apartment after we played a little.

We also went to Jungle Jim's, because that is a tradition, if you visit my parents:

We went to the Air Force Museum, and met my aunt and uncle who live in Ohio there. It was fun to see them too, and I totally geeked out! They had the plane that dropped the bomb on Nagasaki! And the Air Force One plane that transported JFK's body after his assassination, and that Lyndon Johnson took the oath of office in!

We got some good cuddle time with kids:

We were also delayed on the way back, but we made it home just in time for the New Year's Eve party at my grandparents' house!

It was a fabulous trip!