Daddy and me!

This is what Daris would look like if he was a girl!! Scary how they look so much a like now!

Family Vacation

We had our every two year Couch family reunion!  Here is our trip in a nutshell! 
July 1 - Crammed five people into our car. Started driving to Wyoming and only made it to Boise, ID.  Robyn was done being in her car seat for eight hours. We stayed in a hotel and even took Robyn swimming for the first time.  She didn't really enjoy herself and she didn't like it when Daddy jump in and made a big splash.
July 2 - Made it to Draper,UT, where my sister-in law lives.  Had our first In&Out Burger for lunch and enjoyed Cafe Rio for dinner!  Aunt Tiffy and Alex were excited to see all of us.
July 3 - Finally made it to Wyoming where we met the rest of the family at church to bless our new nephew Eli ( we share a birthday now )  Had a great get together with all of the Wyoming Conrad friends also a great firework show!
July 4 - Made it all the way to Idaho Falls and met the rest of the Conrad family!  We checked into a great hotel!  Joined the extended Couch family in the park to watch the fireworks and to eat a picnic dinner!  Had some great fun meeting everyone again and meeting the new family members.  I didn't last very long ( there was cotton wood everywhere and I was sneezing up and storm and Robyn was ready for bed)  We enjoyed the around the world firework show from the hotel bed
July 5 - Daris and I got up early and went to visit Robyn's great grandma for their first visit!  It was wonderful to see them getting to know each other.  Robyn didn't disappoint.....she put on a great smile and showed off her crawling skills!  Had lunch at a park and enjoyed the Couch family history tour of Idaho Falls.  Went back to the park for dinner and family pictures!  Later that night, Grandma offered to babysit so we could head out on a date.  We went to see Transformers 3 in 3D.  Fun movie!
July 6 - Daris and the boys went off for an all day rafting trip.  We took all the kids to the local zoo.  It was a good thing it was so small.  The kids were hungry and falling apart.  After lunch the kids calmed down and were having a blast at the pool where all the Dads joined us.  Had family dinner and some said their goodbyes.
July 7 - The reunion was coming to an end and Daris and some of the boys headed home.  They had a long drive but they made it!  I was hanging out for another couple of days.  We also went to the temple.  Realized I forgot my temple recommend.  They had to call my bishop.  Everything work out ok!  Idaho Falls has one of the most beautiful temples I have ever been inside of!
July 8 - We helped Great Grandma paint her backyard fence and her deck!  The work went fast because of the amount of people and the heat!  90ish degrees :)  Later that night, we all headed over to Brad and Roz's house to help bake cookies for Kate's wedding.  Had a wonderful time hanging out.  Back to Great Grandma's house around 130am, where Robyn was coughing and crying really hard and we ended up taking her to urgent care, where we found out she had a full blow ear infection going on ( just thought it was more teeth coming in )  Got home around 330am, where she cried for an hour or so.  I felt just rotten!  There was nothing I could do for her, she finally feel a sleep and at 730 woke with a smile on her face!!  Thanks for all the family members that pitched in, couldn't have done it without you!!
July 9 - Katie and Luke's wedding day!!!!   Went to the temple to see them be sealed to each other!  Almost cried!!  They had a great luncheon and a rocking reception!  Katie just looked SO beautiful!!!
July 10 - We all went to church but, we didn't make it all three hours!  Everyone was falling a sleep!  Had a great family lunch.  We packed up and made our way back to Utah.  Drove into a great thunder storm!  Went to In&Out a second time (Kathy lost a bet with Tiff about a rest stop, so she was buying)
July 11 - Kathy, Robyn and I headed to down town Salt Lake.  Use the trax system!  Wish Seattle had something like that!  Walked around Temple Square and visited some of the buildings, learned tons about church history!  Headed home and picked Tiff up from work where we later met up with Tiff's friend Tammy and headed out to a bar-b-q restaurant!  Great food!!  Great company!!  Packed up for Robyn's first airplane ride in the morning

July 12 - Got up early and actually had to wake Robyn up.  Dropped off Tiff at work and headed to the airport.  Kathy got a guest pass to help me threw security and wait for the plane.  Salt Lake airport was great!  A security guard let us cut in line and helped out with going threw the metal detectors.  We let Robyn crawl around while waiting for the plane.  Said our goodbyes and Robyn and I boarded the plane!  Happy to say Robyn did GREAT on her first ride.  She slept the first half and just hung out the last half!  Scott picked us up at the airport and I about kissed my kitchen floor!  I was SO happy to be home and sleep in my own bed ( which is where I'm headed now)

Mae West

So on Tuesday I ended up having West put to sleep. She was only nine years old.  Her stroke hit her really bad and I was told there would be months of recovery and she would have personality changes.  I asked to see her at the vet and I knew I had to do what was right for my dog and my family.  It was one of the most heartbreaking things I ever had to do.  After seeing her at the vet, I knew.  She was still falling all over the place and she couldn't look me in the eyes.  I think she knew who I was but I can't be sure.  I always told Daris that when West would died, I would have to run out and get another dog.  I've changed my mind.  I need some time.  Although my floors are a mess.  No dog to clean up after Robyn!!  The good news..... Our trash can is on the ground where it belongs!  I came home from the vet and threw away everything of hers.  Daris said we should keep the kennel, for when it's time for a puppy.  During the day, it's like she's a sleep in the other room but at night is when it's the hardest!  I hear every little noise and I freak out.   I was SO scared the other night when it was just Robyn and I.  I mowed the lawn tonight and didn't have to worry about dog poop!  That was nice, now Robyn can crawl around the front yard!  Just wanted to say Thank you for all the well wishes and to the special person who brought me a blizzard.....that was the best and I really needed that visit!  Thank you!

