Greatest Dad

I have been meaning to do this post for several days now. Just 77 years ago, Wallace Fielding was born on May 26, 1931 in Idaho, to Wallace Aroet and Anna Penola Dayley. He was a 12 lb baby!!! His mother said the robins were singing in celebration of his birth! I'd say his mother was singing in celebration too, after getting through a labor like that...that is, if she had the strength to celebrate!
This picture is of my dad in his younger years. My parents still live in the exact place this picture was taken.
Look at the cars in the background!!

This picture was taken on March 3, 1951, when my dad was serving a mission in the Northern States Mission, which included Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and part of Nebraska. He served in Illinois and Wisconsin. What a handsome young missionary he is!

Truly, I have the greatest dad.

He is a quiet man, but has a sense of humor that makes all of us laugh. He is honest and hard-working. Plus, I've never heard him cuss.

I admire so many things about him, but the one thing that is very special to me is when I see him on his knees praying before going to bed each night. What a great example he is to me forever!

I love my dad!

(Mom and Dad at the City of Rocks, Idaho, July 2006)

Urban Garden

We have officially started a garden on our patio that consists of: a petunia and a tomato plant. Because we live in an apartment, we don't have the luxury of our own landscapes and rows of vegetables, so we've embraced the urban lifestyle! We just bought the tomato plant last night and have already spent a great deal of time watching it grow, as well as the flower. I have to say, these two plants have spiced up our lives a little.

This Little Piggy

Here is a short video of Lauren and what she has learned to do recently.

It's Time To Start

"We encourage Church members worldwide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings.
"We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve."—The First Presidency

This has been on my mind a lot lately. After many years of hearing that we need to have a food storage and a financial reserve, Jason and I are finally getting started. We have been putting it off long enough. This last weekend I took the opportunity to go to the cannery with our ward. It was my first experience ever, so I didn't know what to expect. It felt so good to be there. We are so blessed to have this at our fingertips. (quote and pictures from www.providentliving.org)

We are definitely starting out slowly. I came away with one box, while everyone else had ten or so. This one box has six cans of: white rice, quick oats, carrots, white flour, potato flakes, and dried apples. The amazing thing about canning now is that the food stays good longer. For example, white rice is good for 30+ years.

Now that we know how easy it is, we are going to go back again and again.

Hope you all are doing the same, but I'm sure you all are doing a lot better than we have been.

Future Lawn Co. Employee?

Catherine, Anne, and Stephanie

About four years ago I was an employee at The Lawn Company in Boise, Idaho. Each summer break during my college career I'd return to my spot as a crew member, which consisted of two to three people. I'm not the only one in my family that worked there. Stephanie was hired there first, then my other sister Anne, followed by me, and finally Jason. I guess it doesn't end there, Jason's sister Elaine also worked there for a short period of time.

My days consisted of mowing, trimming, edging and blowing off the sidewalk, and pulling weeds at residential and commercial properties. It was a rewarding job because there was always an improvement after each lawn was finished. I often find myself looking back and for a split second wishing that I was doing it again. But then, all the memories come flashing back...hot weather, my hair getting caught in tree branches, rocks flipping up and hitting my legs, wet grass clogging up the mower, being green from head to toe after cleaning out the clogged mower, getting my leg weed-"whacked" by Stephanie, getting the lawn mower stuck in a pond, breaking Mrs. Robertson's light, breaking the tetherball pole (which I didn't do Dan)...the list goes on and on. Surprisingly, these are all good memories now, and I would do it all over again.

Lawn Co.'s future employee? She seems to know how to run the equipment and she looks very content...

Jason, Lauren, and I stopped by Lawn Co. the last time we were down in Boise. Stephanie and Dan, the owner of Lawn Co., only wanted to see Lauren, not me and Jason.
Truthfully, Lawn Co. is the #1 lawn company in Boise! This is turning into an advertisement, so Dan, I better be getting a check in the mail.