UTAH GRANDKIDS, HALLOWEEN '09

Here are some pictures of the grandkids in Lehi and Riverton, as they went about their Halloween festivities. Thanks to Kim and Cheniel for sending these to me. The only people missing are Jeremy, who was working - and Lexxi who was in Idaho for the weekend. Oh by the way Kim, we could still use some pictures of Tyler. . . hint, hint.

ELIZABETHTOWN WARD, 'TRUNK OR TREAT'

Mike, Amber and Madi came down on Saturday night to attend our Elizabethtown Ward, Trunk or Treat activity. I took a few pictures of the night's festivities and I am adding some of them to the blog.

I had contemplated the possibility of dressing as the Grim Reaper and masquerading as the, 'Spirit of Hope and Change'. Another possibility I considered was to wear a tombstone costume and go as, 'ObamaCare'. Owing to the fact that it has been a VERY long time since I've been enthused about any Halloween activity - let alone dressed up and participated - coupled with the fact I didn't actually HAVE a costume, I simply turned my pockets inside-out and went as an American taxpayer. Halloween has just flat creeped me out for very long time. I have my reasons. It (Halloween) wasn't always like that for me. I could dress up and be as ghoulish as the next person. My kids loved it. But now. . .now it's different. Normally, I will stay home and pop one of my favorite movies into the DVD player and chill as I wait for trick-or-treaters. Bottom line? Halloween just doesn't float my boat.
Tonight was different, however, in that my favorite little chick - granddaughter Madi - would be accompanying me. That sweetheart certainly loves her Grampa Hutch. And who can blame her? After all, I'm a pretty lovable guy. Oh yeah, my other favorite chick - Lynne - was there, too.
I made a big batch of spaghetti, sauce, garlic-cheese bread and a salad for supper. After eating and being entertained by Madi, (and a couple of HD football games) we headed over to the church. The parking lot and cultural hall were packed with people dressed in full Halloween regalia. The missionaries also attended and seemed to really enjoy themselves.
We stayed for an hour or so and then came back home for more fun, conversation and unabashed Madi adoration. Oh yeah, and football, and the World Series, and more football, and. . .well, you get the idea. It was a nice evening. . .even for Halloween.

JASON'S BLESSING IN AUGUST 2009

A few days before we left for our China vacation, I flew out to Utah and Idaho because Cheniel and Jeremy had invited me to bless their son (our newest grandson) Jason. This was a great and fun, albeit short and rush-rush trip. I was able to visit with my parents and my sister's family in Idaho Falls, stop by the Oquirrh Mountain Temple dedication in Utah, spend some unforgettable and quality time with my children and grandchildren and basically just enjoy my time there immensely. Lynne stayed in Kentucky to finish preparations for our departure to Beijing, so she missed out on the chance to visit with seven of our eight grandchildren. The only grandkid missing was Madi. . and she, of course is in Louisville. Lynne was able to soften her disappointment at missing the other grandkids by spending some quality time with Madi while I was gone. Now we learn that Michael and Amber are expecting again! Yee haw! Baby due in June. Ain't life grand?

KENTUCKY AUTUMN ON A GRAY OCTOBER MORN

These photos were taken at Bernheim Forest, which is located across the highway from my office. The colors, normally vibrant and ablaze, were somewhat softened, subdued and muted by an overcast sky that threatened rain at any moment.

LINK TO LYNNE'S CHINA VACATION JOURNAL

www.lynneschinajournal.blogspot.com

HERE IS THE LINK TO OUR CHINA VACATION BLOG - "BEYOND THE BAMBOO CURTAIN"

http://www.hutchensadventure.blogspot.com/

I will be adding more pictures to the China Vacation blog in the next week or so. . .additionally, I will do my best to add some more photos to THIS blog. As Lou Costello would say, " I been a baaaaad boy."

MORE BABY JASON & KAYDEN'S 6TH BIRTHDAY

Cheniel sent me some more photos of Jason's first couple of days in the hospital. She also sent a few of Kayden hamming it up at his 6th Birthday Party. You hear this all of the time, but it's amazing how quickly these little guys (and girls) change and grow up before your eyes. It's the same with all of our grandchildren . . . and although we haven't seen any of Nick, Lily, Andrew and Max lately, we know they are growing just as quickly. (Hey, Kim - hint, hint, wink, wink.)

On another front, our vacation to China has been re-scheduled to August 27 thru September 11. It's been a bummer having to change all of our plans, particularly when we are so excited to go, but in the end, I think we will enjoy our time there even more. Hopefully, this Swine Flu situation will have sufficiently abated by then.

THWARTED BY THE PIG (SWINE FLU)!