Busy couple of days!

So here is some pictures of Robyn during the last few days.  It's been SO crazy.  Jury Duty ended with a not guilty verdict.  My dog West had a stroke the other morning and is still at the vet getting the best care possible.  It looks like she maybe coming home sometime tomorrow!  It's a good thing, my floors have Cheerios everywhere!  Robyn went to her first birthday party for her friend Ben.  He turned one the other day.  She had a great time and had some ice cream to celebrate!  Robyn is crawling everywhere.  Robyn's teeth are coming in like crazy!  She already has two bottom teeth!  Vacation is coming up fast!  Elven more days!  Then Idaho Falls here we come!  Every two years Daris's side of the family has a HUGE family reunion.  We are going to be traveling through Idaho, Utah, Wyoming.  IN & OUT Burger, here I come!

Off to the races!

Here is Robyn's new favorite pass time.  Follow the leader with the dog!  Wherever West goes, Robyn is right behind her.  As if it could get any sweeter, Robyn's crawl tops it all.  She looks like she is moving around like a worm.  Up, down, up, down!  Enjoy.......

YOGA!

Robyn is starting to crawl around the house like crazy......well it's really not crawling just yet, it's more like doing the worm. Up, down, up, down.  Anyways, she's having trouble gripping the hard wood floors with her knees.  Being the smartest person I know ;) I decided to put my yoga mat down for her and what do you know, it worked!  Now she just loves it! 

Jury duty is finally done.....nine LONG weeks.  Found out that I'm the alternate so I'm sort of on call I guess you could say, until they reach a verdict.  Day two and nothing so far.

 Daris ended up having a crappy day yesterday according to him.  Robyn was fighting going down for a nap and Daris just got her to sleep and was walking to her room to put her down.  Well the baby gate was up and he forgot to lift his leg all the way up and over it.  He tripped and banged his knee into the wall and almost landed on Robyn.  Needless to say she woke up screaming.  An hour later Daris put her to sleep again and was walking again to her room.  Didn't lift his leg all the way up again, although, he cut his other foot this time and almost fell on Robyn again.  He was done walking over the babygate and kicked it and broke it. He sure showed that baby gate!!  Personally I think the baby gate won..... cut on foot and bummed knee.

Nosey neighbor from next door.......

I never had much of an opinion about neighbors until we bought our house.  It started when we were looking at our house to buy and the next door neighbor came by to talk with us.  She introduced herself as the nosey neighbor from the TV show Bewitched.....MRS. Kravits ( I think that is how you spell the name)  She told us everything there was to know about the house we were looking at and the home owners and everything about the neighborhood.  She would know........She has a pair of binoculars, that she would use to spy on the neighbors!  The day we were moving in she offered to help us. " Anything you need, it's yours"  That was her motto.  I was bugged at first.  Always checking up on us, sharing info on neighbors I didn't know.  Telling me about her family as I knew them.  Anytime we were outside, she'd run up to us and started talking and I mean TALKING.  She could talk FOREVER!  I finally started turning around when we ended up borrowing a rake to clean our yard.  I told her I didn't have one and I asked if I could borrow her rake.  " Anything you need, it's yours" There came the saying I'll never forget. The next day I came home from work and there was new rake standing up against the back door with a big red bow on it.   I one time asked her why she was always so nice and letting us borrow every known yard tool in the world.   She said when she first moved into her house, she had no yard tools to use and her neighbor let her borrow her things.  The only way she could think to repay her neighbor was to be nice to all of the neighbors that came and went.  That was the moment I started changing my mind about being bugged to enjoying seeing my neighbor every chance she got!  We became very good friends, switching keys to each other's homes, taking care of each other's dogs, sharing plants in our yards, keep up with the neighbor's lives, getting to know each other.  I one time needed a tray to use in the oven and my neighbor wasn't home....I just let myself in her house, went into the kitchen and got it myself.  Daris told me I was spending to much time over there if I knew where the baking trays where.  I call my neighbor to let her know what I did and she just laughed and said "Anything you need, it's yours".  We shared a love for Department 56 Christmas houses and we shared our religious views often.  She just loved when the missionaries would come to her house.  She would give them such a had time tell them the most outrageous things.  Onetime she told them that the world was going to end in two hours!!  We would laugh about it later and she asked if the missionaries believed her or not!  She was the most loving Christan women I had ever known.  She loved everyone and help anyone in need.  She has helped me in more ways than one.  She was my best friend.  I could ALWAYS run to her house to chat or to work out a problem.  She was the best cook.  I can't tell you how many times she made me dinner when Daris was working.  She always checked on me......more so now that I have Robyn.  She was such a mother hen.  Making sure Robyn was eating and growing.  Yelled at me once because I forgot to put suntan lotion on her!  Making sure we had enough food and that everything was going good in our lives.  She would help kill the spiders at my house and I would clean up the birds and rats her cats brought home.  We were the perfect pair of neighbors.  Everyone should have one like her! 
     I'll miss you terribly nosey neighbor!  I'll miss you talking about strangers as if I know them.  Miss talking about our neighborhood. Miss talking about different plants and our pets.  Miss talking about your favorite TV shows and how one day your kitchen table will be cleaned off.  Miss talking about your new craft your doing.  Miss you coming over and not caring if I'm in my pj's or if my house was a mess.  You brought a comfort to my life and my families.  I'll tell Robyn about you often and how you taught me all about my plants in my yard and how to treat strangers, neighbors and loved ones.  How to be a great mother, grandmother, sister, daughter and wife.  Thank you Judy Newcomer!  Now that you are gone from this world remember that we love you and will think of you often.  I'll see you again some day, my nosey neighbor and then we can talk and talk and talk and talk............Judith Newcomer died May 30th 2011