GPS -November 2008 Annapolis

Everyone needs a GPS. For those of you who know how directionally challenged I am you know that an accurate GPS is a must. I have learned to listen to the GPS even when the GPS says we're on St. Margarets street and I see the road sign that says Ritche street, but I do what the GPS says and sure enough in a little while the next sign I see says St. Margarets street. Always believe your GPS. Yes my GPS is Trevor Linton and he knows where everything is and how to get there. WOW!!! Thanks Trevor for being such a good GPS.

Baby Heaton

Daija gave birth to a 7# 5oz baby boy today October 10,2008 at 1:30 P.M. Mike and I took a red eye from Las Vegas to Boston and were able to keep Daija a little company during her labor. Mother and Baby are doing well.



YES -- I even held him and I do think he is adorable.


I can't believe how good Daija looks after so many hours of labor. She went into the hospital around 2:00 a.m. and they started pitocin at 4:30 a.m. and then she had the epidural around 10:30 a.m. and gave birth at 1:30 p.m. If all that sounds fast. Her water broke on Wednesday and had been in labor since her water broke.



A pretty proud papa


His first clothes


Birth is truly a miracle. I am so amazed at the circle of life.

General Conference

When Rich was in the National Guard his guard weekends were usually the first weekend of each month. During fall conference, I remember(we actually probably only did it once or twice-- but I like to think we did it every year) that I would take the kids up Little Cottonwood Canyon between sessions and we would watch the rock climbers or enjoy the falls colors. This year Rich and I drove up Little Cottonwood canyon to observe the fall colors. He still hasn't learned the art of slowing down, but he is getting a bit better. We had just had a snowstorm in the mountains and it was a beautiful sight.




Rich really loved the contrast of the yellows and the dark greens.


I was a bit more reflective and wonder if sometimes we are focusing on just part of the picture. There is a time and season for everything. If the front is in focus then the back is not and visa versa. The conference talks this time were very meaningful to me about trying to get the right perspective into my life. Be prepared and don't fear. Be kind and gentle. Study and pray. I am so grateful for the wonderful prophet and apostles that teach me there is hope and that life is wonderful in spite of all the turmoil that surrounds us. The leaves taught me that as the brilliant reds still stand out in spite of the snow that had fallen around them.

Twin Lakes July 2008 (Peeler Hike)

An evening view from the "fishing hole"



Our Lattin family has a cabin located at Twin Lakes California 13 miles from Bridgeport. My great uncle was a stone mason and constructed the dam on the lower lake. Our family spent alot of time up at the "Cove Cabin" I worked at Mono Village, located on the upper lake -- a vacation resort for two summers during college. I love Twin Lakes. It is beautiful, the weather is never too hot and the stars at night seem close enough to touch.

Rich fishing at "the fishing hole"
The Hike
When we were young we would hike up to Barney Lake -- a 4 miles hike that was just right for us. There was Peeler lake that everyone talked about that was 4 miles above Barney. My father tells of the summer that he took pack horses into Peeler Lake. In the "old" days the trail to Peeler wasn't that well marked and we never made it there. I have always wanted to make the hike to Peeler lake. I talked Rich into going to Twin Lakes and trying to make the hike into Peeler in a day. We got to the cabin on Wednesday. We fished all day Thursday in our famous fishing hole and finally caught 7 fish on Thursday evening. We slept on the sundeck and I was amazed at the beauty and the majesty of the stars.

Friday morning we got up and made our lunch and set out for the Mono Village where the trail head is. We filled our camel backs with bottled water. ( Sorry dad we just couldn't drink the water straight from the stream like we used to) WE set off to Peeler Lake. To make a 9 hour day a short story -- I made it. Thanks to Rich who walked my pace -- poor boy he could have jogged up this mountain. We saw a few back packers coming down the mountain and each one said that it was well worth the trip up. We also were passed up by a group on horses. At that point I was ready to pay for a horse and more so when the guide said we were a longgggggggg way from the lake.


The reward of this beautiful mountain was worth the time and effort. It sits on the top of the sawtooth mountain ridge and the west side of Peeler is in Yosemite National Park. This was one of the first views we had of the lake.


Rich is looking pretty spry. He kept commenting how nice it was to be on an actual trail. Gutzman adventures don't always use conventional trails.