Much has happened in the week since our last posting. Not all that has transpired has been what I would deem, 'good news'. Of course, the birth of a healthy grandson (Jason Roberts) certainly ranks high on the 'Good List'. . . as does the continued health and happiness of ALL of our children and grandchildren. We have been very richly blessed. Our niece, Whitni, will be graduating from Idaho Falls High School in June. We are extremely proud of her and the many years of studious dedication she has invested. Her quest for excellence in all that she undertakes is one of the hallmarks of her character.

She is a remarkable young lady.

Madi - Michael and Amber's daughter - is growing and walking and laughing and singing and humming and experimenting with so many new things. She is an absolute delight and brings untold joy not only to her parents, but especially to Lynne. Madi talks (Madi-speak) to her Gramma Lynne on the telephone two or three times each week. It's a language that is unique and peculiar to the two of them. . sounds like gibberish to me, but Lynne assures me their conversations are very enlightening. Of course, Madi still loves to dance with her Grampa Hutch and play on his laptop computer. A real charmer.

All of the grandkids out West are doing well. . . even in the face of some unexpected situations. . Tyler and Kim's youngest, Maxwell, will have a lump on his right thigh excised and biopsied this coming week. When I talked to Ty last week, he said there is a good possibility the lump is a cyst. The lump is hard and not soft as it would be if it were a vascular (blood vessels) anomaly. Their surgeon recommended removal and biopsy as a precautionary measure. We await the results in good faith.

Of a more serious nature, Lynne's younger brother Chris, was diagnosed with T3N rectal cancer a little over a week ago. It is going to require aggressive chemo and radiation treatments that will begin the first of June. Then he will have surgery about six weeks after that to remove the tumor which is approximately two and a half inches long and has permeated the lining and spread into his lymph nodes. Lynne has been taking this hard. Chris has been dealing with it fairly well, considering. He will be staying with us for the duration of his treatments so that Lynne can get him to and from his appointments, etc. These last two situations lend a great deal of perspective to our latest dilemma. . .

A couple of days ago, Belinda Bu sent me an email from China stating that the Chinese government has imposed separation, isolation and potential quarantine for all arrivals from the United States due to the H1N1 influenza (Swine Flu). This has the potential of disrupting our travel plans, in that we could be subjected to isolation in a hotel or hospital for a period of up to seven days - half our vacation time. Fast forward to yesterday and today. . . Belinda contacted me again and said that the local government will not allow us to stay in their apartment in Chengde. They (Chinese Government) maintain that the possible risk to the local populace would be too great. In the wake of that morsel of information I placed a call to the State Deparment in Washington, D.C. and a subsequent call to the Consulate General at the Ameican Embassy in Beijing. They confirmed that we would not be allowed to stay with locals and would in all probability, be required to stay in a designated hotel for isolation in Beijing. Lodging, incidentally, that we would be obligated to pay for. We would be subjected to daily medical exams and our travel to sights in the region will be restricted. In the wake of these new revelations, we are left with the option of leaving on Thursday as planned (and possibly spending half of our vacation sequestered in a hotel not of our choosing) or reschedule our entire trip for August - September in the hope that the influenza crisis has abated. This latter option will cost us more money (higher fuel costs, flight changes, etc.) but in all likelihood, it is the more viable and practical of the two options.

Right now, I'm pretty much hating ALL things swine related. I don't even want to eat a freakin' ham and cheese sandwich or a BLT!!

SAY HELLO TO JASON ROBERTS, OUR NEW GRANDSON!

On Monday, April 27th, our newest grandchild was born in the Jordan Valley Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah. Cheniel and Jeremy are the proud parents of a beautiful baby boy - Jason Roberts. At birth, he weighed 7 lbs, 2 oz and was 20 inches long. We are thrilled and can't wait to get out there and see the little guy. All indications are that big brother Kayden and big sister Lexxi are also pretty excited. Both mother and son are doing extremely well and are very happy to be home from the hospital. Jason is our eighth grandchild.

THUNDER OVER LOUISVILLE KICKS OFF DERBY FESTIVAL!

