Rock Springs, Wyoming

This is the Broadway Burger Station. The menu reads:

Welcome to Rock Spring, WY! Rock Springs, WY is located in Sweetwater County in southwest Wyoming between Evanston and Rawlins along Interstate 80 near Green River. Rock Springs is on Bitter Creek.

Rock Springs got its start as a coal-mining town. Coal-mining brought many immigrants to the region in the 1860's - 1870's. The nickname "Gateway to the West: is very well earned.
Many pioneers and exploration groups crossed the Rockies and others traversed the Green River. Original wagons ruts and trails can still be seen here.

This old-fashioned town got its name for the natural springs that used to flow through rocks located in the vicinity of Springs Drive.

Located at 432 Main, there is a building that used to be the butcher shop where an employee named Robert LeRoy Parker gained the "Butch" portion of his alias "Butch Cassidy," otherwis known as "the outlaw."

Left to Right: Landmark - a coal miner pulling a horse carrying coal, the local train station and Micah's mission apartment is on the left side.

Above Left to Right is the old Firehouse, the entrance to Rock Springs and a train kart.

Micah had to work in Rock Springs so I tagged along, after all, I have never been there and I thought I would like to see one of the many places Micah served his mission.

Cokeville, Wyoming

Micah and I made a trip to Cokeville, Wyoming today.

A gentleman that Micah taught during his mission was having a benefit dinner. Alan was diagnosed with Lung Cancer and the whole town came together to hold a dinner and auction on his behalf.

During Micah's mission he met Ida and Alan Beck in Cokeville, WY - they were local farmers. Micah tells the story so much better than I do, but I will do my best to recap the details I can recall. Micah and his companion Elder Meyers came to the Beck home and began to talk with Alan; during their visits Alan decided to take the missionary dicussions, quit smoking and even placed an unfinished pack of cigarettes in the cabinet. I can remeber getting a letter from Micah during his mission telling about Brother Beck and how much he enjoyed teaching him.

What an amazing experiencewe had while we were in WY; Micah and I both grew up in a small town in California, however, this town is something special. In 2000, there were 506 people, 166 households, and 125 families residing in the town - I found this fact on Wikipedia!

Micah has thought the benefit was being held at the church and to our surprise when we pulled in there was no one there, so Micah decided to drive through town - all four streets and we came across something happening at the high school. The parking lot was full, kids outside playing in the front lawn and people standing in line to get in. Micah and I found that we are in fact in the right place and let me tell you - people noticed that we did not belong!

Please meet Roma!

I know this is not the best photo quality; however, what can you ask
for when you use the web cam that is built into your computer!?!?

Everyone meet Roma, she is an 88 year young lady I sit with on Saturday's from noon to 8:00 p.m. She currently lives in an assisted living home on Ogden - as with anyone when you get older you need a little extra help. So I sit with her on Saturday's or when the family asks - she needs some help eating, and getting around, but she has been quite the example in just a few short weeks. The last two Saturday's I have been reading to her from her 1983 journal, and let me tell you- she wrote nearly every day or every other day and always gave you a weekly overview if she missed days.

Pineapple Upside-down Cake

My neighbor is doing some yard maintenance and came over to airate(?) our lawn the other day and I think all neighborly help should be rewarded with 'friendship dues'. So I went to the cookbook cabinet; yes a cabinet - I love cookbooks so I have a whole cabinet dedicated to cookbooks and recipes. I found my handy Betty Crocker cookbook and decided to make a Pineapple Upside cake to say thank you!

It was super easy to make and smelled oh so yummy too!

Congratulations to our friends the Roeseler's!

Nick and Kandi had their baby girl Zoey Nikole on April 13th.

Can't wait to meet her you guys - Even if Micah went without me!

Peanut Brittle

Micah asked for Peanut Brittle for his Birthday, so I honored his request.

1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp water
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup light syrup
3 tablespoons butter
1 pound peanuts

Butter a 13x9x2 pan or cooking sheet. Combine 1 tsp water and soda with vanilla in a small cup and set aside.

Combine sugar, water and corn syrup in a large sauce pan. Cook over low heat stirring occasionally; heat to 240 degrees. At 240 degrees add peanuts and stir occasionally and heat to 300 degrees.

Remove from heat and add water, baking soda, vanilla mixture and then stir. Spread mixture into pan and be sure it is thin and let it set up until hard. Then brake into pieces.

Micah's Latest Project

As you can see Micah has been working in the garage lately. The top shelf he made was a baby gift to our friends Nick and Kandi.

The second row of photos is Micah working on additional shelves for my parents new house. My mom liked the first one so much (it was the size of the top photo) that she requested two more shelves; one with two drawers and a third with one drawer.

In addition to those projects he also created two cat poles for my parents house. Once he gets out there in the garage and has a project there is no stopping him!

April's Fool

Micah and I were sitting down for dinner when we heard the door bell ring - Micah went to the door to find these balloons as baby bottles at our door.

Earlier that day, I had seen an April Fools post by my mom that her husband was her third cousin - so I thought to myself what would be a funny for April Fools . . . so I posted 'We're Havin a Baby!' on my Facebook account.

Little did I know that one of my neighbors was going to play along with me, Thanks Sadie!