tales of the truck...part?

If you follow my blog, then you know about the truck Rex bought to restore. The first post about it was back on October 21, 2008. I posted again in November about when he put the engine in it. Getting this truck painted and back so he could finish it has been, well should I say a LONG time coming. Since my last post, witch was when he sent it back to the pain guy to "touch it up" - alot has happened. Or should I say not enough has happened. He had it for about a year and on the Friday before Rex was going to Utah for the deer hunt, he got a call from Metro telling him that someone had stolen the engine out of it while it was at the paint shop. UGGGG! Someone broke into the yard of the shop and although they did not take the entire engine, they took the carburetor, distributor, radiator, powder coated brackets, valve covers, condenser and air cleaner. He was not going to let it ruin his hunting trip, but he was pissed. The shop owner did not want to claim it on the insurance so he told him to take it to his mechanic and get it fixed and he would pay for it. This guy did not know Rex WAS the mechanic but instead of doing it himself, he decided to go ahead and have someone else fix it at this guy's expense. Rex decided to take the truck to his friend Dale @ Winners Circle. Dale painted his Monte Carlo and he had a mechanic that could fix the truck. He also had Dale Color Sand and Buff the paint. WOW~! It's a beauty! Although the paint is not perfect, he has decided not to put any more time or money into it. He brought it home yesterday and had the new wheels and tires on it in no time. I guess interior is all that is left to do. Maybe after that he will turn the keys over to me.

Success!

I have never been able to make bread. It seems like maybe that all changed when we got a wheat grinder and a bosch mixer for Christmas. Rex and I decided to make our first batch of bread...with fresh ground wheat flour. It turned out burly. (as you can see it LOOKS beautiful-and it tasted just as good as it looked).

I am so excited to know that I can make bread! This is the wheat flour, just after we ground it.

My mom got a bosch a few years ago from all us kids and Dad. She has been making bread like crazy ever since. She included her recipe with the Christmas gift.

The AMAZING little machine. Just set it and let it do its thing...it kneads the dough for 8 minutes.

My bread from days past NEVER rose like this.

Coming out of the oven.....I'm so proud, I almost cried...

NOW...I HOPE IT WAS NOT BEGINNERS LUCK!

Christmas

The tree at our house in Enoch. Jessika decorated it, isn't it beautimus?

This year we spent Christmas in Utah. Lindsey and Jessika are both living there now and with both of their work schedules, it was easier for us to go up there than for them to come here. We went up Christmas Eve and had dinner at my parents house with Kim, Mike and family, Shon, Trisha and family, Grandma and Grandpa Spevak, Mom and Dad and us. After a delicious prime rib dinner, we played a few games and had some good laughs.

Grandpa Alex and Grandma Maxine

Rex, kicking back after dinner in Christmas Eve.

We had a very relaxing Christmas morning. We were not in any big hurry to get up, and we had breakfast and finally finished opening presents around 11:00. We went to Harmony later in the day and exchanged presents with Rex's parents. Barbara had been sick, so we did not stay too long. That evening, we had dinner at our house in Enoch with Lindsey and Jessika. We are so blessed with a wonderful family and we had a really nice Christmas.

snuggie!!!


ummm....what is it?


Lindsey with her stero for the Ranger!
Rex and his bag of goods.

Jessika got a fishing pole from Grandma B and Grandpa Ted.

Linds and her present.....CASH

Rex' dad Ted. We got him a chore coat. Gotta stay warm when your out doin the chores.

Rex's mom Barbara. We got her the complete set of the Work and the Glory series.

thanksgiving and such

We spent Thanksgiving in Utah. We ate at my parents house with all my siblings. It was so fun having all of us together. The day after we went to Harmony and had a professional photographer come take family pictures. My mom has always wanted a family picture taken with the Kolobs in the background, so that's what we did. It was really cold, but they turned out really nice. I had my camera, so I took some shots here and there. The one at the top of the blog was taken by my brother Shon.... Then the next day, we went shooting. This has become sort of a tradition. Well, on the years the whole fam is together,(every other year) we go shooting. Fun and very cold.

Mom and Kim....making Thanksgiving dinner.

Trisha and Shon, scouring the ad's for Black Friday deals.

Mom, Grady, Mataya, Dad and Janna, checking out Janna's new laptop.

The WHOLE family.

The Kelseys

Me...trying to hit a clay pigeon.

Jessika and Corbin

Ashby and Jessika

Shon showing Brandon his gun collection.

Dad....do you think he means business?

caught in the act

A few weeks back, I went out in the backyard to find a strange looking bird....just walking around. It sort of looked like a chicken, but had an odd shaped body and did not really have that chicken "strut". Well, I came back inside and told Rex we had a strange bird in the backyard...when he went and looked he just about died laughing. He said "ITS A CHICKEN!" Believe me, I still have not heard the end of that. Well, we can't figure out how he got in our backyard, (this is at our Vegas house)but I'm pretty sure he "lives" at a house down the street that has a few of them roaming their yard. Rex chased it out of the backyard and that was that....WRONG! It kept coming to "visit" us. In the mornings when I would leave for work, I would see it in the front yard. It sort of became a joke that our pet chicken was back to visit us. This was happening on a pretty regular basis.

Well, a week or so ago, Rex planted some new flowers in the planters around the trees in the front yard. After a couple of days, he said that he thought the chicken was getting into the planters and picking at his flowers, scratching at the dirt and making all kinds of a mess. He said there was a bunch dirt in the grass, like the chicken has been scratching at it, throwing it out of the planter. He was a little but hurt that this chicken was messing in his flowers.

