The big debate.

Mom says the doctor said no chocolate or soda for two weeks.
Dad was sure he said two months.
Neither was right.
Today the doctor said, until the treatment is done..
You will have ask Mom if she has cheated... I'm not saying..


Can't make me tell..

Dad asked the Doc about his cancer also... Apparently the pancreas has a lot to do with how often one passes gas.. When it is block with a cancer mass, one becomes gassy... and we all know Dad reputation on that subject matter.

The Doctor also said that Dad probably wouldn't keel over and die on his trip... The cancer will eventually make him very weak and lose his appetite. So far he has gained a few pounds since his surgery and he is eating!

40 years ago today The teenagers said hello to Mike for the first time! I remember that was the end of my days of the youngest child.
Back in the early 70's birth wasn't the family activity it is today.. (Thank God) I wasn't allowed inside the hospital rooms.
 The first time I saw Mike, Dad held me up to the  outside window of the nursery, so I could peek in and see what all the fuss was about.
That was the old American Fork Hospital... Security wasn't a huge issue back then either.


Where is my brother?





Six am a the house is shaking.. The cat has gone into hiding... The guys over me, don't get off until after three this afternoon. 
The roof, that is.

They were fast and professional, cleaned up their mess.. and couldn't believe that they got a tip....add in many cold bottles of water, and I think the roof has good karma.
They also finish fixing the roof on the Sutter Home.
The Teenagers are thrilled.
Tired but thrilled... as all teenagers do, they like to sleep in.. 5:30am is the middle of the night for them..


But not today!



Attention Udell's

I got lost on this web site.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=93605

Looking back to our polygamist roots and when the spelling of our last name changed. Dad discovered his Dad had a sister he didn't know about.

I hit a big fat dead end (No pun intended)  on the Rhone side of the family.
I guess those Mormons really do love their Genealogy.

Cinnamon rolls for dinner!

Who wants to cook something real for dinner, when Mom made cinnamon rolls... Add a nice fresh cup of coffee and life is good.!


That was after a day of shopping.
Las Vegas Outlet mall south of the strip...The shopping is okay, but it is fun to pick out the tourists.

Those folks from up north have the whitest legs ever!

Today was also Sarahs Birthday..  I know for a fact that The Teenagers kinda like her.

Movie Night

Nobody has been killed yet.. The cat hasn't been kicked.... Yet Mom has been Diet Coke and Chocolate free for days now!
It was sad to hear her cry for a Brownie and and a Coke... we just distracted her with the bling of the Casino.


Who knew???? Brownie mix and Soda?? Brilliant!!!

Then we watch a movie "The Girl Who Played With Fire" (Thanks Topher for Netfix) It had Murder, Plot twists.. naughty words and some sex scenes...... It is a Swedish flick so we had to read the subtitles and really pay attention ............ Keeping her mind too busy to dream of goodies



Dad likes foreign films......  Do you remember this one Pops?



The French Movie that didn't need subtitles.



Allo? Allo?  Seriously that was about all that was said the whole movie...( I will spare you all the clip of full frontal male nudity.)

 
 Good job Mom! keep up the good work...
If some mean doctor took away my coffee, i wouldn't be so nice.

Vegas is calling

Many things can be said about Las Vegas. Good and bad. Sure the unemployment is the highest in the nation. So is the foreclosures and the school drop out rates..
But the weather is nice.
You can get drunk, and have Elvis marry you and a perfect stranger!


But you Gays stay away.. That would corrupt the sanctity of marriage.. (oops that is a different rant.)

 There is lots to do, and people visit this city. Conventions, The Strip, hooking up with your favorite legal prostitute.
 Our family had a huge Vegas reunion in 2009, before we even thought of moving here.



From that weekend, the famous picture of Topher taking a picture of me, taking a picture of Sarah, of Mike taking a picture of me taking a picture of Sarah taking a picture of me.



The point being, it's nice living where folks come.. This morning Uncle Kent was in town and came to visit. It was nice to see him again. He and Dad got to talk politics and other smart stuff.

Another nice thing about Vegas, it's cheap. So cheap that the Teenagers bought two houses. With two comes twice the problems though. The roofs are in sad shape.
Today they receive a estimate to redo one and repair the other.
Thousands of out of work construction guys, equals a great price on labor.


