Happy Easter!

We had a great time celebrating Easter with the family. Emorie had an Easter egg hunt in the back yard and we all ate lots of great food and way too much candy! I love peeps! Especially when they sit open for a couple of days and dry out a little bit! Cadbury eggs are also very delicious. I forgot to buy any before Easter but I hit the 50% off sale at K-Mart and stocked up! I think we might make it until next year! It was great to spend time together with the family and remember how blessed we are to have the gift of the Atonement in our lives. It is so great to have the example of the Savior in our lives and the opportunity to continually work at becoming more like him.

The big 50!

Last week Ted celebrated a milestone birthday. He is now a half a century old. This is one of those times when I'm glad I am 4 1/2 years younger than him! We went to dinner before the Priesthood session of conference with the family as well as the Madsens. Zac was the only one who couldn't come because of work. Ted assumed that dinner was the big celebration. However we girls hurried home and blew up balloons and decorated the house for the surprise party with more family and friends. I scanned in several pictures from his life and we watched the slide show and enjoyed cake and ice cream. He was mostly surprised and I think really pleased that we had wanted to make the day special. I love and appreciate him so much! I can't imagine my life without him. He's my very best friend and I'm looking forward to spending the next 50 years together!

Aggie Tournament Trips

It finally feels like spring is coming! It's been a long winter. We have tried to find some fun things to do to stay occupied. In March we loaded up the Suburban with the four youngest Kings and drove to Reno for the WAC basketball tournament. It was a lot of fun and the Aggies helped make it great by winning the title! It's always so much fun when they win. We even had time to drive from up to see Lake Tahoe. It was pretty cold, but so beautiful. The boys even managed to have a snowball fight.

Our NCAA game was in Boise the following Friday. Ty & Amanda, Zac and Richie went up with Ted and I. The first 15 minutes of the game it looked like we would get blown out by a very good Marquette team, but then they guys came to life. They just kept fighting right up to the end. We ended up losing by just a few points. (I know, I should know the exact score like I'm sure the boys do.) We were dissapointed, but still proud of their 30 win season. We're excited about a new football coach and hope to see the program come to life! We'll be there regardless, but it's so much more fun when we win!

Sunny Mexico!

In January Ted and I were lucky enough to get to cruise the Mexican Riviera. The seas were calm and the weather warm! We went with a group of dairymen and their wives. Ten of us all together. It was so great to just get away for a few days. Even though it was still cold and snowy when we returned, the warm memories have helped get us through the rest of the cold January days. I definitely suggest that as a couple you take any chance to get away without the kids. We have always tried to do this even if it only meant a night in Salt Lake. Life is just too short to not take the time to make some great memories!

Goodbye Sassy

For the last 11 years we've had a great family dog. We adopted her from Golden Retriever Rescue when she was 2 years old. As a young dog, she had so much life and energy. She loved to bark at the mailman, the UPS man as well as anyone else who happened to knock at the door. I think she must have had some traumatic experiences in her first two years. She loved to go for walks and play in the canal by the farm. When the boys played in it on hot summer days she loved to get in with them and swim along. She also loved to lick the dishes in the dishwasher. I hated it when she did that because she pushed the plates out of their spots. I knew the water was hot enough to kill her doggie germs but it meant I had to reload the dishwasher after she was finished. It did eliminate the need to rinse the dishes though.

We worried how she would take it when we go Sophie. She didn't like our friends Shih Tzu so we were a little worried. The first day or two she was a little hesitant but before long they were together all the time. They would curl up together to sleep. Even when we had the puppies last November and then kept Izzy around, she always loved the little dogs.

The last few years her age has really started to show. She had arthritis and struggled with getting up and down the stairs on the back deck. About a year ago she started getting bald spots on her back and although it isn't a very pleasant thing to share, she started having terrible gas. I always told people she was rotting from the inside out. It really smelled bad! We knew we would finally have to put her to sleep but wanted to wait until Robbie got back from his mission. Once he got home, we kept talking about it, but struggled actually making the decision.

Finally on Monday Ted and I took her to the vet where they put her to sleep. It was sooo hard! I still tear up just thinking about it. I could tell she was ready to go because she just relaxed and within 10 seconds the vet checked for a pulse and said, "She's gone." I'm glad it was so peaceful for her. Ted had a spot down at the farm where he buried her.

It's hard to let go, but I'm just grateful for the good years we enjoyed with her. Zac referred to her as "the best doggone dog in the west!" (Any Old Yeller fans out there?) She was a part of our family and we'll certainly miss her!

Happy Birthday Ty!

Sunday was Ty's 26th birthday. On Saturday we went to Ruby River for delicious steak and a browning onion. I'm pretty sure I could just have the onion and be set! Then we went to the USU/BYU Basketball game at ESA. The game was disappointing, but the food made it worth it. After the game we walked through temple square with Richie and Robbie as well as at least half of the state of Utah! It was soo crowded but still so beautiful. Ty and Amanda took Emorie home to bed! On Sunday we celebrated with a traditional roast beef dinner and his favorite birthday cake, angel food cake with fluffy white frosting. It always reminds me of Grandma King since she also loved it. I'm so glad they live close enough to celebrate special days together!

Welcome Home Elder King IV!

On Thanksgiving we were thrilled to travel to Salt Lake City International to pick up Robbie as he returned from his mission to the Belgium Brussels Netherlands Mission. It was so great to see him again after more than two years. He worked hard and we are so proud of his willingness to serve a mission.

It's been great to have him back home again. He is registered for school at USU and has a job doing the night backup at Lewiston State Bank. He's also getting used to the idea that it's okay to talk to girls. The first couple of days I was a little worried about it.

It's great to have him back. Each of the boys have something special about them and when they're gone, we really miss it!