58 words

Speedtest

I cant believe I am that slow of a typer!!! Who knew? I did it like four times, I did get to 54 once but maybe laying down in bed isnt the best typing form? I always thought I was pretty fast but NOOOOO.
OKAY I did it again... I got 58-- I am improving!

I been tagged by Britt!

Rules:A. Post the rules
B. Answer the questions about yourself
C. After posting, tag 5 people by going to their blog and leaving a comment

1. What were you doing 10 years ago? In 1998 I was working for SWA as a flight attendant out of PHX and had moved down there and was loving it. I went through the temple in March of that year, had a crush on Wil Tagg, and went to Israel to see Uncle Eldon and Aunt Verda in April and in October.

2. 5 things on my to-do list today- drive to Roosevelt, work/see doctors there, get a hold of Carol or Todd tell them I am coming, listen to Book of Mormon on the way there to catch up in my Hinckley challenge, play with McKade!

3.What snacks I enjoy? Chocolate covered cinnamon bears!!! chips and salsa, popcycles

4. What would I do if I were to suddenly become a billionaire? I have had some fun fantasies about this before, I have decided to just give people money just doesnt seem to do them much good, so I would pay off the homes of all of my family members and buy a few of them homes that dont have one yet, they could do what they wanted with the equity, but that is all that I would do for them-except for trust funds for all the kids to go to college. Tuition/books only the rest they would need to work for. One thing that I think would be soooo fun is to have a family reunion on a cruise ship! I would have a Page family reunion all paid for on Royal Carribean Cruise line. I would want to have certain things be a part of it so I decided that I would pay/pay for some EFY counselors to come and do activities with the teenagers at certain times during the days and would hire trusted nanny's assigned to each family to come with and help with babysitting if the parents wanted to have a break for a day or some hours each day of the trip.
I think that I would take some people in my life on a trip to Israel, for Sure I would take my Grandma Karren to Hawaii.
I could keep going and going on that one forever... dreams...

5.3 bad habits: I pop zits like Britt! I love it too, so addicting! Not making my bed. eating lots and lots of sugar, candy treats

6 5 places I've lived: 1-Utah- several places Provo, WVC, Holladay, Draper. 2-Phoenix or Mesa, I loved it there- best weather in the world- I know what you are all going to say about the heat- I LOVE IT! And I met SUCH good people there. 3-Washington DC- LOVE LOVE LOVE that place. I lived in Arlington Virginia, just on the other side of the Potomac River from DC proper. So rich in history and stuff is Happening there!! love it. 4- Boise Idaho- I really love that city as well, its a pretty neat area to live in. Most people there think its the best kept secret in the Northwest. And now back to Utah!

7. 5 jobs I've had: Flight attendant, SWA. Sales. EFY counselor...

8. Things people don't know about me...I have a bad headache right now! I LOVE babies. I bought an new deck chair that I love.

I am going to tag Tami Price, Suzanne Young, Cricket(may have been tagged already?) Natalie Ball, Wendy Gunnerson... Sorry guys!

MANY Adventures on an Eastward Journey

So I have heard from a few of you that my blog doesn’t have sufficient writing. In fact, one small llama said, “Lot’s of pictures, no-o-ottt so much writing…” another said “your blog has mostly pictures, doesn’t it??.” Well some of that is because I have a fixation with picture taking as I have a newish camera,(okay I admit I have always had some fixation with picture taking, maybe its in the genes, for those of you who know my mother...??) some of it is because I am a very visual person and the other is because I want to convince my cousin/roommate to LOOK at my blog. He’s not so fond of blogging and I seem to think if it doesn’t require a lot of reading about my life he may be more inclined to take a looksy!(feel free to email Taylor and tell him how awesome you think my blog is and that he just HAS to see it... tayevans03@hotmail.com HAHAHA! DO IT! whether you know him or not!) I have not succeeded yet at convincing him so I guess I will move towards pleasing the likes of some of you and do some creative expression through writing for me as well and give up on Taylor for the time being. PS I will warn that I most likely won't be able to forgo all picturing in the blog.

So it has been a doosy busy week! On Monday I was determined to get my hair fixed-it had been broken for a very long time- who knew it would take the better part of an evening to fix it! It was way convenient though as I was able to work out at the gymnasium and then march down to the spa and get 'er done. To Boot I made a new friend at the same time- I really like the new “hair girl” Jessica! Who exclaimed, as I was asking how she did what she did to my hair, so that if I ever had need to tell another hair person, “you better never cheat on me!” Meaning have someone else fix my broken hair, which made me laugh and laugh!
Tues was our first ever book club- that gets a post all its own eventually! There were lots of firsts! Very newsy! Wednesday and Thursday I worked with my best boss, Craig and then we had to fix my fixed, yet PLATINUM blonde hair! I couldn’t get used to it that blonde so she put a toner on it! Whew!!! Much better now!
Friday I had a study day for the new product that I will be selling called LOVAZA, and flew to Washington DC for a visit with my dear friends Natalie and Dave Moore and Wendy Gunnerson among some wonderful others!Then on Monday I would be going to Atlanta for three days of training on the product, which was actually the reason the entire trip took place to begin with, I figured if I was doing all that flying I may as well add my beloved DC to my Eastward Journey! There really is something magical about Washington DC for me, and it was good to be back in "our Nations Capitol."

