Christmas Light Parade and Lighting Ceremony

Here we are, Myrna and LHT, at the edge of the fence around the Old Mill Park just after the lighting ceremony and the light parade on Saturday (Nov. 30) evening. It was a lot of fun and the city is really brilliant. The Veteran's Memorial, Rose Park, Old Mill Park, City Park, the city buildings and the area where the FS kiosk is located are all decorated. It is beautiful. We were surprised at the turn-out and at how many entries there were in the parade. Dad said they just kept coming and coming. One fellow, standing nearby, said it was better than the Ute Stampede Big Parade. I think he was right. Of course, there wasn't as much candy.

New Toy

Grandpa T has a new toy. He bought it, of course, so that the grandchildren (and their parents) would have something to do when they come to visit. It doesn't hurt that it also has a snowplow. We all know that LHT digs out half the town with every snowfall.

Kyle and Koda

In the photo, Koda and Kyle are playing catch in the backyard. Koda, as you all know, is the Colorado Trauntvein family dog. He couldn't live with David and family because they are, for the next six months, leasing a home. Therefore, he has taken up temporary residence with us. Kyle was most happy to have a new friend to play with when he comes to visit. I think Koda likes it as well. I have found that Koda is a picky eater. He only likes one brand of dog food. Go figure!

Myrna's Baby Photo

Taken of Myrna on July 12, 1941. I was born on December 24, 1940.


Melanie wrote:

Mom,

Isn't the date supposed to be July of 1941 and not 1940? I think you would have been embrionic at the date you stated. :-)

Happy Birthday, Todd and Mikaela

Happy Birthday to two awesome people who just happen to share a birthday. Another wonderful person, Grandma Smith, shared the same birthday. Maybe good things do come in threes.

Grandma Smith Quote of the Day

Grandma Smith quote: "Use your head to save your heels." 

I was thinking of that today as I was running around trying to find something I had misplaced. She was right. Studies of memory show that if you are aware when you put something down, then repeat to yourself, "I put the (whatever) in (place)," you will remember where it is. It is that mindless searching that gets to all of us. Better yet, every used item should have a home and, no matter how inconvenient it seems at the time, it needs to go to its home the minute you are done with it. So, Grandma, kudos for the quote. I'll try to remember it in the future.

The Colorado Move

Photo one: Highway 50 leaving David's home. 

Photo two: backyard and the golf course.

Photo three: fishing stream just across the street. 

Photo four: Erin, Bree, Caydin (in Bree's arms) and Donovin.

Photo five: David, Erin and Donovin.

Photo six: Grandma Barbara and Caydin.

Photo seven: front view of the home.

Pritchett

Job Change‏ for Shawn

• Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:23:01 -0700

  From: S. Trauntvein

  I thought I would update all of you. I am resigning my position at the UofU as manager of Financial Aid Systems, to become a systems analyst at the Financial Aid Office of BYU.

  I start at BYU on the 15th of December.

  
  

  Myrna Trauntvein wrote on 11/25/08:

  Wow! I sure am getting a lot of opportunities to do my happy dance. Snoopy and I could really cut it up together. Congratulations!!!!!!!! Dad and I are proud. That is not a lot of time to get ready for the change. I just looked again at the 15th of December. We love you, Mom and Dad

  
  

Shawn's Job Change

Shawn wrote: I thought I would update all of you. I am resigning my position at the UofU as manager of Financial Aid Systems, to become a systems analyst at the Financial Aid Office of BYU.

I start at BYU on the 15th of December.


Myrna wrote: Wow! I sure am getting a lot of opportunities to do my happy dance. Snoopy and I could really cut it up together. Congratulations!!!!!!!! Dad and I are proud. That is not a lot of time to get ready for the change. I just looked again at the 15th of December. We love you, Mom and Dad


Eric wrote: Let us all do the  happy happy joy joy dance. When you get ready to move call me, I am sure that I will bo working that day or at least be out of town. Ha Ha. I'll help.
E.


Kirsten wrote: Wahoo! If we can't win the game, at least we can win the best people
on campus!!!! :)


Todd wrote: Nice!!!  Long commute.

Max Hall

A picture of Max Hall when I was still pining for him as a wonderful BYU quarterback so reminiscent of the greats from yesteryears before.  

How I feel now about the man who crushed my ever-loving dreams of a BCS bowl with his lackluster performance on Saturday (and I only listened by internet).... CURSES!!!!

