Sunday, August 23, 2009

News of Late...

This will be an eventful week for Paul and Karen West. We are going to be sealed in the Bountiful Temple this next Saturday, August 29. This is 18 months to the day since we were married. (It's easy to remember since it's also the 29th. :-)) This is a very special day for us and one that will have eternal blessings. We'll hopefully have some photos to share after this weekend.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

We Arrived in Bountiful!

On June 20th, we pulled up roots, (that were pretty deep after 6 1/2 years in Sandy) and headed to our new home in Bountiful. We had help from 3 wonderful sons-in-law, Steph, Gregg and Kathy Soffe, and two of Rich's employees to help the day go by without a hitch. The rain started about the time we were finished so we dodged getting a little damp on this fateful day. We are so grateful for everyone that helped and made the move possible.

Bountiful is a peaceful, beautiful place with many adventures in store for the Wests. Our membership records were read into the Mueller Park 2nd Ward and we were welcomed with open arms. There are many we met on our first Sunday, but since we're old... the names are difficult to remember, but I'm sure we'll get better.

I left for my commute on Wednesday morning to JetBlue, only to have two deer run past my car as I backed out of the driveway. Yes, we live in the mountains of Utah. =]

As soon as I can find my camera...(there are still several boxes to unpack) I will post some photos of this WONDERFUL place. Paul and I are pinching ourselves that we have found this home and all the blessings associated with it. The many hours of frustration that we experienced while we were looking for a new home are but a memory. The Lord was teaching us patience and reliance on Him. He knows best. We are grateful for our blessings and can't wait to have you come visit when you can.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The Move is On...

It's true... the long awaited move to our new home is on for this weekend. Paul is working hard everyday to get the cottage packed up. He is definitely a packing machine. ;-D You wouldn't think there would be that much "stuff" in our 700 square feet, but there are a lot of boxes patiently waiting in the living room and we still have the bedroom and bathroom to pack. The weather is looking better that the recent 3 weeks of rain. There is supposed to be sunshine... yippee!! We really don't want to move in the rain, so we are praying for good weather.

The sadness continues to hit as we think about the great people we are leaving behind in our ward. I have lived here 6 1/2 years (16 months as Mrs. West) and Paul lived here over 20 years before he moved away. We love the people here and will miss them soooo much!!! We'll be putting lots of miles on the cars as we continue to visit our friends in Sandy.

Bountiful is going to be a wonderful place for us with great people around us there too. This home is about 4 times larger than the cottage. I'm almost sure it will take some getting used to. We're starting out with our first ever dinner with Paul's girls and their families. It's Fathers' Day and the day after the move. We're going to pull together a dinner with them and celebrate Paul's Birthday and Fathers' Day together. Should be fun... Pictures to soon follow...

Monday, April 6, 2009

This Is The Place?


It has been a long time coming, but we may have found our new home. We have been looking for a new place to live since December and have truly seen more houses that we thought possible, but this one shows lots of promise. The terms are a short sale so it may be weeks before we know, but the seller has accepted our offer so it's a waiting game... There are 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and plenty of room for Grandpa Woody when he joins us... More details to follow...


Friday, March 6, 2009

We Made it One Year!

We looked for February 29, 2009 to celebrate our first wedding anniversary but since there wasn't that date on the calendar, we had to celebrate BOTH Saturday and Sunday! I think that's only fair. A delicious dinner at Mimi's Cafe (way too much food) and a night in a very nice hotel made the celebration complete! Here's to another three years until our Leap Year celebration in 2012. I can't wait to see what lies ahead for us.


We're busily looking for a new home for us as we take Grandpa Woody into our care. The cottage just isn't big enough for the three of us. :-) We'll keep looking for just the right place to live and wait patiently for the day when we can retire to our beautiful home in St. George. For now... it will be put on hold. Looks like we'll be the proud owner of two homes in the process. Lucky for us it's a buyers market. It does mean there will be room for "visitors" from out of town or even sleepovers at Papa and Nana's house. We're looking forward to the space! We will post pictures as soon as we know which house is the place for us! Stay tuned...

It's All About Friends!

These wonderful women are my friends from junior high and high school. Even though it's been almost 40 years since we walked the halls of Olympus High School, our connections are still going strong. With the exception of four, plus Cozette Carlson who is behind the camera, we all attended a delightful dinner catered by Cozette in her beautiful home. We shared memories of our "escapades" and gave updates of our lives. What a wonderful group of friends. Thank you for always being there for me when life threw me a curve. I love associating with all of you!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Our Belated Honeymoon


After nearly a year of marriage, Paul & I went on our honeymoon to
one of the most beautiful places on earth...

The Garden Island of Kauai Hawaii!


Paul has been there a couple of times before, but this was my first time in Hawaii.

It is definitely paradise and such an amazing place.
Traveling to this place with my best friend
was more fun than I could have imagined.

These pictures don't begin to do justice to the places we saw.

We saw whales breaching the ocean, sunsets that looked like the sun fell into the ocean,

and even had a baby gecko in our condo.

Some of the highlights and photos include our hotel view in Waikiki,
our rental car (a red Jeep Wrangler), a tour of Pearl Harbor,
a view of the beautiful Laie Temple,

waves crashing on the North Shore of Oahu,
Paul on the North Shore "flexing",
our stop at the Waiamea Canyon,
amazing waterfalls, The Spouting Horn,

and shots from our helicopter ride to see the sights of Kauai.


We had such a wonderful, memorable trip that our hope is to return there soon.

Maybe next time we'll take you all with us. =]