How to stay young!!

Ok, so I can't stand the ticks anymore! They are sincerely creeping me out!! I have been waiting for Emily to e-mail me some pictures from last weekend, but she hasn't been feeling well and so hasn't had a chance to do it yet, so I decided to post a list that I have had around here for awhile. I really love this list. I hope that you will too!

I put in this picture of Hannah and Hilary because they are young and beautiful.

Enjoy!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Try everything twice.
On one woman's tombstone she said she wanted this epitaph:
Tried everything twice...loved it both times!

2. Keep only cheerful friends.The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning:
Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever.
Never let the brain get idle.
'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.'
And the devil's name is Alzheimer's!

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud.
Laugh until you gasp for breath.
And if you have a friend who makes you laugh,
spend lots and lots of time with HIM/HER.

6. The tears happen:
Endure, grieve, and move on.
The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves.
LIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love:
Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.
Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health:
If it is good, preserve it.
If it is unstable, improve it.
If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips.
Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county,
to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

11. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second chance.

Remember! Lost time can never be found.Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Tell me again........Why did we move here??

We were happy in our Alaska home without many spiders, snakes and apparently, ticks. I should have gotten a clue when Fitzwilliam's vet urged me to buy flea and tick medicine before we left Alaska and counseled me to start it immediately. We followed his advice and we did not encounter a single tick last summer. No so this year.

A couple of months ago, we discovered a huge tick on Fitz a couple of weeks after we took him for a romp in the wilds. Scott and I were on bikes. We couldn't figure out where he got a tick until a week or so later when Scott took him back to Burbank for a hike. On the drive home, Scott felt something on his neck and discovered several ticks on him and a day or two later he and I pulled out at least 40 ticks from Fitz.

Wednesday night Scott invited me to accompany him on a ride to get a orienteering course set up for the Teachers group. Alas, I found that we were headed to Burbank! EEEKKK!

We did pretty good until I crashed my bike into some brush and after that I discovered about a half a dozen of the creatures trying to make their way up my leg on the inside of my pant leg! Yes, I freaked!! I practically stripped on the road trying to make sure I got them all off of me!!

So, I have been happy here in our Washington home, but now, with the addition of these creepy creatures, I am having second thoughts. Who's idea was it to move here anyway???

Ok. I know that I have a fro................and big glasses............................and....... Let's not dwell on that! I really wanted to add this picture to the one I put together of Ben, but it was too big and I would have to cover up the rest of the kids. It was just too precious to do that! This picture was taken in 1988 on my birthday. Scott was supposed to be there with us, but he had to work late or something so we went ahead and got it taken without him. Aren't these the cutest kids you have seen in a long time??

Birthday Benny!! or Better Late Than Never

Happy, Happy Birthday Benny, Dear! Happy days will come to you all year!
If I had one wish, then it would be................................
A Happy, Happy birthday to you, from me!!


Benjamin Grant Ekstrom was born on a beautiful spring day in Pocatello Idaho on April 14th in the year 1985. At least I think it was a beautiful day. I had been in labor for over 48 hours and was extremely anxious for him to make his debut! The labor had been hard and we had been counting the contractions for 2 days! We went to the hospital and the nursing staff decided that I wasn't quite ready so they sent us home. I asked how we would know when to come back as the contractions were already less than 5 minutes apart. The reply was, when you can't stand the pain anymore. Ouch!! We dutifully left and after just a few hours of suffering, Scott called good 'ole Dr. Lackey and explained the situation to him. He was appalled. He advised us to go to the hospital and to tell those nurses that under NO circumstances were they to send me home again. He met us there shortly after and after breaking the water and a few more hours of labor, Benjamin came into the world. Screaming his head off, says Scott.

I had had my little heart set on my baby being a little girl. She was going to be named Melissa. When I finally pushed the baby out and Dr. Lackey informed me that it was a boy, I was momentarily disappointed. "Are you sure?" I squeaked. Holding the little thing up for my inspection (little good it did, as they had taken off my glasses and all I saw was a pink blur), Dr. Lackey replied in the affirmative. Goodbye Melissa, hello Ben!

Ben was a beautiful baby with a patient, affectionate personality. He was immediately loved by everyone. He was cuddled and snuggled everywhere we went. As he grew, it was evident that he had a quick mind and a great curiosity. He started walking before 10 months and He began to talk in complete sentences before he was 18 months. (I like to tell him that he started talking at 18 months and has never stopped since!) He potty trained himself before he was 2. (He wanted to be like his brothers.) He has always learned things quickly and can remember everything! (He still tortures me with the time I forgot to pick him up from school. I don't remember ever forgetting him, but he could probably tell us what grade he was in and what month!!)

