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are changed into the same image. 2 Cor 3:18 en-us Nucleus CMS v3.21 MD © Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/?itemid=7713








From Amanda's e-mail:

He's doing great. We took him to Erin's (a friend's) after your house. He got along with all the dogs (she has 3) and people great, but it was clear he knew who his owners were. He hung out pretty close to his blanket and slept under my chair while we ate. He slept in his blanket on my lap the entire way home which was great because now he's associating the blanket with being safe. All we had to do was put the blanket in his kennel to get him to go in. He only got out of his kennel once last night (we didn't close it because we want it to be his safe place first) and he's had a great day. Him and Shane fell asleep in front of football which was the cutest thing ever. He may be the mellowest dog I've ever met.]]> General http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/index.php?itemid=7713 Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:32:04 -0500 http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/?itemid=7588
The chances of them meeting--about zilch, but why not at least make a comment? So, at 11:45 p.m.
I left this comment on the Ririe's blog:

"Check this out. It is strange to have two families I love in Costa Rica. familyonbikes.com then click on blog.

Thanks for sharing your incredible experiences!"


Friday afternoon, I checked Nancy's blog, and my mouth dropped:

From Nancy's Blog: http://familyonbikes.org/blog/?paged=2

Can the world get any smaller?

So this morning we were pedaling along the coast watching waves crash into the sandy beaches when Davy started complaining about his stomach. A mystery pain that just kept bothering him. Eventually we figured we needed to find a cabina and check in for the night ? Davy couldn't ride any more.

So I took off ahead of John and the boys and found a delightful little place near Bejuco. I sat down to wait.

A few minutes later, a big black SUV pulled into the parking lot and a woman popped out. "LouAnn is my neighbor!" she told me. "She just told me about you guys this morning. I spent a bit of time browsing around your site and saw that you were in Jaco ? and now we find you on the road!"

Now wait a minute? One of my dearest friends in Boise just happens to be this woman's neighbor? And she just happens to be here in Costa Rica? And we just happened to check in to a hotel right around the corner from her house? Can the world get any smaller?

We will be heading over to Tonya's house in a few minutes for hamburgers and a swim in the pool with her kids. Should be a fun evening ? but whodathunkit??

comment from Tonya:

Thanks for a wonderful evening! It was great meeting your family!

From Tonya's blog:

I jumped on the blog this morning and noticed a comment from my friend and neighbor. She mentioned that she had a dear friend travelling on bicycle with her husband and twin boys down the Pan American Highway from Alaska to Argentina. They left on June 8, 2008 and happened to be in Costa Rica.

I was referred to their blog and what a neat family. I noticed that they had last blogged in Jaco and thought it was kind of cool that they were near the same area but never in my wildest dreams expected to actually see them!

We were heading into the Surf shop to return the surf boards when to our surprise the Vogal family was pedalling our direction. No freaking way! I whipped the car around and as crazy as I am I jumped out of the car and was completely acting like a loony fan!

I couldn't believe that just this morning I heard about the Vogal family and now they were standing right in front of me! The Vogel family being dear friends with our friends and neighbors! What a small world! We insisted that they endure us for a little bit longer and had them over for the most pathetic dinner I could whip up. Poor family! I do not enjoy cooking, and it shows! My apologies! They are staying just down the street from our house and will be hitting the road first thing in the morning. Check out their blog at http://www.familyonbikes.org/. It was an awesome day!

comments from Nancy:

Thank you so much for the hamburgers - and no they weren't pathetic!! Given the fact that we ran our of gas for our stove a few days ago and haven't filled the tank yet - which means nothing cooked for us! - the burgers were GREAT! And, of course, it was delightful chatting with you guys all evening!

Thanks again,
Nancy


This might be the most completely coincidental incident I've ever inadvertently created! Just a fun thing.



]]> General http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/index.php?itemid=7588 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:24:03 -0400 http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/?itemid=7557
http://vigilantesoftware.com/ej/

This is Elijah Daniel Silver--and he is VERY cute!!!!

