So for Halloween i finally gave in and did a real costume. I was quite proud of it - right down to the vegitable earings... unfortunatley no one in my age group understood who i was. I guess instead of the wand i should have been carrying a "Quibler" magazine.

First Fisher Cemetary Tour

Loa Shirlene Fisher Olsen, my mother.
I began my trek through my ancestors resting places visiting my mothers grave in Manti. From there I found each ancestor from the Fisher side that was laid to rest in Utah. So on memorial day i walked through two cemeteries the Salt Lake City cemetery and a beautiful small one just a mile from my home. I loved the experience as i felt the strength of my ancestors and the lives they lead. Lives filled with choices and struggles and successes. I felt their Love I knew that they cared about me and I have found myself wanted to know more and more of who they were and what their lives were like. I was especially moved to find out more by the ancestors i spent the most time finding. More of this below.
Follow the lines below to see Grandparents, Great, Great, and Great Grandparents. One third great grandfather is not represented he lies in New York having never made the trek to Utah.
Milton Byron Fisher and Louise Larsen Fisher, parents Shirlene Fisher; Manti City Cemetery
Robert Pierce Fisher and Rosella Salome Neff, parents of Milton Fisher; Salt Lake City Cemetery
Franklin Neff and Francis Maria Stillman Neff, parents of Rosella Neff, Salt Lake City Cemetery
James Madison Fisher, father of Robert Fisher; Elysian Gardens (Millcreek area)
Edith Evaline Pierce Fisher, mother of Robert Fisher; Elysian Gardens
John Neff and Mary Barr Neff, parents of Franklin Neff; Salt Lake City Cemetery
Harriet E. Seymour "Stillman" Russell, mother of Francis Stillman; Salt Lake City Cemetery
Joseph Fisher, father of James M Fisher; Salt Lake City Cemetery
Evanline McLean Fisher, mother of James M Fisher; Salt Lake City Cemetery

Robert Peirce and Hannah Harvey Peirce, parents of Edith Peirce; Salt Lake City Cemetery.

This is the plot that touched my heart. I spent about an hour looking for the place their bodies lay. What i found was an unmarked grassy knoll. In my effort to find them I discovered that there is another who lies between them named Maurice Pearce and one to their side named Thomas Pearce. This intrigued me, so i began my search. I found that Thomas was their son and that he died at age 35 and between them lies Thomas' son - their grandson Clifton Morris who died at age 15.

Robert and Hannah had 9 children 6 of which died before them. Joseph as a baby, Ann age 3, Elizabeth in Nauvoo at age 5 (probably the cholera), Mary age 26 Winter Quaters, Eli age 31 sickness from missionary service in England, Thomas age 35 - unknown cause.
These faithful pioneers sacrificed so much for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, their dedication has touched my heart.

My goal now is to put together enough funds to have a marker placed at their grave-site. Any donation (pennies on up) will be accepted toward honoring them with a gravestone reminder of where they lay. Just talk to me about it.


I am grateful for my heritage learning about them has inspired me to accept the sacrifices of life for the sake of the Gospel.

* as a tidbit - The Peirces are the grandparents of Eli Pierce that Elder Holland talks about in 1980 BYU Devotional "For Times of Trouble"

another First

First Garden. Thanks to Jay for digging up a million roots! Thanks to Annette for her sharing her knowledge about how and where to plant veggies. Thanks to Casey for the fence to keep Sasha at bay.
Look closely you will see new corn sprouts coming up between the taller corn plants.
It consists of Beans, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Squash, Corn and Pumpkin. I went a little crazy at the plant store had no idea there were so many varieties to choose from so I bought about one of each just to try. Then realized I have a very small garden area and gave 2/3's of the plants away.
My goal: to have one plant still alive at the end of the season. Next year the goal will be to get some food from them :) All about not setting to high of expectations.

Sad week to come

I was so excited this year to have a good chunk of money left over of my tax refund after paying off bills. I had all kinds of wishes and dreams coming to mind.

I was having a hard time choosing from so many great things.... flat panel tv? family history vacation to Pennsylvania? down payment on a Camry? Landscaping dreams come true?

Today my choice was made. All fun of talks and wishes were shattered.
Long story short - my precious beloved truck didn't pass inspections and the repairs will suck up any and all savings and will have to be out of commission for a week!

I am however grateful for many things in this.

1. my truck lasted until I had enough savings.
2. a boss who accompanied me to the mechanic to make sure I wasn't getting taken.
3. my friend is on vacation next week and is letting me user her car.
4. my beloved truck is fixable.
5. no plans, needs etc that I have to back out on next week.
6. co workers who willingly take me home, pick me up, cart me around.

