For Posterity's Sake: The Red Barn is Finished!

I have been wanting to finish my red barn painting for a whole year now! I finally did it.
The red barn has some family significance. The only way I can put the story of the red barn into words is to share my Munner's words (my Grandma Fox).

" My Grandpa Bush was the greatest man on the planet -- an industrious farmer, community worker, good neighbor, etc.  How I loved him and the honor and respect my Mom had for him.    The painting in our living room is of his farmhouse and  cow barn, horse barn, pony barn and my pony!   His grandparents came from Conn. and homesteaded 500 acres, and Gpa thru the ages ended up with about 100 acres which he successfully farmed.   He had two children, my mom, Irene Gma Corwin and her brother, Harry. 

    Late in his life, Harry had cancer and had surgery at the Montrose Hospital on Grow Ave. in Montrose -- just across the street from where we lived while I went to high school.   Uncle Harry was in the hospital about two weeks and very ill.  At that time local painters would paint and frame their works and hang their paintings in the hospital rooms for the patients to enjoy.    Hanging in Uncle Harry's room was a red barn painting.  As he began to feel better, he and my Mom realized that it was his father's cow barn that the painter had painted.  He felt that looking at his father's barn gave him strength to recover.  After Uncle Harry got out of the hospital, my Mom contacted the painter and bought a copy of the red barn painting and gave it to her brother.   After he died, Mom got the painting, and then I inherited the red barn painting when she passed.   I am putting a little note on the back of the painting today that at the appropriate time, it should go to our favorite painter, YOU!!"

In honor of my Grandpa Bush, in whom Bush Determination originated, whose picture hangs in our family room.....

The red barn

The Last Frontier

 A few pics from Mark's current location in the arctic tundra. 

He's hard at work finishing a range for Fort Richardson outside of Anchorage, AK. 

A picture of the range

That plug isn't a battery, it's a car warmer. 

As Mark and his dad love to say about the frigid cold, "It puts hair on your chest."

Sunday Morning

It is a quiet Sunday in the ER.

I'll usually look up a conference talk or two to feel like I'm getting some sort of spiritual upliftment when I work Sundays.

I came across this talk by Elder Uchtdorf today. I forgot how much I LOVE this. So needed this reminder.

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/the-merciful-obtain-mercy?lang=eng

Off to Alaska

Tonight I'm missing him.

Mark left for work up in Alaska for a week. It's really just not fun when he's not around. 

I just really really love him. 

Africa!

Elder Johnson has been out on his mission for one whole MONTH in Accra, Ghana. He is doing so well! Maybe a little homesick, and a little overwhelmed by the amount of work, but he is taking it all in his stride. We are so blessed as a family as well, as his emails remind us of what is really important. 

Here are some pics from his farewell

Brad's buddies

 Cathryn J and I

Sibling Love

This is our personalities to a T!

Almost got it!

 Ahh we did it! Last picture of all of us together before Brad left

Brad is such a great brother. He is a calming force in our family. 

My favorite recent memory with Brad was skiing with him right before he left on his mission. We were skiing the back side of Beaver Mountain, which both he and I have done before. However on this run, we took a wrong turn and didn't realize it until we were in a forest of trees, brush, and massive boulders. It became impossible to ski so we took off our skis and started hiking down the mountain. By this point it was getting dark, and I was worried our family, who was picking us up, would be waiting for us. I'd figure if they waited too long they'd start worrying. I was becoming more and more frustrated. And I may or may not have let a few swear words fly! Brad finally said, "Whit, it's ok. It's gonna be fine. It's just not the most ideal situation." And sure enough, we found our path again and quickly skied out. And our family hadn't even arrived yet to pick us up. 

This is so Brad's attitude. He goes with the flow and carries peace with him. He just believes that everything works out. 

Good humor = good problem solving

We're discovering as I'm sure every couple discovers, that sometimes the meshing and sharing of two lives can cause, well, a little pressure and a little friction. But it is the friction that smooths the rough edges of the pebble, and the pressure that creates the diamond. And when the ultimate goal is to become one, a little melding and molding is a pretty darn good thing. And it's usually in the details.

Our latest discovery - how to solve driving differences! 

I love to drive like 

Grandma Gertrude, 

and Mark likes to drive like

  Speedy McSteve. 

So naturally driving together causes the passenger of that ride to feel disconcerted. 

Solution? 

I agreed to drive like Speedy as long as Speedy acknowledged that his driving is reckless.

And Speedy would slow it down for Gertrude as long as I call him "O great one".

And so far so good.

A little humor goes a long way! 

Thank Goodness it's.....Wednesday?

I would love Wednesdays if every Wednesday was like this last Wednesday. How many times can you use 'Wednesday' in a sentence?!
This is the rundown....

"Was up Was uuuuupppp!" Ned loves Wednesdays too!

Actually he looks like he's saying "Seriously, just take the picture. Let's get this over with." Every dog needs a good amount of loving torture. 

Sister Fox left on her mission!

Mary, Jacob, and Danielle came to stay overnight before Danielle went into the MtC. She is going to Las Vegas, Nevada. She has the most amazing spirit about her. She is kind and loving and interested in others. She is inspiring and uplifting. She will be such a wonderful missionary. She forgot she still had her cellphone once she got inside of the MTC and called Mary to come back for it. The lady at the front desk already knew who Mary was when she walked in and said how impressed she was by Danielle and her sweet spirit. She's already leaving her footprint, not but a few minutes in the MTC:). 