Herbert James Smith

Herbert James Smith
Birth 05 August 1867 in Blackthorn, Ambrosden, Oxfordshire, England
Death 28 March 1937 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, USA

My great-grandfather Smith (Grandpa Raymond James Smith's father) was a railroad train engineer. He was stationed in Springville but he drove all over the place. He did go up Ogden Canyon for one of the places. At any rate, he had his own engine and this is it. In the bottom photo, he is standing on the engine.

One more response about, please say what you think.‏

The only problem is that it is not different from the MyFamily site, which costs $30 per year. Todd paid this year, Melanie paid last year. 

You (generic) were issued an invitation. You went to the site. You changed your password to something that you wanted. You could post comments and photos. You couldn't decorate. You could add genealogy. You can't do the fun slide-shows but you can up-load and down-load. There are several places to make comments. It is private. It is open only to those invited. 

I don't know. Tell me what you think. I know that with open blogs there are some safety issues, one of those Melanie encountered. I know AnnMarie, from a legal standpoint, worries about child molesters. There you go. But each of you have editorial rights. 

I am off. Dad looks great with his brace.

Love, M

Blog

Kirsten and Siovhan,

Some of the family cannot list items as contributors at http://trauntveinhome.blogspot.com/. How does that work and how can they fix it? Is it something I have to fix? Love, M

 Kirsten wrote: Something you have to fix. you'll have to check your "permissions" settings under "customize".

Myrna wrote: I have invited and enabled the family. Now what? M

Kirsten wrote: Did you add them all to author or contributor? (since yours allows other authors, I'm not sure how that works. look on your permissions part and tell me all the places you see my name (author, contributor, reader, etc.)

Myrna wrote: All of them. But I also have you enabled as an administrator. I did that for Melanie and Todd so, perhaps, they can now write. I don't know. Love, M


Kirsten wrote: maybe there's a place where you can review what's being contributed before they're allowed to post. As an administrator, I still don't have access to all the information (like backgrounds and more customization options) that you do, so maybe that's the ticket.

I'll ask my friend Bonnie Gooch Smith. Her family has one where everyone can contribute, too.

Myrna wrote: Thanks! Mom

I am giving you all the right of editor. If you visit, you get the right. That means that you can actually change things and not depend on me, your weird mom, to do it all. Love, M

Yes, Shawn, I did take note of your address change. I have not taken the time to do that yet. Love, M

Kirsten wrote: Mom, what do you think about making our family blog private?

lots o love,

kirsten

Myrna wrote: What do you think? I guess most of you would feel safer. That is why I have been being careful with posts. I just didn't do it to start with because so many people forget how to do it. Use the MyFamily site as an example. I think that I am the only one, besides Todd, who ever goes there because no one can remember how to get there. Love, M


Kirsten wrote: This is different, though.  Those of us who access it, already have a username and password, because we have to have one in order to post.


Myrna wrote: You have full editorial privileges.  Go ahead. We will be moving David for two days and will be back on Monday. We will not stop by. We will not get to David's until evening on Saturday. (Dad is at x-ray right now. He was helping Julie move on Friday and hurt his knee. They are giving him a brace because he thinks he is 16 and jumped from the back of the truck.) When we leave on Sunday, we will have their dog with us. Love, M

Kirsten wrote: I can do it, but then I need to reinvite everyone.  Who wants in?  and are there people outside of immediate family that also need to be invited?

Myrna wrote: Where is the icon that lets me make the change?

Siovhan wrote: It's under settings. it's called permissions. you can change the settings there.


Kirsten wrote: I already made the change for you.  If you go to "permissions" under "settings" at the bottom appears the "who can view my blog" I selected "only people I choose" and hand-added the family's email addresses, including siovhan and brigitta.  if you see anyone else, please add.  I did not include ams other than her home email as she won't view it any way.  not sure if you want me to send an invite to aunties or not....  you can also do that if you go to the screen i told you above and simply enter the email addresses you want to also include (separate by a comma).

hope this is okay.  just feel safer for pictures we are posting.

I also made it so no search engines can find our pics or postings, although there might already be some cached on google's servers.  you have to go through them to have that removed.


Myrna wrote: I think we should add Ams' work e-mail. I just think it is the right thing to do. I did have aunties and garth added. He actually does visit from time to time. Love, M


Kirsten wrote: I don't think she likes to have her work email out there.  she accesses what she needs from her home email, from what she's told me.  I added garth, eva and helen.  who else?

OK, Kirsten. Here is the photo of Shawn that you wanted to see. Does he look like Jacob, after all? 