Now I am a grandma at 60--and I just heard of someone who became one at 78--so I can't complain.

I have been in heaven in many ways. It was WONDERFUL to pick Erin up. We met most of her significant people--and they viewed her as an angel sent from God to bless them. What an experience!

This week has been bittersweet, with Erin being delightful--and me making the good choice to stop and enjoy her--while also finishing a week at school and getting most of two batches done--and gosh--that's been a miracle in itself.

Also, I was explaining that Ivan and I have had a window of time (2 years) in which we were moderately prosperous. It will change a bit downward when Ivan becomes retired next January. And Erin pointed out that during that time she has served a mission, Tyson was married, Ryan joined the service (and we got to support him in San Diego), Alayna had her first baby, and we get to visit, and Amanda is getting married. The prosperity has gone for good purposes, and it has really has been a tender mercy!

Oh, and our flowers have never been so profuse and lush! The place is truly beautiful right now--despite me not getting outside to help out at all. sigh--but another tender mercy that all the other years of work continue to pay off--thanks to Teryl and Ivan. I wish there were time to take pictures--I'm flying out to Austin in a couple of hours--but there have been plenty of pictures--just image the flowers twice as lovely!]]> General http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/index.php?itemid=7557 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 11:09:37 -0400 http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/?itemid=7536
Plum babies


Pear babies--zillions--must be thinned:


Our lilac hill is blooming well


As is our little lilac tree in front:



Tulips are holding on









Now the wisteria--of its many, many years of existence, this is only the second time it has bloomed--and the other year had only a couple of blossoms.







]]> General http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/index.php?itemid=7536 Sun, 17 May 2009 21:55:03 -0400 http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/?itemid=7533
Then last night, Ivan had his 30 seconds of glory--as part of the American legion, he helped march the flag in at the conclusion of the Boise Philharmonic Orchestra's John Philip Sousa concert! The four American Legion members and their wives were given up front tickets for the event. It was very good. This was at the Morrison Center also.

We came early, and the weather was beautiful. I sat on a bench by the Boise River and worked on faeries while I was waiting. Some of the passersby appreciated my faeries. I have Elena busy making Hispanic faeries to give when we go to Minnesota.

School is fine. Winding down. We have a new student who is motivated and a gentleman. I would almost be willing to pay to work with him. It is nice to NOT be called bad names. But the kid who calls us bad name is on more medicine and not doing it now. It makes you wonder how much free will is involved--and how much of some people's behavior, especially those with special needs, is beyond their control. I only know the answers aren't as simple as we would like to believe.

It's getting really, really close to Erin's end of mission date. We fly out to get her on May 28th.

I
through
blue
sky
fly
to
you.
Why?
Sweet
Love,
Feet
Move
So
Slow.

A Spanish teacher at BYU gave us that 14-word sonnet. It's the only thing I retained from the Spanish class.

I am trying to memorize poetry in my spare moments. I am reading a book on literary terms and studying poems again. It is a love. I just finished memorizing "The Windhover" by Gerard Manley Hopkins. I love many of his poems. Poetry lifts my spirits.

I've done nearly nothing outside. Spring happens without me. Sigh.]]> General http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/index.php?itemid=7533 Sat, 16 May 2009 19:17:04 -0400 http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/?itemid=7517
I left wanting to have more fun in my life.

We ate at a Chuck-a-Rama, and then because I have not done any physical activity in forever, I wanted to go on a walk. The sky was an intense purply blue--threatening rain. So, I directed Ivan to a big-box Lowe's Store across the street from Edwards and proceeded to walk every isle in the store--even the short isles and displays and around the outdoor plants and the little kitchen rooms, etc. I did not get kicked out of the store--and Ivan even bought a thingy to cover a defunk light socket. He was grateful to buy something because his knees were giving out. It was a lot of walking and some good exercise.

I need some more silly lists of things to do like Elena used to send me. You know, I would do them once, but never figured out to do them more. Anyone have silly things they do to break the routine?