This is it! Today is the day that opens the non-stop, two-week long celebration known as the Kentucky Derby Festival. Derby Festival concludes with the annual running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchhill Downs on the first Saturday in May. It is an absolutely beautiful day for the airshow and fireworks extravaganza known as, 'Thunder over Louisville'. As I indicated in last year's post, 'Thunder over Louisville' is the largest annual pyrotechnic celebration in all of North America and consistently rates in the top ten world-wide. Discovery Channel includes it in its list of Top 100 Events in North America. This evening, an estimated 750,000 people will line the banks of the Ohio River in anticipation of this megapalooza of stratospheric illumination and its concussive, color-laden, multi-hued explosions. Many of those spectators have already assembled and are at this moment enjoying picnics, watching the airshow, sampling the wares of dozens and dozens of vendors on the Great Lawn at Waterfront Park and basking in the warmth of a beautiful, sunny, Spring day in Kentucky. In addition to the fireworks display, Thunder also features an incredible air show over the Ohio River that precedes the evening activities. If you've never attended Thunder in person, you owe it to yourself to make every effort to get here at some time in the future. It is a spectacular sensory experience. . .auditory as well as visual. I am including a link that will take you to the Thunder 2009 web page http://www.thunderoverlouisville.org/index.html and a slideshow of past Thunder displays for your enjoyment. Perhaps one of the least talked about features of 'Thunder' is the soundtrack to the fireworks show. One word. . . . incredible. You can also check out http://www.whas11.com/ for info, pictures and video of today's events.

This year we have opted to stay home and watch the day's events from the comfort of our living room in glorious HD. By the way, staying at home to watch Thunder afforded me the opportunity to go fishing for a couple of hours this morning. GREAT way to start the day.

A KENTUCKY EASTER SUNDAY AFTERNOON

We enjoyed a very nice, relaxing and special Easter Sunday this past weekend. As several other families in the Elizabethtown Ward enjoyed the company of their extended families - we too had that pleasure when Michael, Amber and Madi came down from Louisville and attended church with us. After church, the entire clan headed out to Penny's home in Glendale where the brood of grandkids (and some adults) participated in the traditional Easter Egg hunt. Penny's daughter, Linda and son-in-law, Wes - along with grandkids Amanda and David - had come down from Indiana for the weekend. Penny outdid herself with a wonderful and sumptuous Easter dinner that included ham; mashed potatoes; asparagus and cream cheese rolled in prosciutto; pasta; rolls and the obligatory (and equally delicious) green bean casserole prepared by Amber.

What was doubly nice about the long, four day weekend for me was that we also got to visit (over the phone) with the grandkids in Utah. Kayden called us on Saturday to thank us for his birthday and Easter presents. We had a great visit with him and with Cheniel. She is sooo ready to have that baby! On Easter morning, just as we were preparing for church, Lily called and left a voice mail thanking us for her birthday and Easter presents. We picked up just as she ended her message. We called right back and had a great talk with her and big brother Nick, who is also celebrating an April birthday. The Lehi gang, aka Tyler, Kim, Nick, Lily, Andrew and Max are making plans to be out here in late June or early July. Lynne's already making plans for Six Flags - Kentucky Kingdom, Mammoth Cave, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, etc. Truth be told, she's just a big kid herself. . . especially when she's around her grandbaby, Madi.

CHINESE VISAS, CATHERINE ZETA JONES AND THE AQUARIUM

FedEx delivered our passports with the attached Chinese Visas yesterday afternoon! As the date of our departure draws closer, we have begun to feel more and more like it's actually going to happen. One of the items I will be taking on the China vacation is my new cell phone. My Samsung slider had begun to act slightly demonic in its operation of late and since I was entitled to a full upgrade on my next phone, Lynne met me at the T-Mobile store after work one night last week. I was looking at the Blackberry phones and really liked a couple of them. . .almost picked one out, in fact. I was impressed with the Curve, the Touch-Pro and the World Edition. All are smart phones that would enable me to retain Internet, email, international calling, etc., that I currently have on my slider. But then we looked at the G1. Ah yes, the G1. This is a phone that was made for me. 3G smartphone, touch screen, 4gig micro SD card, language translator, Google Earth, hundreds of applications, GPS, Scriptures, enhanced international calling and sooooo much more. And, get this - the G1 phone...very appropriately named. G for Great and G for Greg and the number 1 for. . .well. . .you know - self explanatory. Lynne said, "I think you should get it! It has more than you'll ever need and it's never going to be at a lower price than now with your full upgrade. . . besides, I'll bet Catherine has one. . yeah, you should definitely get it." That was the clincher. Not Lynne's ringing product endorsement, but the fact that 'Catherine probably has one'. That would be Catherine Zeta Jones, the spokesperson for T-Mobile and the primary reason I went with them as a carrier eight years ago. Their quality and coverage has been outstanding. I have not had, let alone voiced, a single complaint to T-Mobile in eight years. Their service is stellar and the quality speaks for itself. But, come on, Catherine Zeta Jones? That was the kicker. Who in their right mind could refuse to at least investigate a product she was hawking? I mean, did you see her in 'Entrapment' sliding underneath those laser beams? Catherine Zeta Jones and Sophia Loren (no explanation required) are the only two women that Lynne has consented to allow me 'drool-time'. The only two for obvious reasons - not the least of which is the fact that I will never be any closer to either of them than the Movie screen or the flat panel HDTV at home. You see, the way it works is Lynne allows me this (Catherine and Sophia), I graciously allow her Sean Connery, Dermot Mulroney and a couple of other beefcakes. Heh, heh. . .works out fine for each of us.

