I'd like to say it was intentional....

Around here our pajamas always match our tableware.

Happy Tuesday from your family in Washington state!

Birthday Girly-licious Wishes!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANNA!


with love from your adoring fans
thomas - miss kitty - jayne - patrick

SNOW

Can your believe it: About 1/2 - 1 inches of snow and cold on April 21.
I wrote on the blog last Saturday and it has vanished to ?
I remember hearing that spring snow was a farmers delight as the snow is full of good fertlizer and slowly melts into the ground. The are predicting more snow today.
Jan, Dennis, Deb and the group met up in Rome at the scheduled time and are having a good time. Unfortunately their international calling cards are not working so Deb has called Tim and he relays the info to me. They return next Sunday the 27 of April.
The maid never showed up when we were gone and its amazing how dusty everything gets in 3 months. Plus how much stuff we had added to the motor home to be carried back into the house and putting away summer clothes and getting out winter clothes.
Thats about all the news from Idaho. I'm sure Jan will have a lot to write when she get back on this time zone.
Joan

Birthday Girl

Thank you for the Birthday Wishes.....Thank you for the pictures...love showing off the grandkids plus I love Georgia....it has been a good week and it is always fun to have another birthday.....alternative isn't that great! Anyway, heading to Italy tomorrow morning. Thought everything was ready to go so went golfing this morning, it went well...got home and tried to use my cell phone and of course, it is dead...really dead. So off to the Mall to check my Sprint contract and have two weeks to go to upgrade my phone (without a big penalty)....Decided to wait out the two weeks..Al is "stuck" in AZ without a phone (You can imagine how sad he is about that)but both girls have an emergency number to call so call them if something happens that we need to know.
Dennis or I will try and e-mail from Italy......
Love you all......J..."it's another girl"

Happy Birthday Nana!

So, it's late into the night of Mom's birthday. The day was crazy with finally getting Cooper's 2-year pictures done and the weekly Sunday afternoon "To Do" list done before the work week hits us tomorrow morning. Oh, to be back in Arizona with the birthday girl and Dad. Cooper got to sing Happy Birthday to Nana over the phone at the top of his lungs and we will celebrate when Mom & Dad get back North. Hopefully by then the snow has stopped. (Hmmmmm .... hope springs eternal!) Coop got to swim with Nana when we visited them in AZ back in March. I got to swim with Mom, Uncle Dennis, my cousin Deni and the rest of the ladies at the morning water aerobics also...and no...there is no photographic proof. :-)

Coop is wonderful but we may be battling our 500th ear infection, back to the doctor this week to check. Not too bad this round though, still has his big appetite and sleeping fine, just has the eye goop and runny nose. Loves his puzzles, cars, trains, football/baseball/hockey, points out EVERY bus he sees out the car window and books, books, books. Cousin Kari is our FAVORITE baby sitter! Natural talent with kids....one special lady! Coop makes us laugh and smile every day with the words and songs that come out of his mouth. Andy's still working hard at Residential Funding Corp. With the mortgage world being what it is right now, the stress level is just a little high. I still work at Medtronic in the land of the IT geek. Love what I do and the people on my team...they make it worth coming back after a rough day.

Happy Birthday Mom! Miss you & Dad lots!!! Wish we were there.

Happy Birthday Mom/Nana!

Happy Birthday! Less than 3 months and we'll be back in the water! Hey, I didn't use the one getting back in the boat. Love- The Mentzers

Happy Birthday Auntie Jan!

Dear Aunt Jan,

I know your big day isn't until Sunday but I wanted to be certain to get this posted for all to see, take note & get those birthday cakes in the oven!

Mom mentioned to me your love of Georgia O'Keefe. I was pleased to note Red Canna, 1923 resides at the University of Arizona Art Museum. One could actually drive down and see it. Sheesh, what don't they have in Arizona?

We here on the west coast are well. A few days of balmy weather has improved my mood considerably. They say maybe even 70 degrees tomorrow. Lots of errands to run. Perhaps even make a batch of cinnamon rolls. I make a hasty and grossly inferior version of your recipe. Thomas, who is a reasonable baker (for a 3 yr old), loves cinnamon rolls more than any other food. Perhaps more than any other thing period. I hope someday he can experience one of yours. Heavenly!