Peeler Lake is about 9400 feet. We started at about 7200 feet. There were these wonderful snow banks where we constructed our own snow cones. I felt rejuvenated after having an original snow cone.


I wouldn't actually put a picture of me on this post but this is to prove that I actually made it to Peeler Lake. A 16 mile round trip. 9 hours hiking.
These pictures do not really capture the feel of this beautiful lake.

July 4th Strawberry

This is a picture of the eagle's nest seen from Goldy's trailer. Thanks to Don for putting the trailer on our RV spot. People have now quit asking us if we want to sell that piece of property.



I was watering some trees and this lizard came and got a drink while I was squirting the hose. By the time I had grabbed my camera he was just hanging out on the railroad tie.

Our next door neighbor sponsored a holiday concert and had a fiddler and guitar player come play for us. It was a great evening in spite of all the bugs. The sunset was beautiful and I never did get a good picture of it.



We had a wonderful 4th of July. Our fireworks were burning logs in our firepit that is now actually a fire pit and not a large well casing. (It was filled with water most of the spring until the runoff slowed and the water table receded)


Reflections: I am grateful to live in a free country where I have so many opportunities. But most of all I am thankful for my great family.

Local Wildlife

Rich noticed this little guy on our way home from church. He didn't seem to frightened although I did have my zoom on. Sometimes we still can get that "country" feel here in Draper.

Mt Auburn Cemetery

Mt Auburn Cemetery, June 2008



The Boston Skyline as seen from the cemetery tower.


I love cemeteries. As a kid we used to visit the old mining town cemeteries. I probably complained about going as a kid, but I have since gained a great appreciation of the epitaphs and the loving memories.

I love the beauty that nature provides. As a kid I spent time finding shapes in clouds and at Twin Lakes I collected ( you could collect back then) wildflowers and learned to identify them.

So to have a cemetery and an arboretum together is a double pleasure. The Mt Auburn Cemetery just down the road from Daija's apartment is an established arboretum with acres of headstones. One could spend hours exploring the many paths, ponds and structures. There was a tower that must be set on a hill high enough that when you are at the top you can see the whole Boston skyline. There are so many trees that we had to follow a map to find the tower. I was in awe at the beauty of this cemetery.

There are many things to do in Boston, but I am looking forward to going back to this cemetery. I can only imagine the fall color display that will coincide with the birth of the baby.

Reflections of Boston: While the cemetery was a great experience the best was being with Daija and Jonathan. It is a pleasure to see a young couple still in love. It is comforting to know that my daughter has a wonderful young man to take care of her. They take an older man to church every Sunday. He is just getting back into full activity and has many questions and I can tell they are just right for him. I am convinced that although being "active" in the church is time consuming and sometimes difficult, being active in the "gospel" brings blessings and comfort that far outweigh any of the "busyness" that we sometimes feel. Thanks Daija and Jonathan for being such good hosts and the wonderful time together.

Boston "Sox"

A trip to Boston would be incomplete without the "Sox" Here we are with the World Series trophies. Daija and I are having a great time. It has been raining and the weather has been tolerable for me. We had a beautiful walk this morning along the St. Charles River. We bought material for a baby blanket and tied a cute little blanket for the newcomer.

Strawberry June 2008

The above picture is the mountain as we see it from our RV lot up at Strawberry. We have been working hard on getting it cleaned up. We walked into the Homeowners Association Meeting and someone was complaining about our lot having a "fire hazard" on it. It really wasn't a fire hazard -- Rich and I had tried to burn it and there was too much dirt -- We had 8 loads of gravel hauled in, planted some trees and now it looks wonderful. The neighbors all want to know if we are selling the lot. After shoveling gravel last Friday, the thought crossed my mind. Then as I was standing on my shovel the two eagles that have a nest in that mountain flew overhead. There is something inspiring about watching a soaring eagle. This is the view from our cabin. Well you have to move a little to get this picture, but you get the point. From our cabin we get to watch the mountain goats, deer, birds, and some sort of critter that I haven't yet figured out what it is. I have enjoyed spending so much time at the cabin. Maybe it reminds me of all the good times up at Twin Lakes when I was a kid. The advantage at this cabin, is you get to have fires and the fire bug in me is very happy.
We had a ton of trees that were dead. Thanks to the Fruitland Wildland Community Fire Council, of which I am part the Forest Service crew came in and cut down our dead trees and chipped the dead wood. I moved a bunch of chips into this tree area in front of our cabin.
These two baby dear hung out with me all day Thursday, June 5. This picture is taken as I am packing up to leave out the car window. I don't know where their mom is, but they never left our property all day. They would look at me and if I moved too close, bound off for a while and then come back.

