McCall Dillons

For those of you who have been hoping for snow..........WELL, it finally snowed here last night. Wow, is it beautiful!! We love it. Especially for the holidays. I got up early to take a couple of pictures.

Just a couple of pictures of the "partial" finish to a busy day. It's amazing how small the trees look in the forest! We wanted about a 14 foot tree for the great room. Joe and Clyde went to cut it down. After it was down they cut about 5 feet off of it and when we got it home and Russ and Clyde were going to bring it in we had to cut about another 3 feet off! BUT....it's beautiful! Clyde said it is just as he pictured it in the 20 year dream of his.

We got to spend the night at Amy and Joe's house so she could have surgery in Boise. All is well. Just thought I'd show a couple of fun pictures from the day. First of all, Why do boys sit on couches and chairs every which way but the right way? This is one of probably 15 pictures I could have taken of Blake. He really makes me laugh! We made edible playdough and read stories and watched movies. Had a good time and felt good that I could help.

I shared the story of my "best friend" from childhood getting into an accident earlier. Just want you to know I spoke with her yesterday and she is getting better. Her attitutde is amazing! She has had a couple of close calls since then and said there is a reason for her being here today. We spoke about how the Lord knows what we need to stay close to Him and how blessed we are with mini miracles in our lives. Long story, but IF Clyde and I hadn't had financial difficulties in the 80's and lost all that we had, we wouldn't have been directed to Gilbert, AZ. to raise our children who are incredible because of the people we were around there. Some day I will share that whole story as it is full of mini miracles. By the same token all that we are put through makes us stronger (although we would rather not experience some of the things we do). I have to say I SO admire my friend and her love for the Savior. She doesn't have use of one hand and doesn't know if she ever will again but as she said, she is alive. I love her! I love the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants that states, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive." What I feel is we all need to unite in prayer and IF the Lord wants us to have what we pray for we will receive it. As I have been taught so well by my daughter, it is the Lord's timing we need to accept. I LOVE the gospel! It's a good day!

"Living in the projects" has a whole new meaning to us now. Joe said the other day that when you live in your project you always have something to do. Wow, was that an understatement! We will probably be done with this house in a few years! We wake up every morning with a "project" on our mind. You gotta love it!

As you all know, I very rarely blog. But today I am full of gratitude and must share. I LOVED conference! I learned so much. Maybe it was just a "teachable" moment in my life. So, so grateful for the spirit.

We traveled to Utah with Mom to get her furniture and bring it AND her back to Idaho. What an emotional roller coaster. I didn't expect it to be so hard. Not really hard, just a test for me. We got what we needed and we are back. Long story with mini miracles involved I will share later maybe.

Another experience that same weekend was meeting with Clyde's family to decide what to do to help his Dad. We finally got everything worked out to have a Hospice care nurse come twice a week and monitor him and what needs to take place week by week. What an answer to prayer.

Next and most emotional was my best friend since seventh grade was in a head on collision and was in the intensive care unit for 10 days at the McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden before we were able to see her. She will have to stay there in the ICU unit for at least another week. She is on a respirator to breathe and can only write to communicate. We shared "I love you" and held hands and just pondered at each other's side. Only for a short five minutes. But ponder, I did, as I realized how precious life is and how much I need to change. The prophets and apostles spoke right to my heart this conference. How much I love the gospel and the Savior!

Hug and kiss your families for me. Be good and ALWAYS wear clean underwear!! As my friend and I joked.

This is the Bar-b-que at John and Mika's. We had a great time. Of course, it involves family and food. What more can you ask for. Ha Ha!

Today is Sunday and we are having dinner at Aunt Nettie's. What a wonderful weekend in Flagstaff. Kobe's baptism was so great. He and two other children from their ward were baptised. Kobe was baptised by John and confirmed by his Grandpa Dillon. John spoke on the Holy Ghost which was an incredible talk! He spoke about how he remembered being baptised in the same font and sitting on the same front row of the Stake Center. It was an very spiritual message about the comforter. I was so proud (humbly proud) of the whole family. After the baptism we went to Mika and John's for a hamburger fry with their Bishop's family and their relatives. All lot of people and a wonderful experience! We love our family so much!

Ok, ok, don't faint. We are finally posting on the blog. Now, close your mouth and enjoy. We finally moved into our new home in New Meadows. It isn't exactly finished but finished enough to get an occupancy permit so we will finish it as we live there.

We moved in about a week ago and the first thing that happened was Joe saying "let's have a sleepover" which we did. So fun! The grandkids slept downstairs and played and the adults played games upstairs at the table and ate (of course). This is the whole idea and hope for building this home.

We are so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who helps us do good things. I am so grateful for a good husband who has a dream and is willing to pay the price to make it come true. I am so grateful for all the help we have recieved from cleaning, to moving, to food, etc. etc. Especially my girls and their good husbands!!!

We are now in Arizona for the baptism of John and Mika's youngest child, Kobe (picture to come). What a great experience. We love these kids. They are growing so much and we are having a good time.

Enjoy the pictures. We expect to see all who want to come and visit. Love to you all. Bye bye for now.

This is the driveway into the house.

