A few more.....

The last post was about the shower, but while in SoDak I was able to watch Dons younger brother Brent march in the Mitchell parade. He plays the drums and he did such a good job, taking second place overall I believe. Carla and I chased the band down the street of the parade to get some pictures, Brent wouldn't even crack a smile at me! He did really well, and I Enjoyed being able to go watch.

Katie and Ron smiling for the camera!

Four generations picture, Evan, Katie, Carla and grandma and grandpa Schatz.

Brent marching in the parade....what a handsome guy he is ; )

Doing such a good job while marching, I know that my brain couldn't march and play all those drums!

Baby Shower Time!

On October 1st I was able to make it back to South Dakota for Katie and Evans shower. It was a long drive from Kentucky by myself, but it was so worth it! We had the shower on Oct 3rd and had a great turnout with the Stahl family! We played games, had gifts, ate dinner, and Evan and Katie had many hugs and kisses from all!
Great grandma and grandpa Schatz arrived on Sunday to meet their great grandson--four generations, how amazing! Grandpa Ron and the great grandparents found it amazing how much little ones need these days to just get along!!! I had a wonderful time with all and enjoyed spending this time with the Stahls!

Grandma Carla at the shower
Katie and Bev working on the gifts.

Aunt Janet, Jodi, and Syd giving loving to Evan. Sydney was in love with the baby!

Katie opening gifts at the shower.

Great Grandma Stahl with Evan!

WHATS WRONG WITH THE TRUCK?!?!?!?!?

HIT THE ROAD JACK! TIME TO GO AGAIN, WE ARE OFF TO KENTUCKY ON SEPT24TH, WHEN AFTER BEING ON THE ROAD FOR 1 HOUR, I ASK DON "WHATS WRONG WITH THE TRUCK"-NOTHING HE SAYS, ITS JUST THE ROAD. I ASKED HIM TO PULL OVER AND WE FOUND THAT ONE OF THE BACK TIRES HAD A BIG BUBBLE IN IT. WE WERE ABLE TO FIND A SMALL TIRE SHOP, THAT HAD FOUR TIRES IN THE SIZE WE NEEDED BUT THEY WERE SOLD!!!!!!! THE YOUNG MAN SOLD THEM TO US AND SAID THAT THE MAN WOULD UNDERSTAND......WHEN WE TRIED TO TAKE THE TRAILER OFF THE TRUCK WE NOTICED THAT THE WHEELS ON THE TRAILER WEREN'T MOVING RIGHT, THE BRAKES WERE BROKE!!! THESE ARE SOME PICTURES OF MY STRONG HUSBAND FIXING THE TRAILER WHILE THE TIRES WERE BEING CHANGED.....GREAT START TO OUR KENTUCKY TRIP, I HAVE NEVER SEEN DON HIT SO MANY THINGS WITH HIS TOOLS : )
WE LAUGH HOW WE HAVE CHANGED ROLLS IN THIS ADVENTURE, WHERE I USE TO BE THE ONE TO GET SO UPSET WHEN THINGS HAPPEN AND HE WAS SO CALM, AND WHEN THIS ALL HAPPENED IT WAS THE OPPOSITE!
ANYWAY DON FIXED THE TRAILER AND THE NEXT MORNING WE ROTATED ALL THE TIRES TOGETHER BECAUSE THE TRUCK WASN'T PULLING RIGHT....ONLY FOR HIM!

DONNIE WORKING ON THE TRAILER.

THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER, NOT AS BAD AS HE THOUGHT.......

I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THEM WHERE HE IS NOT HAPPY YET ; (

SURPRISE STAHL FAMILY!

On Sept 18th we packed up Big Blue and the trailer to leave Utah and head to Kentucky. We thought we would be clever and "surprise" our Stahl family in SoDak due to everyone being home for a cousins wedding. We arrived in Bridgewater on Saturday around 7pm. We decided to hide the truck and trailer and really surprise everyone. Around 10:30 we both figured out that no one would be coming home that night, and they would be home in the morning--a phone call to Dons mother from her own home line was enough surprise for me!