I have one hope left. It is that until my truck is fixed and cleared with inspections I don't get pulled over! With the luck I'm having I will pour out my story of trying to get it registered to only be handed a ticket for the balance of my checking account! :)

Another first

Another first in my life last week. I had a discounted price and an opportunity to have the bishopric of my ward teach me to snow ski, so i took it!

I was so nervous to go and two friends from the ward were my encouragment and support.

The boots are the worst comfort I have ever experienced. After I put them on I felt like I had to learn to walk all over again. By the end of my day my muscles were so exhausted that i just 'slumped' into the boots and hardly noticed they were there and I swaggered as well as anyone else.

It was a horrific and fantastic time. I had an emotional break down at the top of a my first real run. I was ready to take off the skiis and walk down. Luckily I knew that it was my one and only chance to try this sport and I decided that I had to ski down that hill, even if it meant that I was going to fall every 10 feet. I did fall - alot - have some nice bruises to show for it, but 1/2 way down my legs figured it out and I enjoyed the rest of the run.

Lucky for me it was a warm day, the only time I got cold was at lunch when i took off my coat to eat and my sweaty shirt was exposed to the mountain air. I was grateful that I didnt feel the cold at any other time.

It was a good experience, a fun day and I can see how people can be addicted to the sport. Would I do it again? you bet! as long as I could stay on the 'first timers' run and not go to a real one.

Peaches

So my first time attempting canning all on my own! Thanks to a good friend who gave me a canning kit for my b-day I was all prepared for the task. I did 14 quarts. they looked amazing! and they all sealed. So the hope now is that they taste good.

Big B-day

I had a great monumental Birthday. It started with 5 men giving me beautiful flowers delivered to my office! What girl has ever been so admired?

A beautiful cake made with love and purple ribbons!

Presents and the Mountain!

And of course Family.

It was a great birthday! Thanks to such a caring, fun, family

survival

So being a dog owner really is an adventure. Sasha is doing great! She has learned shake, stay, free, lay and how to lead (until a dog or cat or person comes around :) ). I am not sure that i will survive though. The last week of July she and i were playing and in the rough play she sunk her tooth into the side of my thumb and tore it right down the edge of my fingernail. It took 2 weeks and kitchen table surgery before it started to heal. After the wound healed for almost a week i bumped the fingernail and it split down in the middle of it where it had been weakend. Just got over that on Sunday and today (Monday) I was out running with her and tripped on an unever sidewalk and jammed the fingers of my other hand. all four fingers are swollen but the middle and ring fingers are bruised and painful. Sasha will live through the long days alone but i am not sure i will live through the fun times we are together.
I went camping with my friend annette last week to Pine Valley. It was beautiful. Camping couldn't have been more perfect. Sasha was tormented every day all day by chipmunks and squirrels who tried to sneak into the campground. At one point they were coming from four different directions and she just didn't know what to do. I loved just being in the mountains, away from phones and email. completley unattached from the everyday life. Work is so busy right now. I come home mentally exauhsted every day. Tension is high and the problems and new products just keep piling up and so the helpdesk is constantly busy. So being away for four days was sure pleasure.
We stopped at the Meadow Mountain Massacre sight. I really dont understand what happened or why in regards to the massacre. But the sight that the Church has created and maintains in a beautiful, peacful, spiritual place. There is the strongest feeling of love and forgivness and healing at the site. it is truly a heavenly place on earth.

New Adventure

I am on to the next adventure. I am a dog owner. I had a 3 day trial which was increadibly difficult and emotionally draining. But we (Sasha and I) survived and now we belong to each other.
Sasha is the Hannah in the last blog. But I think Sasha fits her better and within 2 days she answers to it very well. She is a quick learner of anything that brings love or treats.
Advertised as a Blonde Lab mix. She is probablly more mix than lab. Not sure all what but i love that she is smaller than a lab and has the beautiful blond/red color of a lab. She claimed me just after a day, but it took a few days for me to decide that i would do her good as well. We have walked together, shopped together, hiked together, cried together, been on a doggie play date and eaten together. She will be a great pal!

Hannah

This is Hannah, I just met her today. She is a beautiful girl. She is a yellow lab that is mixed with something else.... no one really knows for sure what. But she is small for a lab and has beautiful white patches and some dark coloring on her tail. I am very seriously considering adopting her. We are going to spend some more time together and get to know each other a bit more, before that decision is made. Don't you love how she poses for a picture? what a girl.