I hope your bags are all packed and you have a wonderful trip abroad. We're excited to hear all the stories!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNTIE JAN!
oxoxoxox
judy, janna, rivers, jayne, patrick, thomas & miss kitty

signing off----love, jayne

Arizona was warmer!

Nate and I are back in Iowa and it snowed today to welcome us home. I look at my hands to see the tan and remember how warm it was just yesterday. We had a great time with Dad and Mom and spent a lot of time on the golf course. Apache Sun agrees with my game and Nate's for two of the three rounds we played. It really agrees with Mom since she was about 2 inches from a hole in one on the 9th hole. We were all very excited! And she made the put which also helps. Nate was not happy about leaving, he wanted to stay the rest of the week.

Mark heads to Milwaukee with Nate tomorrow for the national Swish and Dish tournament this week-end. For bball lovers it is heaven. Isabelle and I are staying home with Josh because he has baseball practice Saturday morning and a 3 v 3 basketball tourney on Saturday afternoon. From what I heard today there are also a couple of things on the social calendar too and we wouldn't want to miss anything with the 6th grade social life.

I hope everyone is well! The posts are great!

Try again with one habd

We got some snow this week but I was gone. Drove a fire truck to Huston TX with Jimmy Jo. this last weekend. He drove one I did the other one. (To you that did not grow up in Hardwick. ((Jimmy Jo is from Hardwich Two years older than me)) He started the company that I drive for.) We left on Sun Morning and delivered the trucks Mon at 130 PM. Got a rential car and drove back. We were in Brandon SD Tue morn at 1000. We leave in the morning with him and another driver to deliver three trucks to Evensburg PA. We than drive back to Sioux Falls in a rential car. Rosie and Gizmo are keeping the house warm when I'm gone. Nothing else to tell you all as it is cool in the morning, warm in the afternoon and cool when the sun goses down. Carol S sent this on the e-mail side and it is true in many places so I have to pass it on. So what farmer would be saying any of the folling at a Sat night eating peanuts in the store? Kids you need to ask or mon or dad about the peanuts.

An Old Farmer's Advice




* Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.



* Keep skunks and bankers and lawyers at a distance.
* Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
* A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
* Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.
* Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.
* Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.
* Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
* It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.
* You cannot unsay a cruel word.
* Every path has a few puddles.
* When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

* The best sermons are lived, not preached.
* Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.
* Don't judge folks by their relatives.
* Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
* Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back,
you'll enjoy it a second time.
* Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none.
* Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
* If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

* Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
* The biggest troublemaker, you'll probably ever have to deal with,
watches you from the mirror every mornin'.
* Always drink upstream from the herd.
* Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad
judgment.
* Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it
back in.

* If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try
orderin' somebody else's dog around.
* Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.


That all from Tracy

Update from Tracy

April Fools Day

Well we, Dennis, Jonathan and myself have left Arizona and we have been heading north to colder weather. Last night in Beaver Utah the temps dropped to 20 degrees and will do about the same tonight as we are in Idaho Falls, Id. We have unpacked our jackets, socks, long pants and sweat shirts. We have to empty the water tanks and keep the furnace on. We should make it home Wednesday sometime
We got to see Sarah and Nate before we left. I hear they are enjoying the sunshine and golf.
It is always hard to leave such a warm relaxing and fun place with wonderful friends people. And of course our neighbors Jan and Al. It is sure fun to be leaving next door to sister Jan.
We left the car in Mesa at Jack and Denni (Als nephew and wife) as Dennis going back on the 11 of April for a baptism and then on the 15 of April Dennis, Jan, Deb and her parents and Carol Haskins from the park are headed for Italy. I hope Italy can survive the group.
Tim and Deb and company purchased a building for the law firm. They moved in last Monday; and we were able to see the building.
Jonathan had a good time in Az and then driving home with us. He is getting anxious to get home. We had dinner with Amanda (Stevens wife) and her family. Jonathan is so excited now as he feels he has two sisters.
I bought a modem from Verizon so now we can use the internet as we are traveling. Really neat.
Guess this catchs us up on our news.
Joan