The things my grandkids tell me!

While Rachel was visiting me last Wednesday, she wanted me to get down on the floor with her. I said, "I don't know, Rachel, I am getting kind of old." 

She then said: "I don't want to get old. I don't want to grow up. I want to stay little and live with my mom and dad forever." 

I know the feeling. I didn't want to get old either. But it is better than the alternative, don't you think? Faced with dying young or living to be old, I will take the latter.

Piano Recital in Ohio

We just got back from the piano recital for the kids. Rather than take the time to upload the video to all the sites, you will need to check it out on our family site http://amyandtoddtrauntvein.blogspot.com/

Hope you all have a fabulous week.

Happy Birthday, Kirsten

To the girl who is always fun!

Happy Birthday!

RE: How did it go?

I dislike change. I see that as both a strength and weakness. I understand what you mean. Julie, the girls and I all knelt down and prayed that all would go well for you. Julie said the prayer and reminded Heavenly Father that you were a good man with many strengths. She asked that our Father bless you so that the best thing would happen for you and for your family. I concur and am still praying that the best will happen. Love, M

---

From: STrauntvein@sa.utah.edu
To: mandlht@msn.com; trauntvein@relia.net
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:56:15 -0700
Subject: RE: How did it go?

Well, the manager that is hiring for the position said they had three good candidates, each of which has different strengths, and that those created different exciting possibilities. He said they would make a decision in a couple of days. The more technical person on the interview committee, was asked by the manager if he had any more questions, and he said "no". I then asked if he had a question about any of my answers to his questions, and he said that as far as he was concerned I had "hit them all out of the park".

I hate change, though, when I am not the one in control. This position would not have any management aspect, and I worry about whether I need to keep working on my management skills in case some future employment change is needed. I also worry about having to buy a new home, and about real estate being higher priced in the Provo area. I am 46, we only have ten-to-twelve years to finish paying off our house, even with the second mortgage. I cannot get into a new 30 year mortgage, or I will be 77 before I finish paying it off.  I was hoping Kimberly and I could go on a mission by then, although I don't have much of a retirement account anymore, and when I looked at mission prices a couple of months ago (for different places around the world) I was not sure how I would be able to afford them.

I am kind of tired though. I have only been getting four-to-five hours of sleep a night (although last night I got six). I have so many things going on, and I seem to wake up early in the morning worrying. I also may need surgery on my hemorrhoids, and do not want to carry a pre-existing condition into my next employment. I have youth that I feel I need to work with, and I worry about leaving before I finish what I felt I should have been doing. Kimberly's Grandma Nonie was also diagnosed with breast cancer, and she has an upcoming surgery. There is so much going on.

How Did It Go?

That story should have impressed them. It impressed me. Love, M

---

From: STrauntvein@sa.utah.edu
To: mandlht@msn.com; trauntvein@relia.net
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:55:41 -0700
Subject: RE: How did it go?

By the way, I told a "hunting" from when I was twelve during my interview. They asked if I was big picture oriented, or detail oriented. I told them that I leaned towards the big picture side. They asked me why, I said "it is because you can get bogged down in details if you only deal with details, and can come out completely wrong." I continued by telling the following experience (although I did not say I was hunting pheasants, or that we were out by the bogs):

"When I was young I was hiking with my father, and he told me to cross through a big area of willows, and come out on the other side. I started through the willows and would keep having to decide which way was best to go to get around a clump of willows, I would go around the one, get to the next and go around it, and all the time I thought I was still going the right direction, but in the end I ended up coming out on the wrong side. Because I had no external 'big picture' reference, I got lost in the details."

From: L H TRAUNTVEIN [mailto:mandlht@msn.com] 
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 9:25 AM
To: Shawn and Kimberly Trauntvein; Shawn Trauntvein
Subject: How did it go?

Dad and I went home teaching last night. I wondered if you knew how you had done on the interview or if you felt good about it. Love, M

Happy Birthday, Mel!

Happy Birthday to a gal who still doesn't look a day over 29!  We love you!  Thanks for always being the best oldest sister anyone could have--sorry you had to miss out on having an older sister, Shawn =\ 

Hope next year is a little less catastrophic (who are we kidding?!!!)

Mom has a question

David is moving. Julie is moving. I am wondering why Julie and David have decided to do everything they do in pairs. Their youngest babies were both born in June and now they are both moving in November. Is this a trend? Of course, both of the trends have been something to celebrate. So I think that congratulations are in order.