Ben is an amazing person. It has been fun to watch him grow up. His inquisitive mind kept us all busy and his endless string of questions threatened our sanity from time to time, but we survived. (Thank goodness for The World Book encyclopedia!) He was always ahead of his class in school and in high school he proudly announced that he was a nerd and was a member and later the president of the "Nerds of the North" science club. He can still be seen wearing the T-shirt from time to time.

Benny is such an important part of our family. As I have been looking through pictures for the collage, my heart is full of memories of him and his charming ways; his hugs and his ideas and his happy personality!

How I love my Benny!!

Ben's Big Day!

April 24th was a big day for Ben. He graduated from BYU!! Our first college graduate! We are all very proud of him and were so thrilled to be at the graduation ceremony!

Ben graduated with a Bachelors degree in NeuroScience. He is now planning to continue his education at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He is scheduled to start in the fall.

The picture above is of the handsome graduate, with little brother, Luke and Ian Frasure, a childhood friend, (and Hilary's boyfriend.)

Here is the happy couple! Ben was pretty frazzled on graduation day, but Sarah was on top of things and kept him calm.


Ben and the parents! This is kind of a goofy picture. I look like a hippie and Scott looks like a tourist! Boy are we proud of our Bennie!


Grandma and Grandpa Ekstrom traveled down to Provo to be with Ben on his special day!


Here's the fam! We are just missing Aaron and Hannah. Aren't we all just adorable??

I just had to throw in this one of Em and I. When did she get so tall and grown up?

Friends and Family night

Last night was the Rolling Hills Chorus Friends and Family night. It was our "dress rehearsal" for the competition next weekend. What a great night! It was really a lot of fun and we didn't sing half bad either.

This is a picture Scott took of me before I left home. Here I am with my sassy hair and makeup! Don't you love the red lips??? You can't really tell, but I had on some honkin eyelashes! Scott thinks this is a pretty good picture, but I think that I need to go get a job as a waitress in a truck stop. With those lips and the eyebrows! What else is there in store for me??

Here we are singing our balad, "Kiss Me One more time." Can't you just see us emoting all over the place??

This is the stomp of our up-tune, "Oh, You Beautiful Doll." This is what they call "undulating sexily." Well, it is supposed to be anyway. When Smokie came to visit, she came to chorus and watched us practice and she said that I look like I was stalking someone. I don't really undulate well.

Here I am giving it my all!

This is my "Give me the medal" pose. Go ahead, judges! Just put the medal right there!!

There is something so wonderful about using and developing our talents. I let my singing talent get so rusty, but it feels so good to be singing again! I have learned so much in the last 2 1/2 year since I joined Sweet Adelines! It is hard and I have so far to go, but I know that if I work hard that much of it will come back. I even find myself using the skills so carefully honed at chorus each week when I am singing in church. I definately notice when I don't turn a dipthong or when I don't build at the end of a phrase, I actually notice if I use the wrong vowel. I even catch myself emoting during choir and have to remind myself not to sway or restate.

Well, it's off to Spokane in less than a week! (I'm so excited to reconnect with my old chorus, Alaska Sound Celebration! They will be competing as well!)

Watch out, here we come!!

Happy Family Visit

Me and my beautiful baby sister!! (Kyle insisted in sneaking in there too! He's pretty cute too!!)

Last week was Spring Break for kids in the Pocatello school district so Smokie packed up her kids and made the trip to Aunt Cheryl's house!! What an awesome week we spent together!! It was SO much fun to have them here with us!



It was a pretty low key week with lots of hanging out and shopping and playing in parks. We even took Fitz for a walk or two, or should I say, he took us for a walk or two! We walked the Temple grounds and checked out all the spring growth!



We LOVED having them here with us. Our house is just too quiet with just Scott, Luke and I! Mallory and Kyle were so cute with Fitz! They cracked him into shape and he would even respond to commands from 3 year old Mallory. (Of course, she had a treat in her hand!!)


Smokie, Katie and Kyle. Mallory refused to pose for this picture!




Mallory LOVED the stair lights. They were the "cool" lights! She is lying on the stair in the cool light!


The whole gang. (Isn't Smokie just the cutest little expectant mother???)