I have also been working with some of the "locals" getting phone service and well permits. There is a sense of slowness that is somehow calming for me. You just can't hurry them. But they are friendly and willing to do whatever it takes(other than hurry) to get your problem taken care of. I went to the Vernal Temple and even there the pace was much slower. So for those of you that I put your names on the prayer roll -- be patient -- the answer will come -- in "time".

Reflections on Strawberry: I have enjoyed being at the cabin. I can work, take a rest, work, read, work. From the sound of the river to soaring eagles there is a feeling of reverence that you don't get in the city. I can see God's love for us in the beauty and serenity He has created. Thanks - I needed that.

Righty Tighty - Left Loosey

I am in Fallon, Nevada. Grandma is doing well and is an inspiration to me. She showered by herself and is walking around like she doesn't have a stomach full of staples. My brother Rick picked me up today and when we went to get a car for me at the farm we discovered that one of his kitchen sinks was leaking. After visiting Mom and Dad for a while -- trying to get more family history information I went to the hardware store and bought the needed part and plumber's putty.

The bad thing about helping on the farm is that there is always work to be done. The good thing is that you can tackle about any job because it doesn't have to be done perfectly. So I say to myself that I can put the sink drain back in and it will at least leak less than before. I painstakingly remove all the old plumbers putty from the drain part and make the little rope with the new putty. I deftly put the drain back together and............. it leaks!!!

Since B.Ann and Rick are putting bags of carrots, and onions together for the basket company I am not working alone and decide that I need to make this work. I start to unscrew my handiwork. For reasons unknown to me, somehow I have now tightened a part so tight that I can't unscrew it. I ask for Rick's assistance. Now for those that know my dad he is a super fixer upper type of guy and his children did NOT get his handy genes. Asking Rick for help is a leap of faith. Can you unscrew this for me? He actually found a pipe wrench -- ahh but now the big question. Which way do you turn it. I had only screwed it on minutes before -- but alas I can't figure out which way is righty tighty or lefty loosey. After a bit of discussion and trying both directions he does get it off.

I now make a huge putty rope to seat the drain on. I have putty everywhere -- but am determined not to let the sink leak. I screw everything back together and to everyone's delight the sink no longer leaks. There is thick plumber's putty under the sink, but no one really looks there. The real test will be if it doesn't leak tomorrow, but at least for the moment, I have succeeded.

So as I am driving back to Mom and Dad's and contemplating why I have never been able to get a washer going the right direction, I finally have an ah ha moment. Yes I get it!!!! If my palm is facing up righty tighty is one direction and if my palm is facing down righty tighty is the other direction. Now I suspect for you handy types this is no revelation, but to me I can figure out why when I was under the sink that screwing two different pieces on -- righty tighty was NOT the same direction. I can now sleep well, knowing that I am not crazy for all those years that I couldn't understand that concept.


Farm Reflections: There is an unending amount of work to be done on the farm. Vicki has become a city girl. Fallon is dark at night. I remember why I hated the dark because it seems so very very scary, but as I get older I can appreciate the beauty of the stars only seen when it is so very dark. Fallon is an interesting study of contrasts. The wind blows almost as much as Rexburg. It is a desert, but amid those acres of vast nothingness are the most beautiful fields of green reminding me that beauty and joy can be found amidst darkness and trials. I am always amazed and thrilled at the sight of a Fallon sunset. I thank Heavenly Father for his abiding love that makes this world so beautiful. I thank Him for my ability to appreciate the beauty that He has provided. And I thank Him for the contrasts that make it so we can appreciate the beauty.

Annapolis -- More Pictures

Here are some more pictures of Annapolis



Naval Academy Chapel

James is a little tired here
Creating some baseball players

Annapolis - April 2008

A follow up on the Boston trip. Rich, Mike, and James flew from Salt Lake to the Baltimore Airport. Baltimore is less than 30 minutes from Ashkii's house in Annapolis. Daija, Jonathan, and I drove from Boston down to Annapolis. We both arrived there about the same time. Thanks to the Garmin GPS -- we arrived with no major wrong turns. Actually no wrong turns -- Jonathan actually listens and does what the GPS says to do. He doesn't argue with it.

