Hello…?

Hi! I’d like to reintroduce myself….

This is Betty here.
As in: Betty No-Show.
As in: Betty Where Are you?
As in: Betty Vanished.

Sheesh.

I, apparently, have taken an unauthorized leave of absence from my blog, seeing how the last post I wrote was about Memorial Day…

I have written – in my head of course – at least 5 different posts,
which would be one post a week if you’re counting how many weeks I’ve been absent.
Of course they’ve been stimulating and interesting,
incredibly well written and captivating.

Every single post.

Unfortunately,
Now that I’m sitting here at the computer,
I can’t remember a single one.

Apparently,
I’ve been busy.
I complain that I have no life… but the life I have must keep me busy enough to keep me away from here.
And that makes me sad.
I like blogging.
I like writing my thoughts down.
I like trying to be creative,
and keep the blog from turning too boring.

I will admit I’m working on an important writing.
Something that has been gnawing on my mind for a long time.
It’s something that I feel very strongly about.
It’s not light hearted, or funny.
It’s important enough to me that I want to do some research about it.
I want to study it out and even pray about it.
I don’t want to sound foolish or flippant or fanatical.
So, be prepared.
Consider yourself warned.
It might get heavy here…
for just one post!

Until then, I guess the question is:
WHAT HAS KEPT YOU SO BUSY THAT YOU HAVEN’T HAD TIME TO WRITE?

Well…
The short answer would be:

Life.
Life has kept me busy.

Scooter and I have been on the road.
Driving down that “beautiful” Interstate between East of Nowhere and Zion
with an occasional stop at my parent’s cabin.
Do you call it the Freeway?
We call it the FREEZEWAY!
(Even though it’s STINKIN’ HOT on that road!)
And one day, we’re going to be able to take a drive
and go somewhere off that beaten path.
When will that be?
We still don’t know!
We still don’t have a definite move date.
Our life is still in LIMBO!
(However, Flynn’s interview with the other hospital is THIS WEEK!
It’s been such a long time since his first interview with the recruiter…
the two weeks we were supposed to wait turned into two months!
We’re very excited and are praying that he’ll do well enough to progress to the next stage!
Please pray for us as well!)

I have decided the best way to record the time is through photos.
I’ll try to keep them to a minimum and only do the highlights.
Because – I’ll be honest – I’ve taken about 600 photos since the beginning of June.
I think I have a problem.
Do they have a 12 step program for people with cameras?

****************************

Do you see this picture?
Can you believe how lucky I am?
I got to meet one of the coolest ladies in the world!
Yvonne and her family came to our great state to pick up her missionary son
who was serving faithfully in the SE corner of our state.
Yvonne and I have been blogging friends for… gosh…. forever?
We first met about the time Scooter got to help President Monson with the
Cornerstone Ceremony at the dedication of our new temple –
which was in 2008.
She has been such an inspiration to me throughout the years.
She is one of those people who boosts people up and is leaving the world a better place
through her actions and her kind words.
I was so grateful that we could finally meet (10 feet away from that same Cornerstone)!
And you know what?
She’s as kind and gracious and WONDERFUL in person as she is on her blog!
Thanks, Yvonne!

*******************************************
There’s been a little time to spend with friends….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And we can’t forget Scooter’s second Pinewood Derby!
It’s hard building a car when your Dad lives 450 miles away!
But between us visiting Flynn -- and Flynn visiting us -- with a stop at the cabin
(where all the wood working tools are)
they got it done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scooter has been on a Harry Potter kick this summer and he
decided to make his Derby car a
Hogwarts Express.
Very clever, eh?

***************************

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was so excited to watch our town’s fireworks from the hill. I wanted to practice using my camera in manual mode.
Yes, we were HUGELY disappointed when they started the firework show BEFORE the sun went down
and they only lasted 13 minutes.
The show was OVER before the sun finished setting!
This is as good as it got!

So we put the camera on Manual and had fun anyway!
At a more appropriate hour for fireworks.

And my Dad?
Well, he just was happy to hang out!

******************************
We explored a state park 60 miles east of East of Nowhere
(is that a tongue twister or what?)
It’s not landscape like we’re used to,
but it was stunning in it’s own way.
And beautiful!
And HOT!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a new experience:

 

 

 

 

 

 

While on a hike, we ran across these tracks.
Can you guess what they are?
MOUNTAIN LION!!
Woo hoo!
I might actually get to achieve my goal of seeing a Mountain Lion in the wild!

And Scooter practiced his own photography skills.
I think he did a pretty good job!

And he, of course, loved climbing on all the rocks.

One last picture of the State Park.
(Are you even still with me?)
I call these rocks
The Alien Twins.

You know how you always see old homesteads in fields in the Western States?
They’re usually old barns or old one room shacks.
I was so surprised to drive past this “mansion.”
I wonder what the history/story of this building is…?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now, I believe we’re fairly caught up on the summer.
Sheesh this was an overload, wasn’t it?
From here on out, I can
a) write more often
or
b) take less pictures.

Hmm…..
Which option shall I choose?

(As always, feel free to click on a picture to get a larger, clearer view)