Welcome to Earth Sophie. We love you.

IT'S A GIRL!!!!

Sophie Markelle Brezoff has arrived. She was born at 12:22pm, today Aug. 30.
Mom and Baby are doing great.
She can scream and pout, but doesn't do it often--only upon arrival. Speaking of the arrival it happened quicker than expected and the nurse delivered her. She did a great job and the doctor got there in time to deliver the placenta.

She weighed in at 8 lbs 3 oz and was 20 1/2 inches. Lots of dark hair --looks a lot like Cooper, but with flat ears!! She also has the same size mouth as Cooper.

We all totally love her!!

Grandma and Grandpa Willey

On a sad note her other grandma broke her ankle last night and is in the same hospital as Sophie. She had surgery at about 4pm today. She is having a hard time missing all the action and loving Sophie.

stu's being transferred

hello Mother, it was really great to hear from you, i'm glad that you got to go to the manti temple that would have been so much fun. i am really missing the temple since now as a missionary in this mission we don't get to go at all the closest one would be the bosten temple which really is only like an hour away but it is still out of our mission area. i heard that they take all of the missionaries to that temple the day before they get sent home so i guess i'll get to go one of these days. well this week was a pretty good one we had lots of new and lots of progressing investigators. me and elder kerby have been having lots of fun and have been getting along quite well lately. which kinda comes as a shock because last night was transfer calls which is where the mission president calls us and lets us know if we are leaving the area or not and guess what I GOT THE CALL that's right tomorrow at this time 11:00 i'lll be in a new area with some other weird random person who I have no idea they don't ever tell us who we are going or where they just say pack your bags we'll meet everyone in a chapel in manchester New Hampshire, and there they have a power point program up on a projection screen and they let us know then where and with who we are going. so right now i'm wicked tired because i stayed up till 12:30 packing and now today i'm going to be spending this day saying good bye to all those that i have grown to love over the last couple months. i'm kinda sad cuz i don't feel like i've done everything that I needed to do here but i'm sure that the lord has a need and a work for me elsewhere. there are still a lot of investigators that i really wanted to see enter into the waters of baptism. but again i'm sure someone is waiting to hear the gospel from me some other place. so tomorrow when i find out my new address i'll try to write a lettter to you and let ya know where it is that i'm gonna be. oh by the way thank you very very much mother for all of the little treats you sent and also the video i loved it. it was amazing to see all the family some looked the same but for example Brayden looks sounds and the feeling i get when i listen to him is totally different from what it use to be when i was still home. well anyways i better get going i still have a lot to do today before i leave.so i love you so much and I thank you for all that you do for me. you are the bomb.com (that little saying i got from Nate i really liked it.)Love you all,Elder Stuart J. Denny

2 days and counting!!!

This shirt says it all. Cooper has been personality plus this past few weeks. Do you think he is anticipating a change???

This is what you have to look forward to, Becca!!

Rand, this is for you

This picture was taken a few weeks ago so add a little bit onto it.... 6 weeks and counting! :o)

Finally Settled!

Hey everybody!

Sorry we haven't been online lately...we've been driving and moving our lives away but life is a bit settled down now and we finally feel a bit more settled. We actually deep cleaned our car to get all the remnants of the cross-country trip out of it. Thanks mom for posting our new address...our phone numbers are:

Andrea's cell: 801-372-6679
Eddie's cell: 801-360-5722

Hope you're all wonderful! We'll post some pics of our trip as soon as we download them off our camera.

New Addresses

I guess I need to up[date you all with the new addresses of Gar and Andrea.

Garrett and Jane Howell
716 Mill St.
Laramie, WY 82072


Eddie and Andrea McClelland
148 East 800 South
Orem, Utah 84058

Both couples just moved into their new places this week and I miss them already. I don't know if anyone has shared our big news yet so I will!! We are expecting two new grandchildren!!! Kent and Tori are expecting a boy about Dec 22nd and Gar and Jane are expecting again around the end of March!!! We are so excited to add to our family. Brandon is home and doing well. He is a kick to have around. He is going to Central Wyoming College here in Riverton for a couple of semesters and will live at home during that time. Yeah!! We have just completed a new beautiful patio with a huge firepit in our back yard and added a new vinyl fence on the west end of our place. It is very nice and I will love not painting it. You are all invited anytime to come and sit around our fire.