I finished my painting!! I think I last blogged about finishing this painting a year ago? I finally did it! And I love it. 

My inspiration for this was Sardine Canyon. 

And then.....Wednesday night we went with the JJET sisters to see BON JOVI!!!!!!!

Of the however many concerts we've seen him do, my mom and I agreed this was his best concert yet. 

Ready to Rock! 

We ate at the Red Rock Cafe before the concert with the ladies....the restaurant manager came right up to Mark, shook his hand, and said "Wow, how did you get to sit with a table of eight beautiful women? Congratulations." Then a few minutes later he came back and said "Really, I mean....you can have your dessert for free. I'm so impressed." We had a good laugh. 

The JJETS remarked how it seems there is always one honorary husband for all the JJET women whenever we go anywhere. Mark was this night's "lygamist".

Definition of Lygamy according to my mom: "The L means our lives not our husbands. So instead of polygamy....Share husbands and lives....We made up Lygamy. Share our lives, day to day tasks, vacations, etc etc." 

There you have it!

ROCK ON!

I said "Um, ladies, we're all right here!" Treasa....still head buried in her phone says..."Well I gotta Instagram and let everyone else know I'm here!" 

People and their phones.

Just for fun.....Spiritual Ned

This actually was a....Thursday event....but the time has come that Ned has left us. He's thinking he's going for a joy ride. Muah haha, little does he know, it's back to Sophie, the prima donna!

I cried a lot about Ned leaving. What is my problem? It's a dog! But I can't help it, I just love this dog so much. As neurotic and scrappy as he is. 

So.....I asked Mark to call up the owner of some of the puppies we have been looking at. We drove out to look at them right after Ned left. 

And meet our new family member!! Herb Brooks Ostebo

He'll be joining us next week!! 

Ned Schneebly Fox Johnson

Look who has stayed with us for the past two weeks! It's the Ned Schneebly Fox Johnson! We're dog sitting while my parents are on a cruise. Some things never change (my parents cruising and Ned). Ned has found his guard post station at our deck door, checking to make sure the perimeters are secure. He's still barking incessantly at anything that isn't family that moves. The day starts at 6:30am for a bathroom stop outside. He's still scratching himself constantly...well....we aren't sure what he's scratching. But he scratches til his skin is raw. And with it being spring, his fur is shedding so I find patches of hair EVERYWHERE. I have to vacuum at least once a day. He has marked his territory on our walks at every tree, bush, and pole. But....at the end of the day, he's just so darn cute. He's getting old these days, and sleeps a lot, which makes him ooey gooey to cuddle with. Sometimes he's so cute I want to squeeze him to death. 

And slowly he's grown on Mark too.

The many faces of Ned

Here Ned is thinking, "Yeeesss!! In just a few short hours I will be free of Sophie forever!" Sorry Ned. You will eventually have to go back to co-existing with Sophie. 

Male bonding

 

From one guard post to another. 

Male bonding over sports

A Ned greeting.

American Ned. 

 Ned in his natural Australian sheep dogging habitat.

Ned's favorite activity 

Trip to DC

We had a wonderful time in DC this past weekend. We got to be with Papa, Munner, and my mom for the whole weekend, and we went to Katie Powers and Adam Wilson's wedding. What could be better?!

I kept begging my mom to come with us on this trip. She kept telling me, "mmm, maybe, I don't know yet." I knew something was up because she is a woman that plans down to the nitty gritty details. And she doesn't like loose ends undone. And sure enough, when we got to the airport my mom surprised us and arrived at the gate! It was so fun to see her, and it made our trip that much more fun to have her along.

Hi Mom!!

And we're off!

This cross stitch greets all visitors in Papa and Munner's home. 

Spending the morning with Papa and Munner. I got to meet my cousin's daughter Grace. Such a cute girl. Kara said she has a bucket of Easter decorations, and in it a headband with bunny ears.....which Grace hadn't taken off for the past few days. 

Papa and his 'award winning porridge' compliments of his 'award winning chef'....Mun!

One of Papa's greatest qualities is his 'food pushing'. And after much hard work pushing me to try porridge, this was actually the first time I'd ever tried his porridge. It was deeeeelicious!

The men taking a stroll down the driveway. 

                                                

                                                      

The lovely Kara and Grace....oh and their new 2013 Honda Accord!

I haven't seen Kara for about 4 years, it was fun to reunite.

Smiling and excited to go to Katie's wedding dinner.

Dinner at George Washington's house! I haven't been here since I was 8 years old. It's amazing to stand where we are standing and look at the great expanse of land Washington owned. And to think that when he lived there, the United states just west of his estate was largely open frontier. How far the US has come in a few hundred years. How blessed we are to be a part of this great nation. 

My lovely girlfriends....Lisa Hammon, Megan Zitting, and Aubri Root

And, of course, the handsome couple! Katie has been such a light in my life and an example of love, kindness, friendship, hope, faith, and courage. I love her dearly and it's wonderful to see her marry someone of her same caliber. Well, actually, I think Adam still married up:). And that's the way it should be. 

Mark's photography skills! 

Fun to be bridesmaids with these gals....Maury, Kim, Sara, and Amber. Katie outfitted us in cute navy lace dresses and pearls! She has such a cute style. 

 I'm so grateful for temple marriage. There is nothing better in this world than to be sealed to the most important person in your life. There is no greater joy....at least that I know of yet....than to share the bond of marriage and to be endowed with the Spirit and the knowledge of God's approval of that unification.