Witchapalooza Fun

Each year we plan a girls night out at Gardner Village during October.  The whole place is decorated with a fun whimsical witch theme.   We spend the day playing, window shopping, and enjoying the fun activities happening all over the park.  Our favorite part is the dinner theater.  This years production was a witch themed musical/comedy spoof of 'you've got mail.'  We had such a fun night laughing and enjoying ourselves.  You can learn more at http://www.gardnervillage.com.

I can't believe it has been six years already

Six years ago today I married my best friend.  That day was the first of many many happy days together.  Here's to a couple million more!
I Love You Nathan

Where in the world

Many of you know that I work at a hospital, specifically I work on a trauma unit which means that we treat many people who have accidents or get hurt that you may read about in the news. Trauma is defined as: 'any serious injury to the body, often resulting from violence or an accident.'  Many of our patients have had very interesting stories of how they got hurt and ended up staying on our unit for a time.  

Some examples would include: bull riding, having their snowmobile run over them while working on it in their garage, getting bit by a lion, gored by a wildebeest, getting trampled by a cow during a cattle drive, "walking along minding their own business and three guys jumping out and stabbing them for no reason at all," and the random gun shot wound which seems to be the special right now because we have five of those this week.  Not to mention the run of the mill things like: car accidents, motorcycle accidents, falling off cliffs while hiking, skiing, snowboarding, and the senior citizens who trip and fall.

Because the hospital is located in the Salt Lake valley close to many ski resorts, crossroads of two major interstate highways, and just a pretty cool place to visit; we tend to treat many unfortunate people who get injured while on vacation.
In the fall of 2012 I came up with an idea that we should get a map to keep track of all the places that our patients come from.  My manager gave it her approval and we were able to purchase a large world map and pins to represent our patients.
About nine months later we purchased an additional United States map because we had so many patients from around the US that we were running out of space.

I did set up a few ground rules about pinning the map.   Any of our staff members are welcome to add a pin to the map if one of their patients is from out of state or country.  (We stopped pinning most of Utah early on because that is where the majority of our patients come from.)                                  A pin can be added if:  1. A patients home address is located outside of Utah. Or  2. They moved to the US less than five years ago, then we pin their location of origin.  

Over the last almost two years we have pinned over 200 different locations and the maps have become a great visual reminder of the care and commitment we strive to give everyone in need.  We truly are giving world class care.

Random pictures from the last few weeks



Nathan's sister Jennifer's new piglet



Nathan doing what he loves.  Playing in the dirt and getting paid for it



I'm working on another baby blanket for a friend



Nathan's fish from the last time we went out to Strawberry.

The chipmuncks were so funny they kept trying to get
to our licorice so we shared a few little peices.





Out-fishing all the boys

A week and a half ago Nathan and I took his father Dave and our nephew W out fishing with us.  We took them to the exact same spot that we had so much luck at last time we were out.  They had seen our pictures and heard our stories and they were excited to have the same adventures as we had the last time we came out here.

We got up very early in the morning and made the two and a half hour drive to the reservoir.  We arrived a little later than we had hoped but quickly set up and got our poles baited and into the water. 

W and David talking about all the fish they will catch

Within 15 minute of arriving I caught my first fish!

We put it on the chain to wait for the others that

would also be joining us for dinner,

While Nathan was helping W get his pole all rigged

up Nathan's pole started to bob.  I alerted them to 

the fish on the line and Nathan sent W over to 

reel it in.  It looks like a big one...

Unfortunately the fish (yes there had been one) used

the weeds to work itself free of the hook and all

W was able to bring in was a great big bunch of 

lake weed.

W has become quite the fisherman over the last 

two years.  All he asks for for his birthdays and 

Christmas is more fishing gear, and he is always up 

for a fishing trip.

Uncle Nate instructing W on the proper way to fish.

"You must do this with your lips.  That way the 

fish cannot see your mouth and they think that 

you will not eat them."  

I was a second to slow with my camera to catch 

these two hugging (if you ask them they were wrestling).

No; we did not put the sticker on him.  He did it himself and
then slept all the way home.  Fishing is hard work.