Hope this finds you all well and wonderful.
We are hanging in there,
Love you all,

Janet

22nd Anniversary on the Pauite Trail

Just a quick note to let you all know how lucky I am to have a sweetheart like Lisa! Last weekend we spent our 22nd anniverary riding 4wheelers on the pauite trail out of Fillmore, Ut. We rode 160 miles in 2 days and took backpacking stuff (ie. stove, food ,tent,pads, sleeping pads, etc. and camped way up in the top of the mountains in the most beautiful place above Marysvale, Ut. It was a real blast, and it was Lisa's idea for the whole thing. She is such a trooper, and really made me eat her dust behind her 4 wheeler! It was the opening day of the Archery Deer Hunt on Saturday down there and Rand would be proud to know that one of our goals was to scare all the little deer from the hunters so they would be safe. After all, thats what he used to do when I was trying to shoot them. No wonder we didn't do to good when he came along. We have 4 4wheelers so if anyone is up for a similar trip just get on the schedule, we really had a great time, and the trails are not too difficult. I really am lucky! Thanks Lis, I love you. Mark

Movie Recommendation: Grizzly Man.

GRIZZLY MAN explores the life and gruesome death of amateur grizzly bear expert and wildlife preservationist Timothy Treadwell. The film is a powerful cautionary tale about modern man’s relationship to wild nature as it follows Treadwell’s journeys to Alaska, where he lived among the grizzlies and grew to love them. Treadwell’s crusade to defend the grizzlies tragically ended when he–and his girlfriend–were attacked and killed by a rogue grizzly in October 2003. GRIZZLY MAN is a gripping and epic adventure story in the tradition of Jon Krakauer’s classic Into Thin Air and Into the Wild.

This is a remarkable documentary. Warning: there is one scene where he goes on a rant about the Park Service not doing enough to protect the bears and he uses lots of cuss words. But he was a real, passionate person. The audience clapped loudly at the end at the theatre where we saw it. It is both haunting and remarkable...the kind of movie where you can't believe what you are watching. The funny thing is, today we were at Costco and we saw the woman from the film who considers herself Timothy's widow. I spoke to her about how much we were in awe of the film. She was very nice.

Address

Does anyone have Andrea McClelland's address or Jane Howell's address?

Is somebody close to having a baby?

Kara, (or Pam, Aly, Kristen)

I hear that you are really close to having little baby Sophie. Keep all of us posted. I am so excited for you guys!

Becca

Things That Make You Feel Old

Talk about feeling old. First I was shopping at Ross on Tuesday and they asked me if I was a member of the "Tuesday Club". That's a nice name for the "old fogies who get a discount on Tuesday if they are over 55" club. I didn't know whether to be happy that I was getting a 10% discount or mad that they thought I was over 55.

Then on Wednesday school started. This year is a first for me. I HAVE A STUDENT IN MY CLASS WHOSE MOTHER WAS ALSO IN MY CLASS. That will humble you in a hurry. No more trying to dress young and act hip. I am officially old.

Kalyn

Name this bug...

A huge bug! Our camo baby. First day of school. Life is good.

Aly's Picture

Here is the requested picture of Alyson. Isn't she the cutest!
Love ya, Aly

Good luck with your first day of student teaching!!! Do you start with reg ed or spec ed?
Love,
Mom

WE MOVED!!

We bought our first house last week and I thought I would update everyone's address books. We are pretty excited and as soon as I can find my digital camera I will post some pictures. Here is our new address-

Nicole and Ben Bibler
4600 N. College Avenue
Kansas City, MO 64117

Yes, Happy Back to School

Back to school went well in Lehi. How about the rest of the world? Kenzie was excited as could be while Mason really didn't care either way. But I was informed that 2 recesses make first grade much better than kindergarten. Here's the pictures. And yes, Kenzie's outfit was picked out about 3 weeks ago. The only debate last nite was how to wear her hair. Mason just liked the soccer shirt. Soccer rules his world right now. Take care everyone!

Happy Back to School.

I'm guessing that tomorrow is "back to school" for lots of kids and adults in our family. Do you have your outfits picked out? Best of luck to all of you. I hope your first days are wonderful.

The Post Nephew Invasion Report card.

If you've ever considered lending out your house to some of our nephews, you might find this honest report card helpful in making your decision.

All doors and gates locked upon arrival back home: A

Beds made: A+ (although the sheets weren't clean, the microwave popcorn bags and suckers left "hotel mint" style on the pillows more than made up for it.)

The general "aroma" inside the house: A (I even found a can of my orange scent room fragrance spray out, which proves they had thought about it. I expected a mix of dirty feet, pizza, doritos and sweat)

General tidiness: A (you almost wouldn't know we were gone)

Leaving the sand at the beach rather than bringing it home: B- (this might seem like a low grade but it's actually an indication of how much they enjoyed the beach which is great.)