Natalie and Dave have three boys under four years old! Wow! One morning I wanted to go running so I got the jogger and grabbed the boys and off we went towards a trail that ended in a park (which comes into the story later) where we played on the swings and in the sand of the volleyball pit, and played school on the bleachers.

I was taught by the very skilled and talented teachers, Scott (4) and Matthew (2 1/2) the song of the prophets, even with the VERY recently added Thomas Spencer Monson! The Continents song was next on the list, and then my personal favorite: Matthew with all the dramatics that such a statement should be uttered, cried out with Patrick Henry’s “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death.” Teaching the passion and graditude that we all need feel for our freedoms! He is a true Colonial!

Scott is soon to be called to the first ever Pre-schooler missionary training center TO TEACH! while I was there he told a lady on their street that she shouldn't smoke it was "bad for our body and it turn your lungs black!" and then told his mommy that "we need to share the gospel with her so she doesnt smoke anymore and she knows she's special" so they took her a Book of Mormon and it was well received! Scott is SO sweet, he has such a tender Good heart.

And baby Talmage (1 year this week) is just Yummy delicious! Oh I love his little loves, bashful glances and funny crawl (looking somewhat like an ape- sitting upright using right hand to drag rest of body along whereever he needs to go -there is no “all fours” for this little one!) To see better the picts of the boys better you can click on them and see up close- they are beautiful boys! (the ones of Matthew dont do him justice! He's Adorable!)

Scott

Matthew

I loved Loved loved having dinner with Natalie and Talmage in Olde Towne Alexandria, where I had some of the most delicious Thai food ever, but not a few folks are a little bothered by my not remembering the name of the restaurant, Thanks so much for Dinner Nat! Love you!
Talmage
Later that night I joined up with Wendy for a little U23D that was being shown in the Smithsonians National Museum of Natural History Imax Theater. (HINT for tourist and other such clueless people: there is a door on the other side of the museum that stays open past normal hours for the Imax goers.)

I was somewhat slow moving the next day because frankly I just didnt feel all that well. Eventually I decided I should call my good friends John and Marcia Durkin to see if they wanted to go grab a late lunch! and knowing that they were expecting soon when John answered the first thing I said to him was, "aren't you supposed to be having a baby any second now??" and his reply was, "actually we did about 28 hours ago!" I was sooo excited to have the opportunity to celebrate the arrival of their BEAUTIFUL son with them. I went over to Georgetown Hospital and was able to meet Brycen Durkin. Brycen was named after a dear friend of John's from Africa, named Brycen Mandaari. He was John's sherpa, guide and teacher as he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. (I know Brycen from the same experience although our climbs were 5 years apart, or so...) I felt tenderly when I heard what they were going to name him because I love Brycen because of my love for Kilimanjaro and all that he represented for me on that mountain, I love the name because it is akin to the name of my grampa Bryce M. Singley who recently passed away and I love the tiny little bundle of joy who now bares such a meaningful name. I am so excited for You both, and am so impressed with your mad skills at swaddling John! Unfortunately, I didnt get any pictures of the amazing and proud parents, just me and Brycen!

Upon returning I was rather impressed with myself having navigated Georgetown and returning home to the Moore's without getting myself lost-that always seems to give me a bit of a charge when I can get around on my own for some reason??

Now I know that I have gone a bit overboard with the tedious details of the trip and all my doings but I have to say there was a good deal of adventuring and excitement (and pictures) for all these things but this next thing is just plain cool- to me anyway!

I decided I had a bit of time before I had to get ready for my blind date so I went running on the fore mentioned trail. As I was running along I was a bit startled when I saw a deer ahead of me on the trail. I kept running towards him (or her??) and said in my heart "Please don't run away deer!" "don't be afraid, don't feel fear from my being here, just feel that I am safe and won't cause you any harm" and HE DIDN'T!! I just kept on running right by him, I came about a foot and a half from him and he just watched me and I watched him! I felt like I was in Harmony with myself and God and His creations. How often do you just get to feel that you are truly cohabitating with the animals? that you are one with what is natural and peaceful in this world? like you are in a Disney cartoon and can communicate with your friends the animals???
One of my llama friends shared with me some things that draw some possible meanings from this type of encounter with a deer. I really liked some of what she read to me, I will share....