]]> General http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/index.php?itemid=7517 Thu, 07 May 2009 00:23:00 -0400 http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/?itemid=7490
Ryan is doing well. I think I've mentioned that he is in Virginia Beach at the Norfolk Naval Base. He is loving his mere 13-hours a day of doing something that lets the counterintelligence people practice their stuff on them. It is outdoors, and he can't say anything more about it. He does love it, however.

He should start school May 1st. He says that if the person who described his job to him had told him what it was really going to be like it--Ryan and all of the other guys he had described it to would have peed their pants on the spot. Therefore, they don't tell you. He says it is much more challenging and broader than he thought (though he told me it still isn't more dangerous). He wants it. The school is going to be really, really hard. They can flunk it once--but not twice.

His roommate is two weeks ahead of him, and he is studying with him in hopes of being ahead of the game.

He sounds happy.

I've picked up chat on the net about Susan Boyle being like people's sibling or children who have Aspergers. I think that is interesting.

On growing out of Aspergers, which I would like to do, I think you are continually at square one--but keep trying anyway. ]]> General http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/index.php?itemid=7490 Sat, 25 Apr 2009 21:40:58 -0400 http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/?itemid=7454
Dan and Alayna are settling in in Austin. Dan is doing the same type of work as in his past company, so he is starting at full speed. Alayna doesn't know how it really feels to not be working--because she is still working pretty hard unpacking.

It is Amanda's birthday today. The years have flown. She is lovely.

I have been busy with my jobs--doing extra to finance taxes and our trip to Minnesota to pick up Erin NEXT MONTH! This weekend I enjoyed Conference, worked on fairies (I hope to have a bunch of Hispanic faeries by the time we go to Minnesota), polished my poetry and sorted them into a new, and better, book. The weather is getting better, and I hope to get outside sometime soon. Fortunately, the guys are pretty much on top of the outside work.

Life is pretty good.]]> General http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/index.php?itemid=7454 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:44:04 -0400 http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/?itemid=7420
Poem to My Mother
or
The Ruined Fudge

Words cannot express
The depth of my love and gratefulness,
So I picked these flowers and made this fudge,
Whose sweetness in smell and taste
Serve to remind me of your sweet and humble nature.
You have always been there to comfort and encourage me
And to lie about the flavor of my fudge,
Which although it is too sweet and the texture too rough
Always tastes just right to you.
You have never been one to criticize me when I made mistakes
Or to chide me about the hard and sticky nature of my fudge.
You always realized that while my fudge is not perfect,
It is made with love and admiration
For all you've done for me.
You are and always have been and will be
A wonderful example for me.
And even when cracking your tooth
On rock hard fudge,
You do so with a charm and grace only you can pull off.
I love you and will for eternity.

Your daughter,
Alayna

]]> General http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/index.php?itemid=7420 Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:22:42 -0400 http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/?itemid=7415
Dan got a good job offer from the Edge of Reality in Austin, Texas. They have a web site, and their games look really good. It is a solid company, and they have treated them right--paid for their two-day interview trip and for their move to Austin.

They are packed up and leaving next Monday. Last weekend was their heart-breaking garage sell. Their apartment in Austin is a lot smaller--so much of their stuff had to go. Alayna leaves her friends she made in her first year of college. They have had 10 years of fun together. Dan and Alayna are leasing their house and hope to return someday.

They are taking four days to drive down to Austin, making a road trip out of it.

Austin should be a good spot for them. I'm still going there for a month when Elijah is born. I'm looking towards that--and trying not to think of all the wonderful trips we've taken to visit them and the other kids and Elena and Wayne. I really hope we get a few good flight deals so that visits are not much further apart. Ivan is a bit sad because he probably will not come when the baby is born. sigh.

We are seriously thinking about flying to Minneapolis when Erin is released, however. Amanda would likely come, and Ryan just might get to go also.

Life is changing.]]> General http://loryienne.blogcadia.com/index.php?itemid=7415 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:25:20 -0400