Toilet cleanliness: B (See sand comment above. You know how sand gets all into your swimming suit...that's my only guess.)

Kitchen Pantry stock level: A (I knew they wouldn't like Thai, Indian, or Middle Eastern food, which is about the only thing in there besides the staples.)

Leaving a 5 pound bag of Tortilla Chips when they left: A++ (The bag is so big, I'm wondering if they tied it to the top of their car to get it to the house from the store. We're trying to work around it as a piece of furniture or sculpture. Maybe we'll use if for a berm out in the yard. Nachos anyone?)

Laundry prowess: C (Note: Bleach is only for whites, not dark towels. And since we have no bleach, soft scrub with bleach should never be wiped up with dark towels. Oops. But no worries. Accidents happen.)

Not finding Broken or damaged furnishings: A

Interior plants not clinging to life: A. (They were all healthy and happy.)

Condition of Exterior plants and flowers: A. (see above)

Not receiving "Noise Ordinance" fines: A (no complaints from neighbors...I'm assuming I still have neighbors)

Travel Peace of Mind: A+ (Thanks for helping me not worry about anything while I was gone.)

Condition of recreational equipment (kayaks, bikes, rollerblades, etc) A.

Thoughtfulness: A+++ (coming home to the beautiful framed photo of Hannah and Gunther, taken from one of our vacation blog posts was such a nice, thoughtful surprise. Thank you.)

Welcoming Matt, Nate, Dave, Ian, Chris and Chris again sometime: A (anytime. Thanks so much for looking out for the place and "respecting" our house as I requested. You guys are welcome back anytime. I'm glad you had such a great time. And tell your parents they could be proud)

And finally, welcoming any of the rest of your anytime: A

Six-legged cow!!

I can't resist one more try for Rand---here is the six-legged cow, and the 5 legged cow. Maybe I can get some Royal Gorge on too.
Look closely--the legs come out the rear end and hang about half way down[brown cow], and the extra leg on the black cow comes out the front leg!! I couldn't get the brown cow to move away from the fence so that is my best picture.
Pam

More pictures---maybe!

I did something wrong the first time, so here are more pictures:

A Looong drive--Fun get away

Kelly and I had a great vacation this past week. We drove from Bountiful to Denver[1st stop]. Saw a few sights there---but didn't have the camera with us so we don't have any shots there. We tried to see the Mint but missed it too. This is the second time I have tried to see the Mint but didn't get to---I guess it isn't meant to be.
Then we drove to Nicole and Ben's in Kansas City, Mo. We had a nice visit and some KC bbq with them.

We met Carl and Laurel in Independence, Mo. and saw many sights. We went to Liberty and saw Liberty Jail, Far West, Adam-Ondi-Ahmen and many little towns in between. We had so much fun---thanks Carl and Laurel for the fun time. One other highlight was our lunch at the Lunch Bucket!!!{I'll tell you the story another time}

Then we were off to Stouffer's place in Bartlesville. We enjoyed staying a few days with them. Thanks Elizabeth for the use of your bedroom for a few days!! Thanks Stouffers for the fun time while we were in Bartlesville. We didn't swim in their pool so I guess we will have to go back some time and do that!
We saw the Frank Phillips home in Bartlesville---it is beautiful and big.

The next stop was Emily and Brian's house in McPherson, Ks. We enjoyed an hour or so with Emily and her girls showing us their little town. It was so fun to spend some time with them. Emily showed you a picture, but I will also add a picture. Thanks Emily.

The next stop was Prairie Dog Town!! The picture is Kelly with the six-legged cow. The 5th and 6th legs come out the rear end area!! We saw tons of animals here--it was an experience.

Then passed many fields of sunflowers, corn, peaches and many other things our next stop was Canon City, Co. We went to the Royal Gorge. It is beautiful. Kelly crossed the bridge---I went only a little ways across---too scary. We rode a train through the gorge and also down the side of the mountain. It was fun to visit and Kelly has always wanted to go, so he can now check that place off his list.

After more driving---3103 miles driven in all-- we were home. It was great to be home.

I didn't get the pictures in the right places---can't figure out how, but hope you enjoy seeing them. I don't even know if they will all show up.

Pam

The vacation that never ended.

