February 23, 2009 by Ashley.

When I was really little I remember watching an episode of the X Files that completely freaked me out. I didn’t remember all the details, but I must have been pretty scared to be able to remember specific facts from the episode for years and years. So l’ve been watching reruns of the X Files and I came across the one from my childhood! And…it wasn’t that scary. I guess it’s sad how, first of all, we get so desensitized. If that episode showed on today’s TV, I don’t think it’d have the same “scary” impact on the current generation. And also, it made me realize how careful I need to be with what Lydia sees. There can be life long scarring from “second-hand TV watching.”

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January 22, 2009 by Ashley.

So some of you may be familiar with a dog we used to have: the dog formally known as Bailey. We have since given him away to a man who adores him where Bailey can run free on the beach and he also now goes by the name George.

Mallory and Marlene were closer to Bailey than I was, but I still can look back fondly on him. Unfortunately, Bailey started going kinda crazy and with all his energy, Mom just couldn’t handle him when dad was sick and thus he went on to become George.

Anyways, I believe that he first started going crazy when my oh so clever grandpa decided to mess with Bailey. My grandpa would take a plastic grocery bag and shake it at Bailey, which would then cause him to bark and bark and run around and get all scared. It got to the point where all grandpa had to do was show up at our door and Bailey would freak out.

Well, lately I’ve thought of Bailey because I think Lydia has a little bit of Bailey in her. Every single time I’m in the kitchen changing out the garbage bag, or putting groceries away and collecting all the plastic bags together, I suddenly hear crying or upsetting yells from the livingroom or wherever Lydia is. Pat and I then have to go over to her and reassure her everything is ok or pick her up and comfort her. Here’s to you Bailey… we still remember you!

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May 4, 2008 by Marlene.

Something I have realized while living in the BYU-Provo bubble is that I have become so much more sensitive to so many things than I used to be. For example in high school I heard so much foul language that it didn’t even phase me when someone spouted an angry stream of four letter words. Now even if I hear a “baby” swear it makes me cringe inside, even in the media. I can’t listen to vulgar music anymore and a lot of TV shows just plain bother me. It also helps that I watched barely any TV while in the dorms seeing as I didn’t have a TV and the only shows I watched were online.
Unfortunately the TV has been on most of today with a complex-mate watching with my apartment-mate. It’s not a big deal it’s just not what I’m used to and I don’t really want to be. It will be interesting to go home and see all the immodesty. I might just go blind or something…or just get desensitized to that again. I can’t exactly tell strangers what to wear, at least not without a serious whuppin.
I love being in this kind of environment. It’s so much easier to just be yourself and be comfortable with the people around you. I have grown in my unconventional ways and I can actually approach guys without fearing their intentions. BUT I am not entirely naive so don’t worry, it’s just nice to know that they have similar goals to mine. It makes it easier to make friends as well. There’s a greater supply of good people trying to do the right thing. Granted there are still people you want to be careful about but they’re less common, at least in BYU.
I think it’s time for me to stop rambling now.
End.

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October 21, 2007 by Marlene.

When my mom saw my video blog she told me of her concern that you (our readers) would think that I’m a horribly depressed person.
This is not the case.
I’m doing just fine and of course I have my moments, and usually it is just moments, of difficulty then I come back to reality and keep going. I am happy and doing well, even if life can be slightly dull at times.
Although life has been slightly exciting lately. I’m starting a new job tomorrow because the season of my last job(working at a small farm) is over. I’ll finally be getting some money to put away and to use towards my photo business. Things are really coming along in my photo website and soon you’ll all be able to order my stuff. I promise it’s good, I’ve been working really hard on it. I’m really excited to be putting my talent to work and essentially to the test. I certainly hope I can get this off the ground and put as much as I can towards PanCan. I will be putting 90%-100%(I haven’t decided if I want that last 10% for development) towards my half marathon fund which will be much more difficult to fill this year than last year.

Please spread the word, to strangers to friends to family, whoever! If nothing else, it will raise awareness of Pancreatic Cancer.

If you can’t memorize the link then just go to pancan.com, scroll down to “Join the PanCAN Marathon Team in Miami!” and click on “click here for details” and if my name isn’t still on the top 5 then hit “sponsor participant” and search for my name.
It’s really not hard. Plus my friend Cody Lord will be running and raising money with me so together we’ll need $6,000.
Thank you to all those who have donated. Sorry I can’t send thank you’s to anonymous donaters but I appreciate it more than you can know.

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October 20, 2007 by Marlene.

I didn’t feel like typing so I took a video blog. I know the first image looks ridiculous so shush. It just came out that way.

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October 6, 2007 by Mallory.