Sunday: We attended church with Ashkii. We took up a whole bench. We decided that when we drove up in the Mangum they would think we were investigators. But when we pulled out our scriptures, our cover was over. Ashkii drove us over to the Naval Academy and we watched some sailboat races.


Monday: Air and Space Museum. We took all the kids to DC to the Smithsonians. We drove to a metro station and then rode the metro in. Ashkii went to work and Brooke stayed home until later in the afternoon when they hooked up with us for dinner. They gave Mike their car and he headed to Dulles to pick up Heidi Gilbert. We had a nice dinner where James said his fries were the best he'd ever tasted. There was a carousel on the "Mall" and the kids including a few big boys had a great time riding. Savannah got to ride it twice since after having lunch at McDonald's she reminded me that I told her she could ride it.

There is something magical about trying to balance on anything.



We attended a "Cosmic Collision" show at the Air and Space Planetarium. Savannah was frightened at the beginning because it seemed so real she thought she was moving through space. We snuggled and I assured her that the pictures were moving but we were pretty stationary. As you can see some were more stationary than others.



Lincoln Memorial/ Washington Monument
After dinner Rich, Vicki, Trevor and James went to the Lincoln Memorial. We rode in a taxi because by the end of the day we were all pretty tired. In fact James said he was ready to go home on Wednesday because his legs were very tired.

The sun was shining on the monument and while the boys were more interested in their airplane than the view was breathtaking, even though the cherry blossoms were all gone. James did comment that the Gettysberg Address on the wall of the Lincoln Memorial had "lots of words"




Tuesday: We had a wonderful tour of the Naval Academy. We watched the midshipmen assemble and march to lunch. Tuesday evening we went to Savannah's ballet class and Trevor's baseball game. We got to the game early so the the boys got to practice with Ashkii, Jonathan, and Richard before the game. It was so fun to have James in Annapolis with us. And yes he did beat me at Settlers, but don't let it go to his head -- I'm sure I could win if I tried. :):):)







We took the kite because the wind had been blowing earlier. Savannah had unlimited energy and ran up and down the practice field trying to get the kite to fly. Daija was trying to help her, but no matter how fast you run if there is no wind, it just bumps along the grass.


Wednesday: We helped Ashkii move some boxes and a couch downstairs. Rich mowed the lawn and I was able to prune stuff. I tried to get the shovel out -- but there were just other things to do before I could find a shoveling project. There are universal weeds that really don't care if they are in a humid climate or in the desert.

Ashkii and Brooke are great hosts. There was plenty to do, but also some time to rest. The meals were wonderful and Rich and I commented that it was nice that we didn't have to spend time going back and forth to a motel. The nights were a little late, but that happens at any Linton gathering.


Reflections on the Annapolis Trip: I am so thankful for my family. The "east coasters" have etched out their own family units. They will be a blessing for the wards and stakes of which they are part. I am thankful for a husband that provides the resources for me to be able to visit when I can. I am thankful for grandchildren that are obedient to their parents teachings. I am thankful for the spouses of my children. It was wonderful having Michael join us. He is a joy to have around and he was a wonderful help with the little boys, even though sometimes he and Rich are just grown up boys.

Boston - April 2008

I had a Sports Nutrition Conference in Boston April 10-13 so I had to go to it. The only problem was that once I got there I was much more interested in spending time with Daija and Jonathan than spending time learning about supplements and NCAA rules.

Wednesday: Vicki arrived in Boston. Daija picked me up at the airport and we went shopping at the fruit and vegetable market. It really is a great place to buy fresh fruit and veggies. I cooked them dinner.

Thursday: Daija went to work and Jonathan went to school to take his last test for the block. My conference didn't start until 1:00, so I walked from their apartment to the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge. It was probably about 4-5 miles. It was beautiful and I got to walk along the Charles River. They came and picked me up Thursday afternoon and we tried to find the Cambridge Galleria Mall. After a couple of wrong turns, we parked the car in front of MIT and walked to a shuttle stop. After getting to the shuttle stop at 7:00 and noticing that the last shuttle had already left, we hailed a taxi and finally made it to the mall. We went shopping for some cute maternity clothes for Daija. Then we ate at the cheesecake factory. The portions are huge, but the food is excellent. I then went back to the motel to try to get excited about the conference.