It will be nice to have David closer. He will be about two hours away from Kirsten and about the same amount of time away from his father-in-law. He will be six hours away from us. That is a much better traveling distance from the Old Folks at Home and I am still doing the happy dance over it. The DRT family is also happy that they will be back in the mountains. However, I think they picked some mountains where it really snows. Most people really love snow and that is why there is skiing in Gunnison. There are also lots of places to go fishing.

As for Julie, she is getting out of her cramped apartment into a house. It is a manufactured house that belongs to the Osmonds. This Osmond is the son of Merrill. Yes, he does sing. He is part of the group, the Second Generation. He and his wife bought the house as an investment and they asked Jim if he and Julie would like to rent it. Of course they said they would. It is really close to the bee barn. In fact, it is about a block away. Jim can actually walk home for lunch. They will not be able to start building their house until next summer.

Warning Signs for Moms

So, when we took Whitney to her volleyball practice/game (have to blog about that another time), I saw this sign hanging in the gym.  Being a mom, instantly I thought of the countless hours spent pregnant and miserable and the countless hours afterwards spent, well.... AWAKE! Jared's sister is pregnant with her fourth, so I snapped a picture and voila; i thought you'd all enjoy and get a kick out of this, as well!  While it was meant for students to realize their assignments are due and to not procrastinate, I can't help but think of the great warning this would also be for all wanting to be parents!  LOL!!!

• Re: Braden's Eagle Court of Honor‏

To: Melanie Bolton

L H and Myrna Trauntvein (mandlht@msn.com)

11/04/08

On Nov 1, 2008, at 11:11 AM, Melanie wrote:

Yes! Yeah!

We have finally scheduled the Eagle Court of Honor. Plans are under way for it to be held January 3, 2009, with two of his closest friends.

We will send out formal invites in December.

Melanie

Melanie, Dear, I am doing a happy dance!!!! Congratulations. We will be glad to hear more. Love, M 

Updated contact info.

So I'm making my personal blog private...so any (and ALL) of you are welcome to have an invite just send me your email at my email.

Speaking of which add notlobs@gmail.com to your address books as my contact email. That's the only one I really check anymore (and if you have gmail--you can gchat me!!). :)

O.O SCARY COSTUMES!

Note: This post was all Brigitta's doing, so she gets all the pride....and scorn. :D

You know the whole family is on a suger high when they post at midnight after halloween, but then again...who isn't on a suger high?

I know, I know, you're here to check out the costumes, so here you go...

The plus makes it go faster, you can guess what the minus does and the two straight lines are pretty easily recognized from your remote.

Glad you tunned in!
Keep bloggin!
-Brigitta

Lagoon, November 1st, 2008, 72 degrees!

Today was the last day for the Season at Lagoon. Sorina's last chance for this year. Since Shawn and I were going on a date to Lagoon today, I thought I'd better take Sorina, since we'd talked about it all season. She didn't make it last year. She had a great time and was reluctant to head home and let Mom and Dad go on their double date. The weather was perfect and the crowds were to a minimum. Very nice Fall day at Lagoon.

Layton Trauntvein's Halloween Gallery

I don't ever remember a Halloween in Utah where the weather was a wonderful 74 degres at trick-or-treat time. Those temps are Califorina trick-or-treat weather.

Carbon County

I found these on the Utah State Historical Society's website tonight. There are so many pictures there. I got some and will be returning for more. Some of these pictures are of Clear Creek, some are Kenilworth and some are Castle Gate.


The State Historical Site claims to have 25,000 photos online for all to use. The names and locations for all the pictures are on each of the pages as you browse the photos. I started with what I knew--I am sure there are a lot more.

http://history.utah.gov/research_and_collections/photos/index.html

Guess what? I left a big container of candy on the front porch with a picture of a skull and crossbones posted above it. I asked everybody to take a FEW pieces and to dare to share. When we got home from the temple at 11 p.m., all of the candy was gone. Sort of reminded me of the deed done by the Grinch--you know, crumbs to small for a mouse. Want to bet that one person got it all?

More on the apple saga. My friend from Price, Joyce Woodward, had a similar apple experience to the one I had. She was using one of the apple pickers featured in garden catalogs, you know the kind. They have a basket on the top. While she was picking, one of the big apples fell from the top of the tree and hit her right between the eyes. She had really black eyes when I saw her a few days later. I wonder if those apples have it out for females in retaliation for Eve tasting the "apple" and giving one to Adam to taste. (Just kidding, of course.)