After a long morning fishing we returned home with my fish as the only one we caught.  That's right, the lone female in the group was the only one to catch a fish.  We ended up releasing it off the chain and letting it swim back to be caught again another day.  

We have decided that next time we go back to the reservoir we will do so for evening fishing.  We find it much more successful then morning fishing. (Plus we can sleep in.)

Goodbye Grandma Richards

On July 23, 2014 Nathan's last remaining grandparent, his Grandma Richards passed away while staying at Nathan's parents home.  We were blessed to be able to visit with her and spend many hours talking with her during the preceding months while she lived at his parents home.

Merle Wilkins Richards, 86, of Hunter, Utah passed away on July 23, 2014 at the home of her daughter, Carol Perry, in Lake Point, Utah At the time of her passing and for several days previous, she was surrounded by her family and had enjoyed wonderful experiences visiting with them and feeling their love for her.

Merle was born December 12, 1927 to Rodney and Elsie Fern Wilkins in Hunter, Utah. She married Warren B. Richards on December 22, 1950 in the St. George, Utah Temple. They were blessed with eight children: Brent Richards, David (Stephanie)Richards, Marianne (Richard) Reading, Janice (Raymond) Poole, Carol (David) Perry, Karen (Steven) Morrey, John (Maria Elena) Richards, William Bradford (Suzette) Richards. She is blessed with 30 grandchildren and 38 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Warren, in 2002.

Merle was fun-loving and adventurous which lead to many fun moves around the country-Wyoming, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and back to Utah. She was a nurse and loved working with the new-born babies in the local hospital for 10 years in Texas. She was the number one “card shark” with her grandchildren and could always be counted on for help, a smile, and a hug. She loved to read and enjoyed greatly listening to music. She was an active participant in life and she tried to be self-reliant in all she did. She was loved by all who knew her and will be greatly missed.

Nathan's mother Carol (front row, second from the left)

with her seven siblings.

At the graveside one of the daughters-in-law who works

for an animal rescue center brought a hawk to release 

back into the wild.  Nathan's mother was able to set

it free.

The hawk sat in the tree for a few minutes and then took off

One blessing that resulted because of Grandma's passing is that Nathan got to spend several days spending time with his Mother. Even though we live only 15 miles away from each other both Nathan and his mother work for the same company but on completely different schedules.  When one is working the other has their days off.  While one is on night-shift the other is scheduled day-shift.  Often if we want to have a family get-together with everyone present Carol ends up taking a day off so that they can both be their.  

When Nathan went in to work on July 24th, the morning after his grandmother passed away and informed them that he would need Monday off to attend the funeral they told him to go home for the rest of the week.  Because of this he was able to spend many hours visiting with his mom and the rest of the family.

Feeding the horses with Uncle Nate

Last week we took some carrots and watermelon rinds over to feed the horses.  Many of our nieces and nephews were there with us and had a fun time helping us share with Buck and Budger. 

T was fearless.  I was a little worried that Budger would get greedy and try for a few fingers as well.  Luckily he didn't

Buck is being so friendly and entergetic since we have put
some new fancy shoes on him.  They seem to be reliving
a lot of the pain he has had with his leg the last two years

P who is usually pretty timid around the horses even joined in.  Very much surprising Grandpa.

T sharing with Buck and Budger trying to try to get the
 carrot for himself.

T and J had a great time helping Nate fill up the trough.  They also helped give Buck a much loved shower.  Unfortunately, as is common with little boys, they also spent much of the time trying to get everyone else wet as well.








Next the boys pitched in to help with the hay.

T and J were right in the middle of all the action.

Very hands-on helpers.  They didn't even notice that most of they hay just blew back into their faces when they tried to toss it over the fence.

J was very excited that he found a horse shoe.  He
couldn't wait to take it inside to show everyone.

After J ran inside Nate got a small can of oats for Buck and Budger.  Uncle Nate tried very hard to convince T that they were good and that he should eat some himself.  But T was not convinced and let the horses have them all.

Uncle Nate again helping T toss a handful of hay into
Budger.  Notice that he is shielding his face for when the
hay will inevitably blow back at him.