That brings me to this morning....as I was pulling out of the driveway, what do I see? Yep, a chicken. It was not the first one I saw in the backyard that day...this one actually looks like a chicken. But there it was headed straight for the flowers. I had to take some pics of it...too funny! Maybe we will be having fried chicken for dinner!

heading for the planter...ready to make his move

on the edge....checkin it out...pickin the right spot

(see all that dirt on the cement edge, thats his handy work)

looking around...is anybody watching?

CAUGHT IN THE ACT!

the other woman

The mid-life crisis.....some might say thats what it is. It might be. I think it's just living.

Rex has been into motorcycles ever since I can remember. He used to ride around Harmony and I would watch him come around the corner on the lower street from my room atop the Harmony Hilton. Well, it was not too long after Gary brought his Harley here from South Dakota that we were lookin' to buy one. Needless to say....we have been having a BLAST! We have taken many rides to Mt. Charleston...thats where you go when its 110 degrees in the city. We also went out through Redrock and to Pahrump. We took the bike to Utah and have a a couple of fun rides there too. Riding up over Cedar Mt. is really beautiful.

So....as Rex said....if this is my mid life crisis, at least it's not another woman. AMEN to that....somehow, I don't think I would have this much fun with another woman.

In Utah...leaving the house for a ride.

Rex, at Todd's Junction.

Cedar Breaks

Rex's bike..the black one and Gary's bike, up Right Hand Canyon.

Rex, up by the "C".

V * A * C * A * T * I * O * N

Rex and I were able to take an amazing vacation this summer. We were able to stay with some friends on Cape Cod, spend and night in Boston and a day in Rhode Island. A little bit of background....
My good friend Erin, married Joe 3 years ago. Joe is from back there and the wedding was on Cape Cod. I was in the wedding and ever since then I have wanted to take Rex back there. Joe's parents live in a place called Pocasset, its on the Cape. He and Erin are spending a good part of the summer there with his parents and they were kind enough to invite us to stay there while we vacationed. So...how could we pass up on a place to stay....right on the water...on Cape Cod....with good friends....and great people.

This is the view from our bedroom at Joe's parents house. They have a deck that spans the entire length of the house. I'm standing on the deck right out the door of our room. SWEET!

This is looking at the house form a small beach just across the water. The house is right between the boats. There is so much green it is just amazing.

We went to Provinctown or as they call it back there "P Town", its at the tip of the cape. It is a community that has a very open gay population. It was quite eye opening--to say the least. Rex got a chair massage right when we got there...he had a really bad headache so I talked him into it. While he was getting his massage, I stood there and took in all the sights: the picture in the right...well, he??she?? was riding around on this bike---yes just like mine, advertising some "show". I had to get a picture.

Rex celebrated his 44th birthday while we were there. I surprised him with a cake. (thanks Erin and Pat for your help)

This was a really frightening experience..for both of us. If you notice form the first picture, you can just walk right out from the house to the little wood walkway and boat or swim or kayak. I did not think I would be so scared, but my legs were shaking so bad when I got back to land..it was weird. Rex is not all that fond of the water, or should I say falling in it, that he was hoping he would not tip over. He did much better than I did. I was fun and I am glad I did it, but I wish I was not such a chicken.

On the ferry to Martha's Vineyard.

At the beach on Martha's Vineyard.

We walked the Freedom Trail in Boston....there is so much history in the city. We spent 1 night and 2 days there. WOW! What an experience.
Me in Boston

Thanks to Joe's friend, we were able to go see a Red Sox game. That was a really fun night. We were really exhausted from walking the city all day...but that park was electric. We LOVED it!

Our second Boston day started out like this....we thought we would tough it out with our umbrellas, but we ended up getting in the car and TRYING to navigate the city...haha. Its much easier to walk. Once the rain cleared, we parked the car again and walked some more....which leads me to the next photo....don't say I did not warn you...

After all that walking, I took off my shoes and sox to bloody toes...I knew they were hurting, but???

Erin, Max and I at the little beach just across the water from the house. It was fun while it lasted....started to rain on us. Quickest clean up I've ever seen!

Rex on the Cliff Walk in Newport, Rhode Island. This was only about and hour and 20 min. form where we stayed and Mary Beth, a friend of the family, suggested we take a drive there. I am so glad she did. It is a beautiful place. All along this 7 mile (round trip) walk, (don't think the toes were not bloody after that one) there are some of the biggest and most beautiful mansions I have ever seen. You are walking right along the water..sometimes on rocks like these, sometimes on rocks not quite this friendly, and sometimes on a sidewalk they built there. It was a great day.

Me...on the Cliff Walk

This is one of the Mansions

After the cliff walk, we did some more walking down this historical street with all these shops and restaurants. We were starving, so we ate and shopped. We finally went back to the car and followed one of the maps we had on what was called Ocean Drive. We found a perfect spot to watch the sunset. It was amazing!

We went with Erin and Joe to the Bourne Farm. This is where they got married. It is a beautiful place that is open to visitors unless someone has rented it for a wedding or something.

This is our wonderful and kind hosts. Joe's mom Pat and step dad Paul. I have to say...they made us feel so welcome in their home. They were very warm and welcoming. I don't think we could thank them enough. We feel very fortunate to have met them and Joe's family. Everyone was so genuinely kind. Thank you all! We miss you! (sorry Pat, both pics your eyes are closed)