Happy Big Birthday, Jane!

Happy Birthday, Jane! We hope it's a great day for you!

I remember Dad saying Jane was named both for Margery's grandmother, Mary Jane Goodway, and for Margery's good friend, Jane.

One of my earliest memories is listening to an album of The Mama's and The Papa's with Jane on our old stereo in the living room.

We decided to put some pictures together of Jane with their music. It's six minutes long - that's one minute for each decade. (If we hadn't used the Mama's and the Papa's we would have used "Like An Angel Passing Through the Room" I think that descibes Jane pretty well)

Hope you like it! Have a very Happy Birthday, Jane!

Merry Fourth Day of Christmas

The Holidays are really speeding by, it's already the fourth day of Christmas (that leaves eight more if any of you want to come over for food or games.) Santa and his elves were very generous, as always. Glenn got a hippopotamus for Christmas as well as a Christmas rat (doesn't everyone need a Christmas rat?) a Candlestick Telephone, old fashioned wind-up clock, cloths, a book, chocolates, tools, bath gell and games. Lance also got books, games, clothes, a flat screen monitor for the computer, a garbage can, CD case and of course lots of chocolates.

We were going to post just a few pictures from the holidays but there are too many to choose from so we made another video. We hope everyone is having are fantastic Christmas season!

Glance Christmas Friday Flashback

Flashback Friday Christmas

Wow! Less than two weeks until Christmas and there is still so much to do. We still want to go to Candlelight Christmas at the This is the Place Monument, Zoo Lights, Temple Square, Gardner Village, Ogden Municiple Building. It's alway more fun with kids, do any of you want to go with us?

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

It was in 1922, eighty-six years ago today, in a small farmhouse in Clinton that Mom was born. It was the same place her mother was born twenty years earlier. There are so many things Mom has seen and experienced during those years. Happy Birthday, Mom! We love and appreciate you so very much!

Flashback Friday -- 1990

1990 sounds SO long ago, but looking at the pictures makes it seem pretty recent!
I finally found the pictures of Jeni and Lara.


Are Jeni and Lara happy or what....?


Ali - more excited about Jeni's birthday than Jeni.


The day Mom and Dad got home from their mission in Virginia. Denice's hair kind of blends in with the sofa. And Erin, the way she is supposed to still look.

Denice's method of plowing the orchard.

Duane and Lisa.

Chad, Sara, Lisa and little Katie on a visit from where ever they lived back then.

50 out of 99...How About You?

Things I've Done. To participate just copy and paste in your own blog, and bold all of the things you have done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen an eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

A Very Van Buren Thanksgiving

Last week we went up to Twin Falls for Thanksgiving with all the Van Buren family. We made a video showing the highlights of the weekend. (I think it could also be called "the Life of Shannon," she is Lance's sister with the most children - six daughters!) Thanks to all the Van Burens for making it such a great time! By the way, the music really fits the pace of weekend!

Happy Belated Birthday, Eli!

We were gone to Idaho for the Thanksgiving weekend so we weren't able to wish Eli a Happy Birthday. Jeni said there is a way to post things ahead of time but we haven't been able to figure it out. Anyway, we hope you had a great birthday, Eli!

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

Thanksgiving Flashback

Only a few more days until Thanksgiving! I think this is one of my all-time favorite Thanksgiving pictures.

.


Grandma's Pie


Grannie made such beautiful pies!


One day, I asked her, "How do you get such beautiful pies with the crimps around the edge so even?"


"It's a family secret," she said, "so promise not to tell anyone! I roll out the dough, then cut a bottom layer and carefully put it in the pie plate. Then I slowly pour the filling, making sure it's not too full. Next I cut a top layer and put it over the filling. Finally, I take out my teeth and just run them around the edge of the pie crust and they make the nicest, even impressions you ever did see!"

(Thanks to Casey for this!)

Happy Birthday, Fred!

Wow, there are sooo many birthdays in November!

Happy Belated Birthday, Lance!

We were on vacation for Lance's birthday so I wasn't able to post his birthday video of some of his life for the past year. So here it is. Happy Birthmonth, Lance!

Happy Birthday, Jena!

Wow! Twelve years old already! Happy Birthday, Jena!

Happy Birthday, Tom!

Great Vacation!

Wow! Time flies when you're having fun! Our three week vacation is over already! Costa Rica is incredibly beautiful! The weather was perfect, we only used our umbrellas a few times even though we really didn't need them because it was still warm.

We spent most of our time swimming in the ocean, hiking through national parks, enjoying 23 hot spring swimming pools, zip-lining through the jungle, photgraphy the jungle life, horse back riding and meeting great, new friends from Costa Rica, Norway, Spain, Germany and the United States.

