April's First Jazz Concert

I hope the quality of the video and audio are ok.  I took this with an iPhone instead of a far superior Android device.  Oh well.  Enjoy anyway.

Photo Friday on Thursday

With some time on my hands I have been reviewing family history pictures and have been having a great time.  In this process I came across pictures of the last bridge the Hutchings built over the "Big Canal" on Hutchings lane.  Over the years of farming  several bridges had been constructed to allow access from the Homestead or farm yard to the fields above.  I do not know the actual count of bridges built but would guess five or six.  In the Spring of 1972 Roger and I were walking in the canal, the water had not yet been turned back in so it was dry, and we observed the cross beams or "Stringers" on the bridge had rotted such that there was less than 50% left to bear the weight.

We immediately took part of the "deck" or top boards off so people could not drive over and then set about to repair the bridge so it would safely hold our equipment and loads.  Well the repair turned into a complete rebuild.  We removed ALL of the bridge, deck, stringers and abutments. (All were wood.)  The wood abutments were replaced with concrete.  All of that work had to be completed before the water was turned back on so there was a real rush.  Here is a picture of the last remnants of that bridge taken in the 1990's.
  

The slipping concrete box in the lower left of the picture is know as a High Box Weir.  This is were we received water from the canal.  It was higher than most weirs so there were times we could not water one of our fields. 

Once the abutments were in we began the installation of the stringers and then the deck.  Seems that the rush to get the abutments done was not carried over to the stringers and deck.  You will see in the picture above the corn is four to five feet high so this would have been late July or August and the water was definitely in the canal.  My memory was we had a challenge getting the deck lumber.  I wanted WWII vintage temporary runway material but it was not available. 

 

None the less, it was a project that we had to work in between watering, caring for crops, Chiropractic practice and church service.  I have very fond memories of the experience, even if I was trying to be a ham and pretend to walk into the canal or swing the hammer no pretending there!  I did my share. 

Some of those memories:

• The hat I was wearing was one of my all time favorites.
• Working with dad, Deon and Roger
• The planks for the deck were really heavy
• We were using 40d spiked to nail the deck on and the sledge hammers were the best way to get them in.  
• Driving over that bridge with my children knowing that I built it. 

Done!

Choir Concert yesterday.  Went well.  DONE FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!!!  Next...Florida for Christmas!

Photo Friday

I vowed to take photos of the older girls this week, so I held the phone up to
them selfie-style and got this. Made me a little scared for the future :)

Those are tears from a flick on the cheek after she bit me. The biting
had gotten out-of-control; she'd hurt each of us dearly. So we are finally
doing something about it. My relationship with her has greatly improved!

Bottles are going over so much better! Hallelujah!

Bryce and one of his guys installing our new can lights in the living room! 

Finally got this up after Jaime came home in tears when all of
her classmates excitedly told the teacher about their Christmas
trees and she couldn't because ours wasn't up yet. 

Justin sanding the dining room wall.

Two coats of white paint on the cupboards. Also, the new wall color!

Also, do we like the photo Friday thing?

Snapshot Saturday

What we spend too much time during church doing.

After 11 months of straight breastfeeding, introducing a bottle did not go well :)

That ladder is resting on the LOWER steps. Sure made me nervous.

Thanksgiving at my brother's place in Salt Lake.

Ava keeps surprising me by climbing on everything.
Especially all of the construction equipment around

Our whole family at Home Depot.

He's SO TALL that he can texture the ceiling while standing on the floor. Sheesh.

The tired, tired kids that we've been keeping up way too late every night to get all this done.

Photo Friday

I didn't get a ton of good pictures, so hopefully James and Mom will post, but here is what I did capture.

Hyrum in his new snow suit.  It is nice and warm, and it is really easy to find him!  Thank you Zulily!  Oh, and isn't it cute how he knelt down to mirror me.  I was just trying to get a better shot, but he followed me.  

Up goes the tree.  We thought it would be fun to put it up with mom and dad before they headed home.  

Simon thought that eating was much more fun than decorating the tree.  He is all boy!

I already make broth from my turkey carcass.  It should make some really great soups next week!

Simon really wants to sit up.  I tried to lay him on the bed and he just popped right back up.  No more bed time for him!  

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I know we will be eating leftover for days, but isn't that the best part.  Well, after the gratitude and time with family.  We love you all and wish we could have all been together!

Snapshot Saturday

I should have snapped a photo of the girls before they headed out the door. I bundled them up in three layers of clothing to head off to a football game with their daddy and his scouts. But I didn't. Instead of I have these.

Ava "helping" with the dishes.

She's been learning how to do the stairs and is quite proud!
I think she looks like Hyrum in this picture.

The Aquarium with Michelle and Jackson.