THEN the blind date!!
I haven't finished this post- I realize I just didnt have a chance to get around to it- but the date stuff really was quite fun. Long story short great guy- never heard from him again- but cool date and cute picts!

We decided during our first date conversation over dinner that the park where Robert Hannson dropped his spy packages to the Russian's was very nearby! So we went exploring- WE FOUND IT!
Super cool!

The bridge is actually not the bridge where he hid it- we walked over the real one but didnt take pictures because we didnt think it was the right one but it was! This bridge was in the park where it all took place though! And the sign above is in the movie- BREACH!

Picts of Gramps Viewing

So everyone gets stitches!

CHIN

I had some moles removed-Yuck! I know! But I have never had stiches B4 in my whole life (except my wisdom teeth stiches).

NECK







SHOULDER

Taylor is such a pain in the butt to have around, he's messy and snotty and I just had to show him who's boss! We fight like this all the time!

No really, he broke open an old wound playing basketball, should have gotten it restiched but didn't... Oops!

Coming Soon!! Carson's knarly eye and face wound! He's lucky to be walking around town these days- he's a mess!

HERE HE IS!! WITH BROKEN EYE SOCKET, STICHES AND A MASSIVE CONCUSSION!

So the night after the funeral we had to all get together and have some fun! We had so many in town that we dont see very often, we had to take advantage... So everyone came over to my house and we had a dessert party! Can you think of a better way to celebrate Gramps! He was tired of not be able to eat Desserts, so maybe now he can! So we partied with him...

Here is some video and picts of that night...




Its so much fun to be able to spend time with Mindy and James and their two beautiful boys JD and Kelan! We love those boys and their cute dimples!


Melissa was in town and that always makes us feel more complete!


Riley even showed us her mad skills at putting her foot behind her head! She was really on one that night, but we love to have her make us laugh! She is getting tooo big, registered for Kindergarten and all!

Adventures in Parent Travel

So there are A LOT of picts on this one-Sorry! And there are more to come. I cant leave out the picts that we took as Dave and I got pummeled by the Huge waves in Kona! I laughed my head off. But my camera had died so I have to wait to get the picts from my moms camera.

Oh if the flowers floating around bug you- click on the slide show in the middle and it will open a different window without them!

One more thing, if you dont know why I got stuck in Hawaii (see end of slide show captions) you may need to read the previous post.

One last thing, a HUGE thanks goes out to Linda, Jim and Suzy over there on the Big Island of Hawaii. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for you generosity, hospitality, and understanding as our time with you came to such an abrupt halt. We sincerely hope to be able to do a "do-over" trip soon. Thank you again and again for EVERYTHING! Much love from Dave, Claud & Dana

My Sweet Gramps!

To say the least this has been an incredibly crazy and difficult week and a half. My mom, Dave and I were in Hawaii having a nice time and then the call came... Grandpa was in the ICU in Arizona and they would let us know how serious it was as time went on. Well time went on and it was not a hopeful prognosis. We decided that we needed to go home. By this time however, we had gone to the Big Island to stay with our cousins, and getting out of Kona was a bit more difficult than say Honolulu. We were to fly stand-by and were unable to get out late Sunday night and then had to get up early to try to get out Monday morning. We had to go through Honolulu this time, and that ended up being a problem as well. The flights on a Monday mornings are just FULL, I know that, my mom knows that, everyone that flies stand by even one time on a Mon knows that. We were disappointed to find out that it was still true. The flight was packed and I didnt find the most helpful ticket agent at the counter. I just wanted so badly for my mom to be able to get to PHX to be able to say goodbye to her dad, time was a matter life or death- you dont get to say that very often and have it be literal. I was pretty vocal at the ticket counter about my mom needing to be on the flight and some guys heard me... Long story short- there were only two seats left, it was past the time for departure and Hawaiian Air wanted to close the doors NOW! There were two guys ahead of us on the list to get on the flight next They called the names of two guys to RUN to get on board- those two guys are somewhere between Honolulu and Los Angeles now and deserve all the good kharma that could come their way. They gave up their seats so that my mom and Dave could get on!

So what about little Dana? Well I made a few emotional decisions about what I needed with the situation with Gramps and called my Uncle's Ron, Brent and David and felt assured that I would be okay (not that I really had a choice) with few requests made known regarding me seeing Gpa before he died, if possible.

So I couldnt get back to the mainland until the 3 pm flight (direct to PHX though!) and it was only 8:30am, so what's a girl to do in Honolulu with 6 hours to wait around?? Go to the BEACH!!!!

I caught the city bus for $2.00, had some crazy Wikiki guy chat my ear off on the bus and then went to buy a towel at the Wikiki Mall and some flipflops, and then caught some last minute rays for a few hours before the long flight to PHX!