I feel like I've been giving vacation updates for three months now, but it's only been three weeks I promise. We're still in NY but fly home tomorrow. We've had a great time in NYC but wish it wasn't soooo hot. Very sticky. That first picture is Gunther in HEAVEN at the Pokemon Center at the Rockefeller Plaza. He loved it. The second is a shot of the new MOMA (museum of modern art) that just opened a few months ago...it is incredible with a staggering collection. Next is ground zero. It just looks like a big hole in the ground but is rather haunting to see. And the last picture is Bradley and the kids at the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum. It's in Andrew Carnegie's former home. Not too bad huh? I've really enjoyed all the pics from everyone's vacations and I hope you've enjoyed ours. Now I want my own bed. (really bad.)

Brandon's homecoming talk

I thought I would spread the word that Brandon will finally be speaking in church to report his mission this next sunday ( the 21st of August). It will be very low key.

Everyone is invited if they want to make the trip. Our block starts at 9 am and Sacrament meeting is at 10:45 am. Sorry it is so early.

I know most of you can't come, (believe me I understand how far it is ) but I wanted to let you all know. It is so fun to have him home.

We will have dinner after church too. If you can't make the meeting... you can still come and eat. :)

We love you all... Hope to see you soon.

Janet

Happy, Happy, Happy...

Birthday, birthday, birthday. Jon Howell is a year older today. Although last time I saw him he still looked about 28. It must be that cold, cold Wyoming air that is keeping him so young. Have a great day Jon. We love you.

We had a fun visit with Pam and Kelly. Thanks for stopping by on your way through the Sunflower State.

EMMA'S BAPTISM

Emma has a special day coming up. On august 27th she will be baptized by her dad. We want to invite you all to come if you want to or can. I know It is too far for some, but we still wanted to share the great news. It is at 10am at our Stake Center (400 E. and Center Street). After the baptism and confirmation we will have lunch at our house. We will have subs and drinks and dessert. If you can come and would like to bring something, a side dish, salad, or chips etc., would be great. Don't feel like you have to bring something to come. Food is no big deal to Emma! Please let us know if you are planning to come so we know how much food to plan for. Thanks.

Love, Val

Dr. Love in the City of Brotherly Love.

Doctor Love and the rest of us just about melted in Philadelphia. See how far her tongue is out in the picture? Now we're in NYC and having a wonderful, steamy time. We spent the day at the Guggenheim Museum, the Cooper Hewitt Museum (a design museum), and also exploring all the groovy stuff in Greenwich Village, Soho, Tribeca and the Meatpacking district (which is now the epicenter of "hipness" in NYC. We're having a wonderful time, we just wish it wasn't 96 degrees. We're melting. We've dropped Dr. Love off at the Doggy Hotel so that we don't have to worry about her when we go to museums. We all miss her. She's a good traveler.

Thank You to Jake for Being Such a Great Housesitter

I am home after spending 9 fun-filled days in New England. I was quite amazed at how beautiful Rhode Island was. I guess I never thought of it as being anything special, but it's wonderful. You can see the ocean from just about every part of the state, which is why they called it the Ocean State. I also had a great time on Block Island and enjoyed seeing my friends Lenny, Ellen and Massoud again.

I ate lots of seafood and went to some fantastic restaurants, so my blog will be filled with new ideas for the next few weeks.

Thanks so much to Jake for doing such a great job of watching the house. It was so nice to come home to a newly mowed lawn, clean towels and sheets, and a clean house. I recommend Jake as a housesitter to anyone who needs one. He is getting settled in his new apartment, but I'm guessing he will miss the A/C at my house, not to mention the stocked freezer. (I'm planning to make a frozen food delivery to him in the near future.) He still needs furniture (especially a couch and a computer desk) if anyone has any leads on some give-away stuff.

My garden is bursting with stuff if anyone wants veggies or tomatoes. My tomatoes all have the fungus that last year's tomatoes had. Any of you gardeners have an idea of what I am doing wrong? Is it the overhead watering? Luckily they are still producing lots of tomatoes.

It was sure fun to read the blog from afar and hear what people are up to.

Draper Family Vacation

Thought I would post one more picture of the DFV gang. Can you name everyone?

Draper Family Campout at Bear Lake

We had a fun filled, beach volleyball, cabin hangin' out, game playin', cave hiking Draper Family Campout! Here are a few of our fun times....

"I hope they call me on a mission"

The day has finally come! I received my call this morning to the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission. I go to the MTC on November 2. It covers the tip of West Virginia, a little bit of Ohio, a small southwest portion of New York, and the western third of Pennsylvania (including Pittsburgh). I am both scared and excited, but know that I will be fine as long as I put my trust in the Lord.

Andrew Ostler