Book

So i have decided I am going to write a book. I'm horrible at English but figure if i can get the words on paper someone else can make them read properly. Its entitled Life is a Rainbow A perfectionist guide to living life in color. I figure I'm pretty experienced at believing in being perfect and living black and white. I should share what i am learning about finding the color in life.
Work however is so busy right now that i just come home and crash at the end of the day.
Love reading all the updates on every ones blogs. Thanks for letting me share in the fun.

Perfect Weekend!

Spent the weekend away. Spa, Sunshine, Shopping, St George, Seven Wives Inn, it was a great combination! I am laying in the pool down there thinking; "Why don't I live in St George?" I havn't figured out the answer to that question.... so maybe some day I will and I can enjoy all those things every day.
The Seven Wives Inn was delightful. A huge Pioneer home withh all kinds of amazing bedrooms and bathrooms built into the closets. They had amazing breakfasts. I had a Yogurt Fruit Granola Parfait served in ann ice cream goblet. I felt sinful to have such a great meal for breakfast.
At the Spa i had a body scrub and wrap in lavender/aloe oil. Then a massage. It was most relaxing.
I enjoyed hours floating in an very very cold pool on a very hot day. It couldn't have been any better.
Then dinner at Anna & Kyles on the way home. Kyle made homemade Tortialls for tacos. What a feast. They are the funnests hosts.
All in all it was a perect weekend.

Spending

I am busy spending my tax return! its so much fun! I have added insulation to all of my home - hope the gas bills go down. Waiting for the HVAC guy to come and price an AC unit. Ordered some additional kitchen cabinets. Bought some kitchen hutches. Arranged to have my fabulous electrician finish the power updates in the next couple of weeks. It is all so much fun. Oh i also had my contractor weed and feed my lawn in hopes that it will do better this summer. I love tax return time.

latest happenings:

Work and more work. Love my job but it is getting into the crazy time. New computers, new images, new software and lots of headaches.



Went to an Image Consultant presentation and found out that it doesn't matter how tall I am, if I can walk in high heels I should wear them! That made me happy. I get tired of the short men in the career world who ask why I would wear heels when i'm so tall. I think they are simply jelous and I tell them I wear the heels because "I CAN!"



Milton and boys cut all the dead limbs out of my cherry tree last week. It looks really bare. but at least it is now living and not just dying. I hope they get to make something beautiful out of all the red cherry wood.

Spring Flowers

The first flower of spring has come out. I love that I have not yet planted flowers at my house. But I have flowers blooming! and even better they are purple. I think this house was meant for me, even with all the work that I had to do and all the work still left to be done. I am so happy to have my home with its purple spring Flowers!

Can anyone tell me what kind of flower it is?............................

in Memory of Francis Shand

Its amazing to me how the little things in life often become very significant in the overall picture of life. Such as a thought last week that i had to catch up with my high school best Friend Kim Shand Tenney. A short quick email in mid week and then a phone call at the end of the week after finding out that her Dad has passed away. Spending so much time at each others homes growing up. I feel like a part of my life is gone as well. Francis Shand will be missed. I cant say i remember much of him in high school - he was a hard working Turkey farmer - who was not often at home when i was there. However the opportunities i had to see him after his stroke bring back fond memories of a softened teddy bear. Who was grateful for family and people and life. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/deseretnews/obituary.aspx?n=francis-arthur-shand&pid=140686626

Had the best Saturday ever. I went Swimming, havn't been able to do that for a few months. As hard as it is to get into the water - I couldn't get out! it is so invegorating to swim. I then had my monthly breakfast with Debbie at Mimi's. what a great place for breakfast they have the best fruit! Then the best ever was a hair cut... nothing to extreme but I had no style left in the locks so it was time to get some bounce back into it. I ended the day with a sandwich from Gandolfos and the largest piece of their chocolate cake. Can't resist their cake for anything! It was such a great saturday. I would take another one of those days next week.
I wish Lauri was around to take a picture of my hair and show it off... but its hard to get a picture from 180 miles away. :(

Jake Hoffman Memorial

It was Jake's funeral on Saturday. There was a missionary get together before. Nice to catch up with people that were my world for 18 months that i have not seen for 17 years! Jake was such a fun part of those 18 months. I specifically remember pdays playing tennis and a great picture i have of him 'standing' under a 'no standing sign'. Jake left 6 young children and wife. there is a memorial fund in place for his children, if anyone wants to donate it is http://jakehoffmanmemorialfund.com. Farewell my friend until we meet again in the Lords divine plan.

I'm joining the blogging world.

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So I finally got an internet connection at my house. now i can get to all the social websites somewhere besides my phone. However, i'm not a writer - i'm not a photo taker - and i work on computers all day and rarely feel like even touching one when i'm not at work... So no gaurantees on what this site will bring.