So it seems like lately, “fight for the cure” is EVERYWHERE. Breast cancer campaigns and money raising stuff are everywhere you turn. On the radio, in the grocery store, EVERYWHERE. It’s getting crazy. Whenever I see that, I just think, what about all the others? I looked up some statistics about cancer, and I saw that, yes, it is true that there are over 200,000 new cases of breast cancer each year, but only 40,000 of them actually die (which is a lot, but percentage wise, it’s not as much). With pancreatic cancer, there are only about 30.400 new cases in 2002, but out of those, 29,700 died. Now in that percentage, that is pretty sad. Less than 1000 people survived. It just seems to me that if there are some other cancers out there with so many more percentage of death, wouldn’t they be trying just as hard to try and find a cure for those? I don’t know. It’s just something that I’ve been thinking about lately.

Oh! I finally got a ticket! I finally got through without the price changing on me! It was still $2200 later, but oh well. It’ll be worth it.

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September 26, 2007 by Melanee.

I enjoyed myself at Kevin’s 50th birthday party. Family and friends gathered. We talked and ate. We even sang Happy Birthday and ate carrot cake, Kev’s favorite. Thanks so much everyone for coming and celebrating. One friend said we really need to have a water fight to make it just what Kev would want. I somehow was able to survive all of the water fights in the past that Kev would participate in, except at Girl’s Camp. Kev would have started a water fight right after the suggestion. He would have so much fun. Oh well…maybe someday.

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September 19, 2007 by Melanee.

Kev would have turned 50 today. We also will celebrate Anya’s third birthday tomorrow.
I am looking forward to his birthday celebration on Saturday, September 22nd. Remember that everyone is invited. Please scroll down to the “You’re Invited” entry to get the details.

Memories of his birthday are of:
Asking him what he wanted for his birthday. His answer would be nothing we can afford. Pants, shirts, ties, or sweaters were always the norm for his gift. I tried to make his favorite meal of chicken and dumplings one time. He confessed that it did not taste like his grandmother’s special dish. I tried.
His 40th was celebrated at a youth function we did at our church. It was a movie and pizza night. Our church had a full kitchen with pizza oven before it was renovated. We had about 100 youth there making pizza and watching The Three Stooges, and Laural and Hardy movies. I brought out the cake and we all sang Happy Birthday to him.

I know what he would have be done on his birthday today. Paddling down a river with his buddy, Scott, and maybe a few more friends because it is such a spectacular day today.
Happy Birthday Kev!

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August 31, 2007 by Marlene.

Well Mallory and Mom have been good about posting so I guess I should join the party too.
It’s been rather strange for me lately. All my friends are leaving for college(I’ll be going to school in January) and so I’m just holding down the proverbial Connecticut fort. I’ve always had this Peter Pan complex of me just not wanting to grow up, and now I actually have to. I guess it’s just that whole responsibility thing that gets me. Maybe it’s just that I want to go back in time to before Dad was sick, or because all that moving on time was spent focusing on the ‘now’ and measuring the future in weeks and months instead of years. This could be why i seem to be making so many young friends (most are around 16 yrs. old). I feel like I really do help them and that makes me feel a bit more grown up. I’m still in this kind of limbo of transition between being young and enjoying my days and growing up and gearing up for the future. I’ll do it, it’s all just a matter of time.
Time heals everything right?

~Marlene

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August 26, 2007 by Melanee.

Our anniversary is coming up this Tuesday. With a little apprehension I will try to face this day with good memories. We always did something special on our anniversary. That is why I am so glad that the staff where I work helped Kev and I have such a special one last year. The trip we made to New York City along with the most wonderful meal at Tavern of the Green in Central Park, which we did on our honeymoon 27 years ago. Then we took a carriage ride around Central Park. The scenery was beautiful. I will never forget it. Then the limo driver took us around the city. He also stopped and got us a dozen of the best bagels ever. I know there were many people who contributed to our special day. Thank you so much for making our anniversary so wonderful and giving me a very special memory.

The day was so magical 27 years ago. That morning when Kev met us at the hotel in Washington DC the fog was resting on the field in the back of the hotel. There were horses there grazing and the sun was rising. You can imagine the scene I am describing-beautiful.
I was excited to go to the Washington DC Temple and so excited to get dressed in my wedding dress and see him. I think we held hands constantly as we were being led to the sealing room.
The room was filled with friends and family. As we knelt at the alter my heart swelled with emotion as I knew I would be sealed to Kev for eternity. I was so happy. I am still happy now knowing that we are still married and my heart swells with emotion knowing I will be with him again someday, working our magic together again, because of the covenants we made in the temple.

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