Just a couple of picture updates on the house. It seems to finally be summer. Anyway, things are greening up around here. We still have a lot to do but slowly it is getting done. We are in the stages of starting the wood floors, completing the tile work, getting the driveway and excavation redone (after all the weather, etc), getting kitchen cabinet doors installed, etc, etc, etc! BUT, it's coming along. It will be wonderful to get in. I need to start packing boxes. Maybe I will have to put Mom to work. :-) Well, at least she can supervise. I need all the surpervision I can get.

Well, as Grandma put it, "It was a little windy on the trip up, but I made it!" Isn't this a cute picture? She is a great sport! We are definately having fun with her. She is struggling to get around but a real trooper. ;-)

Here is a picture of my sweet mom who now lives with me and my sister, Diane. We will take turns enjoying her in our homes.

Just a note about what has been happening in the lives of Diane (my sister) and Marty. Our mom can't live alone anymore so we went together to Ogden, where she lives, and got her ready to come to Idaho to live. We will take turns helping her. We are so fortunate! She is a delight! We love her so much so we will do our best to care for her needs. If you haven't met her yet, you will. She's a jewel!! We are blessed to have her in our lives. We are just going to be busy, I'm sure. I also started volunteering at the hospital. So between my everyday tasks, mom, grandkids, church and everything else I think I can stay busy enough to stay out of trouble!! :-)
Let's see now....where did I put my keys? Hmmm.

We got to go to Hawaii for two weeks with our best friends from high school, Bob and Alice Urry. Clyde's best friend married my best friend! It was so fun. We visited the Big Island where the volcano was erupting. What an interesting Island! Black rock everywhere and in the middle were green golf courses. We did so much and laughed so hard. It is definately a "do again" type trip. We also spent a week on Kaui, the Garden Isle! Beautiful!

Here are a couple of new pictures of the house. We are getting all the cupboards set, fixtures are going in and all of the appliances are now there to install. The tile has been almost completed in the areas that it will be. We are getting closer. We just keep saying "5 more weeks". But we say that almost every week! Everything is so green right now. This picture was taken before all the green. But I can say now that all the snow is gone! Oh, the wood floors will be started next week, too. We are loving it.

I think it is time to update just a journal entry. We were able to go to Hawaii with some friends for a couple of weeks. GREAT time! Got back, Rachel is doing well with the spika cast after surgery; house got kitchen cabinets; starting wood floor next week; Clyde was released as Bishop; leaving tomorrow with my sister to Ogden to get our mom to come and live up here with us. Busy times. I will try to get some pictures of the house and our vacation when I have a little more time.

Just for everyone's info, Amy's surgery went well and she is recovering nicely. It was much more than the doctors thought as they got in there. Double the size of what they thought and it took 3 hours! But, like I say, she is doing much better now.

Rachel goes to Boise for surgery next Tues. the 6th. Keep her in your prayers.

Clyde is doing amazing things with the house. He is an incredible worker bee! :-) Hope you enjoy the pictures. Also, the lake is still frozen but it's warming up a little. Imagine, May and the snow is still around. BUT, we still love it here. Can't complain too loud as we are headed for Hawaii soon! A well deserved break! Love to you all.

It's time I added a few more pictures of the house. It is coming along. The cupboards are starting to go in on May 9th. The tile is being completed in the laundry room, bathrooms and family room downstairs and we are going to stain the logs inside before the wood floor and carpet go in. It is really becoming a reality. So fun!

Hi family and friends. The reason I have limited viewers to our blog is that we were getting some strange comments from people we didn't know. So I hope you enjoy the blog whenever I add anything to it. I am just not a regular blogger. DAH!

Just a little news for now. We just found out Amy will be going through some surgery in Boise for a "large cantalope" size cyst of some kind in her abdoman. The doctors are not sure what it is or how it developed. Pray for her and we will keep you posted.

Rachel went to Boise to a specialist and found out she will be going through another hip surgery two weeks from today. We are so sad and yet relieved. Sad, thinking of the whole experience again and relieved that they will be able to correct the hip joint again as much as possible.

Clyde was released as Bishop last Sunday. He served a little over five years in that position. Again, sad and yet relieved. Bitter / Sweet experience. We hope we will adjust easily. They put him on the High Council. He will be great!

On another note in that regard, our son-in-law (Dana's husband, Russ) was sustained as a counselor in the new Bishopric. We are so happy for them. We love Russ! It will probably be tough on the family just a little, like it is for Amy and Joe's family (Joe is a counselor in the Bishopric in the other ward). We are pleased with them both!

Ok, so I will try to post new pictures of the house. We are to the point of putting in the kitchen cupboards, wood floor and tile, and we just finished the tongue and groove ceilings. It is really coming together.

Love to you all!!! Keep in touch!

Well, everyone in McCall has been having to shovel off their roofs because of the ice build up. If you look real close you can see Clyde up there doing ours. While he was clearing is off he wrecked his knee and had to have an MRI. You guessed it, he has been referred to an orthopedic surgeon in Boise for an evaluation. He tore his miniscus (however you spell it). Anyway, he just puts on a brace everyday and goes to work. You just can't get him down. "There's work to do!!" You gotta love him!

Here is an update on the house. One picture of the great room with the fireplace being rocked now. One picture is the outside logs going up on the south side and the other picture is the downstairs "media" room where the TV will be and the kids can play. It is so exciting to see it come together. Clyde is doing such a great job! His vision is amazing. He still thinks around June will be move in. I'm not so sure. The infloor heating is on and running. It makes it a little more comfortable inside for the workers now. Can't wait!