Now we can get rid of that pesky ceiling cat.



No chocolate for you!

Whenever offering Mom refreshment, it's a safe bet to have Diet Coke and/or chocolate.
So it is a sad day for her.. The doctor said.. "No Soda or chocolate for you."
A infection in the stomach lining, not only causes sporadic pain, but the loss of her favorite snacks and beverage.



I had to hide the Bong!


I guess the real question is.... Who will suffer more from the withdrawal? Mom or Dad??

Dad earns a kiss

As every sophisticated traveller knows.. when one is going to Europe, new clothes are in order.
So Mom and I were going to go to the mall.


But the Infiniti was dead, again... (I think it's days in this house are numbered.)
So we took the keys to Dads truck and left him with his head under the car hood.
When we got back he announced the battery dead, the original battery, mind you.
$85.00, a dropped wrench and a few choice words later and the car is happy again!
It earned him a kiss from Mom..


Then later this afternoon he got lucky..........................at the casino.!

Lazy Sunday

The weather has turned to shit! From nice sunny days to windy cloudy pollen laced crap!
Dad has been following BYU in the college basketball thing.


He has also been on a little winning streak at the slot machines. The casinos in the area, are shouting "We Love Locals."  A couple times a week they offer free play, along with cheap buffets.


Come on.. Big Money!

Dad cracks me up, he takes his money and runs.. No need to give it back to the casino, or just the same, to Mom. It's a good way to play, when he goes the next time he is playing with won money!


My luck has gone away, glad that it went Dads way!

Super Moon!

It's a bit too cloudy and cold out to enjoy, but as the clouds pass it by, the super moon is something to see!

The teenagers almost every month take notice of the beauty of the full moon... Romantic fools!

I blame Bella's crazy mood on the moon. The cat has been a little loony the last couple of days.

Has nothing to do with me teasing her!

Today is also Rhone's Birthday.. Hard to think of Mom only being 19 when she had him. Dad only 23.
Look at them today!

Which way do we go?

Give me a map, and I get a vague idea of where I am going. Usually not. I have no sense of direction. I got that from Mom.

I do better with road signs, and I still manage to get lost. A lot.
Thank God for map quest and GPS. (aka Hazel)

Named after this awesome chick!

Dad on the other hand is a whiz at maps. He has been studying maps of Barcelona and Madrid.

 He actually likes looking at those silly lines and landmarks.





Maps may as well look like this..

Topher shares his sense of direction with Mom and me. Dad, Mike and Josh...... finding everything is up to you guys!

Happy St Patricks Day

An aging man lived alone in Ireland. His only son was in Long Kesh Prison, and he didn't know anyone who would spade up his potato garden. The old man wrote to his son about it.
The son soon mailed his reply, "For HEAVENS SAKE, Pa, don't dig up that garden, that's where I buried the guns!"

At 4 A.M. the next morning, a dozen British soldiers showed up and dug up the entire garden, but didn't find any guns. Confused, the man wrote to his son telling him what happened and asking him what to do next.

His son's reply was: "Just plant your potatoes, Dad, it was the best I could do from here."

Admit it, you thought about it.

Go ahead, admit it. Knowing that Dad is taking a trip overseas, and that the stupid cancer can take him whenever it wants.... You are asking yourself, what will they do if he dies in Spain?
Dreary thought for sure. 





If his time comes while travelling, they decided that they will just have him cremated there, rather than here. See how practical those teenagers can be?
I am just happy that they are living life, doing what they want. Dealing with pesky reality, but not letting it stop them!

If you have some time, here is a list of 6 cool things you can do with your dead body... people are strange and it amuses me..

http://www.cracked.com/article_16858_the-6-coolest-things-you-can-do-with-your-dead-body.html

Don't let the cat starve!

Never, ever let Bella run out of food. That is my creed.


I will hurt you!

 That is how we got Dad into Target, told him that Bella was dangerously low of food. Fear of the feline wrath propelled him in.

Then it was off to the library! A lot of travel books! Spain and more Spain.



Just for those who haven't been to a Vegas library... sections are marked in neon... It's fun!

Then The Teenagers went to get some Euros.

I told them there was a easier way.