We saw our family on Sunday and we were introduced to the new member of the family Mr. Evan Lee Stahl (what a cutie!) The proud mother, Katie, has taken to being a mother and it was such a blessing to be with her and him. We spent the next few days holding Mr. Evan and relaxing. We didn't get to surprise them like we wanted to, but the trip was wonderful!


He likes his little hands!

Here are the proud grandma and grandpa and Mr. Evan.

Donnie and his little brother Brent---they look so much alike!

I loved this picture--Katie and Evan having "tummy time" together--Precious!

Katie's Precious Miracle....we are blessed with this little man in our lives.

One year ago......

One year ago I married my best firend,and I have had the BEST year of my life with him. God has given me a wonderful life in his arms and I am so thankful for my husband. I look back over the last year and think about how much we have grown in ourselves and in our relationship. I look forward to many more years with this wonderful man.........

This was read at our wedding and I love to look back at it.....we have gone through a few of these in this last year.....

“These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever. These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and as in today, tears of joy. These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children, the hands that will help you to hold your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.”

One year celebration!

Don and I celebrated our one year anniversary on September 6th. What a year it has been!!!! We headed into Midway Utah looking forward to a Swiss Festival but it had ended already, so we decided to take in the Sheepdog Herding Competition--we both enjoyed it very much and decided that neither one of us would be very good at it. I decided that the breeze was nice and didn't realize how much sun I was getting in the afternoon--hence the nice suntan. We stayed at the Johnson Mill Bed and Breakfast and we slept with all the windows open and we slept like babies. We enjoyed a nice dinner in Park City at Gappa--the best dinner either of us have ever had. We had a wonderful day and night and loved that we were able to spend our first anniversary together--happy and healthy.

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!

FOR MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND DON RECEIVED A FOUR DAY WEEKEND AND WE DECIDED THAT SOME CAMPING AND HIKING WAS A MUST BEFORE WE LEAVE UTAH. WE HEADED TO SCOFIELD STATE PARK (REALLY SCOFIELD STATE LAKE) ON FRIDAY AND SET UP OUR TENT AND CAMPED. I AM NOT MUCH OF A BEAR PERSON AND ONE OF THE SIGNS THAT WE SAW WAS "BEARS VISIT HERE FREQUENTLY!" YIKES! I SLEPT FOR FOUR HOURS AND I WAS WIDE AWAKE AT FOUR A.M--"DON DO YOU HEAR THAT" "ITS A SQUIRREL GO BACK TO SLEEP" THIS WENT ON FOR ABOUT THREE HOURS UNTIL I SAW THE SUN AND FELL ASLEEP ONLY TO WAKE UP TO A SQUIRREL IN OUR TENT--THAT WILL TEACH DON!
OUR SISTER HEIDI MEET US ON SATURDAY FOR A RAINY DAY HIKE AND THEN COLD AFTERNOON, IN WHICH WE ALL DECIDED THAT SLEEPING INSIDE AND GETTING OUT OF THE COLD WOULD BE NICE, ONLY TO HAVE THE SUN COME OUT AND THE WIND STOP THE MINUTE WE STARTED PACKING......WE HAD A GREAT NIGHT AT HEIDIS NEW HOME IN SALT LAKE AND A NICE DINNER WITH HER. IT WAS GREAT TO CATCH UP AND SEE A FAMILY FRIEND.

GRILL MASTER COOKING!

ALL THIS STUFF FOR ONE NIGHT!

I BOUGHT THIS JACKET AT THE TOWN GAS STATION BECAUSE IT GOT COLD AT NIGHT--WE FORGOT ABOUT THAT PART.

I LOVE HIM--SO DARN HANDSOME.

OUR HOME FOR A NIGHT, IT SLEPT REALLY GOOD (WHEN I WASN'T THINKING ABOUT BEARS)

Zion

I was a little tired after the hike!