Friday: I went to most of the morning lectures. Then in the afternoon we had to go get the rental car. When we got there we got the "magnum". It feels like a car from "the hood" but it was the biggest one they had. The plan was to go the Saturday morning sessions of conference and then head out for Annapolis in the afternoon.

Saturday: I got up and exercised and then was planning on going to the conference. Daija called and said they were ready to go. I didn't think they would be ready until noon. We left Boston around 9:00 a.m. ( I really did ditch the conference)

Reflections on my Boston experience. As much as I think that I want to be a "working, professional" woman -- when the choice is between my family and working -- I choose to be with my family. I am so grateful Jonathan and Daija are in Boston. I love to visit that city. I feel like I am in the midst of so many smart people. Some of the greatest intellects are hanging out in those college communities. What a great experience for them to be part of that.

Dancing With The Stars Tour Feb 2008

Debi Heaton and I went to Boston this past weekend to see the kids. We had a great time -- I'm pretty sure that is a we comment. Debi did say going with me was an adventure and I being a positive thinker am taking that as a compliment. Debi is a wonderful travel companion. A special thanks to Jonathan for being accepted at a school in a city with non stop flight service from Salt Lake City.
We helped Daija pick out some curtains for her apartment, had a tour of Tufts Dental School and attended the Dancing With the Stars Tour.
Since Julianne and Derek are Jonathan's cousins we had first class treatment. We were able to eat dinner with Julianne and Derek at the venue. We met the other dancers, Helio, and had table seats. (Thanks to Julianne). It was a wonderful night, but as you can see I have no pictures to post. As I was starting to take pictures, I realized my camera had no memory in it. I'm usually out of battery, but this time I had full battery and no way to take pictures. While I was a little irritable about that, Daija reminded me there were plenty of cameras to go around. If you would like to see pictures of this event go to: http://www.jonathananddaija.blogspot.com/ and watch the slide show.

Rainy Days

The warmer weather is melting our beautiful snow and our 4 wheeler track. On Saturday Rich's brother Robert (Bob) Linton died. Rich was down in Navaho land when he got the news. We are saddened by his passing but understand that he will find joy in reuniting with his mother on the other side of the veil.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Trevor was excited to help shovel snow. He must have his grandma's genes. Although after you see how much snow we now have, I'm thinking that a snowplow or snowblower would be a good investment.


Trevor, Savannah and the little neighbor girl enjoyed being pulled by Grandpa Goldy and his 4 wheeler. I am amazed at how many times the kids can go around in the same circle and think it's fun.


January 21, 2008
Welcome to the Linton's winter wonderland. It must have snowed 10-12 inches. It felt more like 2 feet though when you are trying to clear it. I kept thinking -- don't I have friends that have snow blowers or snow plows? As much as I like shoveling, this pretty much filled my "need to shovel" for the year.

Do you see Bull?" Linton L&L really stands for Linton Land and Livestock. Needing to live up to our name..... At thanksgiving, thanks to Grandpa Lattin, we were able to procure some bull horns. Rich used his ingenuity, a bale of straw and some logs to construct our very own livestock. There is so much snow that you can barely see his body, but at least his horns are still showing.

Seeing the tire tracks, gives you an idea of how much snow fell after we left for work. This is what we came home to and had to shovel. We can now see parts of the driveway.

Christmas 2007

For those that are also following Alisa's blog you know that Sammy bypassed Santa this Christmas in asking for a "Jeep Hurricane". We decided to help him get what he wanted for Christmas. Thanks to a very generous family we were able to get a "real" 4 wheeler that was just the right size for the kids. Sammy loved it and I will post pictures later of him riding it in our back yard.


Our annual Christmas dinner would not be the same without the addition of the Clarks. It is wonderful to share this time of year with family and friends.


Luke is enjoying his camera and taking pictures of the skiers in our back yard. For those that appreciate my holding on to "things," this is the same winter outfit that I bought for Ashkii when he started skiing at age 4. I paid so much for it, I could never give it away. Now it is being recycled through the grand kids. Who said throwing stuff away is a good thing????



Banging pots and pans to bring in the new year. The boys were pretty excited they got to stay up late. At 10:00 p.m. we couldn't convince them that it really was midnight where Trevor lived. We did our usual toasts to the New Year which we look forward to with renewed hope and faith.