The infinity pool at the hotel in Manuel Antonio.

Us standing outside the infinity pool.

One of the waterfalls at the 23 hot spring pools at our hotel in Fortuna by the Arenal Volcano. Ironically it was the Hotel Baldi.

Of course on November 4th, just like every other person in Costa Rica, we were glued to the television to see the election results. It was almost as exciting as Christmas and New Year's Day put together! Obama gave a great, humble acceptance speech and I think John McCain's concession speech was very sincere and from the heart. The next morning on the news people were being interviewed from all around the world - there is such a great new feeling of hope, better relations, kindness and friendship! Hopefully everyone will really want to work together for the best of the country!

Of course Proposition 8 passed in California, but that really doesn't matter, just a few years ago it would have passed with a MUCH, MUCH larger margin. People are learning that love is love and that bigotry will always be bigotry (stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own.) We REALLY appreciate the people who sincerely want to understand us and the issues and study them and not just pay notice to the thirty second sound bites (where ever those sound bites might come from.)

Lance's biggest wish was not to have to do any traveling on his birthday - he didn't get it :(

We took a 3 1/2 hour bus ride to the San Jose airport, then a flight to Guatemala city. Carlos and his mother, Leti, met us at the airport and drove us to their beautiful, new home in the town of San Lucas Sacatepequez. In spite of being out of smoggy Guatemala City, I still caught a bad cold. Maybe I got it from someone on the airplane - Ali's blog mentions a lot of colds going around.

We didn't have time to take the bus up to Senahu and Xalibe but we had a great five day visit with the Lopez family. They are such a loving and giving family. The family had a lot of fun teaching Lance words in Spanish, touring, eating and playing games - there favorite is Phase Ten! They send their greetings and love to all the Call and Van Buren families.

We've been in about two dozen countries now. Now matter where we go people are good and happy. Sometimes it is hard for people in the United States to understand that even people in poverty can be happy. In the Mayan villages around Xalibe most of the people basically wear rags, many have never had a pair of shoes on their feet, there is no electricity or running water, but they all take care of each other and work together as a community. If there were ever a great, worldwide calamity it would be the poor people who would survive - they already know how to do it! Hopefully we'll never have to find out!

One of the surprise highlights of the trip was seeing Ana again. She is a little Ixil Indian woman who I used to buy little trinkets from in Guatemala City when I lived in Guatemala years ago. I haven't seen her for over seven years but when Lance and I walked onto the plaza she came up to me and said, "Oh, where have you been for so many years?"

Any of you want to go with us on our next trip?

Happy Birthday and Good-bye

Tomorrow we are off to Costa Rica for two weeks and then to Guatemala for a few days. I've always wanted family to go to Guatemala with us. I wonder who the first ones will be? My guess is Eli and Chelsea.

Our vacation is to celebrate the birthdays of Kim and Devin! Too bad they won't be joining us!

Happy Birthday October 28th, Kim!




Happy Birthday November 8th, Devin! You haven't changed a bit!

Actually, our vacation is to celebrate Lance's birthday. When we get home I'm sure we will have LOTS of photos of Lance and his hair to post.

Happy Birthday, Brielle!

We can't believe Brielle is ONE year old already! We really have enjoyed getting to see her every time we go up to Roy! Happy Birthday!

A Stranger in the House

Need I say more?

Happy 7th Birthday, Gracie

Happy Birthday, Gracie! Sorry we are a day late, we were up at Snowbird for the weekend. Hope you had a great day!

Happy Birthday, Amanda!

Happy Birthday, Amanda! We hope you know what a fantastic addition you are to the Call family! Have a great day!

Thanks for all the birthday greetings! And yes, I am that old. I had a great birthday. Lance invited a bunch of friends over for dinner, he even fixed one of my favorite meals, sweet-and-sour pork. He thought the sauce was a little runny so he added what he thought was corn starch - it turned out to be clear-jell for making jam. It still tasted great!

Thanks, Mom!

Thanks, Mom, for my birth day! These two pictures were taken in about the same spot, the place I was born.
Thanks so much, Mom, for always being so great; your patience, love, friendship, support and example! I love you!

Flashback Freaky Friday

We decided to do the Halloween Flashback Jeni suggested.

Gretal and Hansel


Annual Pumpkin Carving Party



We had THREE trick-or-treaters last year! Bryant, Jonas and Levi! See how excited they were to visit us? Sure wish they would come over again this year!


Kim and Ethan dressed up as Ma and Pa.


Tika is always ready for Halloween.

Halloween 2008 - Ethan Palin for President! Hmmm, maybe Ethan could be Lance's VP running mate!