Muscle Man!

Zion National Park

Make your Way to UTAH for work

Don and I were starting to go stir crazy with not knowing were we would be going for his next job assignment. On Monday August 10th we decided to make our day be useful with trying to help fix my dads boat trailer. As we were sitting outside we were both talking about how it was getting to be time to get going, and get back into our routine. Little did we know it was going to happen that day.

We had our sites on being sent to Kentucky for the last four weeks, so when Don got the phone call at 2:00 in the afternoon to be in St. George, Utah for work on Wednesday morning I was a little taken a back. I believe that there was three crocodile tears, and then I pulled it together and said "This is what we do, and we will figure it out together." An hour outside playing with dogs and my mother was very therapeutic before having to pack the bags, trailer, snacks, and get showers to leave for the night--18 hour trip ahead of us!

We left at 5:30 and drove to Amarillo Texas the first night, and had to make the rest of the trip the next. We stopped at 11:00 and we were up by 4:30 to start again. I decided to take the first leg of the trip so I could take a nap and then do some more driving so Donnie could rest before work. No longer than ten minutes on the highway, I see red and blue behind me and FREAK out--1)I am getting pulled over 2) just learned how to drive straight with a 20 foot trailer, now how do I pull off on the rough road?!?!? 3) My id was packed in the back 4)Donnie is going to love this. My Lopez was very nice and gave me two warnings, one for no headlight and one for guess what--SPEEDING! I made it through Albuquerque NM morning traffic (that was rough)! I would have to say that I had the better leg of the trip, Donnie had to drive through the bottom of the Grand Canyon, I thought it was never going to end!

We made it here safely and I have to say that we are getting good at knowing who needs to do what to get our trip on the road and going. Don made it to work on Wednesday and was happy to hear that he will be working 5-10 hour days and off on weekends, and I will say that I am happy too. He will be putting up one unit here and it is half the size he is use to working with.

On Saturday we were able to take in Zion National Park and we completed a 5 mile hike that was beautiful, we had a great day together. We both woke up the next morning wondering how old we are, because we were feeling that hike. We look forward to doing more here, and we are happy that "our adventure" has brought us to another place safe and together.

Had to Teach Him to Blog

Just a few more pictures from Dallas TX!

Donnie loved this bird--Do you think they look a little bit alike?

Well after reading the blog post that my husband did last night, I might turn the blog over to him. I watched him write it while I was cooking dinner and he had his wonderful smirk on his face the whole time he was typing--rhymes, and wonderful picture captions--isn't he clever : ) I love him so much! Just a few more of my favorites from our trip to Dallas Texas.

A top the grassy knoll

Several weeks and no work,

I was about to go baserk.

I relaxed as I pondered,

Where else shall we wonder?

We'd come from the west,

Went east for some rest,

Spent the fourth to the north,

Let's head down towards Ft. Worth.

We rolled down out of the Sooner state to the land of the lone star. We got ourselves put up in a downtown hotel. Most of the people there looked as though they were on business, or they had a different definition of casual than I did. We took in the JFK museum, the aquarium and the circus. The circus marked the top of Sarah's list. A motorcycle on a tight rope sparked a intriguing conversation on torque.

The aquarium: Where fish swim, but dreams fly!

You know what I like? I like pink flamingos standing on one leg! I think I get one of these for our front lawn some day.

Branson---here we come!

On July 14th Don and I gave my parents a much needed break from us and we headed to Branson Missouri for a four day trip. We went on a time-share package(anything to make it cheap)! We received two free tickets to Silver Dollar City for our time share participation and our room at the Angel Inn--a five star hotel (haha)! We enjoyed going on the DUCKS, which drives you around town and then into the lake--I got to drive the boat! A fun day at Silver Dollar City, and Dixie Stampede for dinner. It was a quick but wonderful trip.

Donnie all smiles.

Waiting at the DUCKS!

Look at me driving the boat.

Everyone thought we were on our honeymoon, guess we are still in love : )

QUACK KISSES