Since I had today off, we headed for the Northern Kentucky /Cincinnati area for our date night- date day thingie. We spent most of the day at the Newport Aquarium and had a fantastic meal at Mitchell's Fish Market at Newport On The Levee. Great food. . .and somewhat ironic in that first we look at all the aquatic life at the Newport Aquarium. . .then we go next door and EAT their relatives. I took about a hundred pictures. Here are thirty or so in a quickie slideshow.

A PEEK AT WHAT'S COMING IN MAY. . .

In little more than 46 days we will be wheels up to China! As the days, hours and minutes continue their steady countdown - the excitement, anticipation and eagerness for what lies ahead have begun to intensify. Although she is very excited for this trip, Lynne still harbors images of being swept up by the Chinese police and being locked away for jay-walking in downtown Beijing. This, I am certain, is a direct result of her having watched several episodes of 'Locked Up Abroad' on the Travel Channel and Discovery. She says that she's also afraid of saying the wrong thing in Chinese (I've taught her several simple expressions) to the wrong person at the wrong time and ending up stuffed in a rice bag at the back of a dark warehouse. An over-active imagination? Perhaps. Nevertheless, she said she's keeping, "aholta" my arm (yes, that's a word in Kentucky - aholta) wherever we go.

Belinda Bu has arranged our transportation from Beijing to Chengde and then back to the airport once we are ready to leave for our return to the States. She has also graciously offered us the use of one of her apartments for our stay. It is located across the street from the University where I taught and is centrally located to all the places we will be visiting. While Chengde is not a particularly large city by metropolitan Chinese standards (its population is approximately 350,000) it is home to several universities, trade schools and is a bustling hive of commerce, trade and tourism. Of particluar significance and tourist interest is the Mountain Resort which was built as a vacation home for the emperor while on hiatus from Beijing. It is the world's largest Imperial Garden. Construction of the resort began in 1703 and was completed 89 years later in 1792. The Mountain Resort is exquisite in its detail and is listed as a World Heritage Site. It is a beautiful and tranquil location and I visited it as often as my teaching schedule would allow.

One of my good friends (hi Pam!) said she is eager to see all of the photos that we are going to be posting while we are there. . . and with that in mind, I thought I would put together the following slideshow with pictures from my last visit as an impromptu preview of sorts. These photos were taken in May and June, so they pretty much approximate what conditions will be like while we are there. This should give you an idea of what Chengde, the Mountain Resort in Chengde and surrounding areas look like. Enjoy.

IT'S FINALLY SPRING IN KENTUCKY!

It's really amazing how suddenly Spring can 'spring upon you' here in Kentucky. Just a few short weeks ago, there were piles of shattered and shorn tree limbs stacked next to the streets, awaiting the dump trucks and flatbeds that would haul them to the landfills. The final vestiges of the freezing ice-storm have been reduced to occasional views of broken branches and trunks that remain high up, in the trees themselves. Last week there were no blossoms, very few bulb shoots tentatively breaking through the soil and even fewer patches of greening grass in the neighborhoods.

What a difference three days can make! Now the white and pink dogwoods are blossoming everywhere, the redbuds are out and the grass is greening all over the place. Cool. Better yet, I've already been fishing twice. Now, there's a sure sign of spring for you. . .frequent visits to Cabela's, Bass Pro Shop and the Walmart fishing aisle. It's often been stated that the first sign of Spring is a red-breasted robin earnestly seeking its first worm of the season in the soft, damp soil. "Oh contraire, mon ami!" If you ask Lynne, she will tell you that around these parts, the first SURE sign of spring is Greg relishing his first cast and earnestly seeking his first fish of the season. . . the worms I can buy year-round.

In any event, here are some dogwood and redbud photos to give you an idea of what we are now seeing and what we anticipate seeing soon in Kentucky:

OH WHAT A NIGHT!

WOW!!!! OH WOW!!!! OH WOW!!! Do I have something to tell y'all. My husband could give Prince Charming lessons let me tell you. Oh, by the way, this is Lynne. Greg generally updates the blog because he has such a great way with words...big words...but let me tell y'all what else he's REALLY great at.....IT'S ROMANCE. Yesterday was our 4th Anniversary, and Greg really wanted to do something special, but his work schedule wouldn't allow it - however he did give me the most beautiful, personal, heart melting card with his special sentiment attached. BUT THEN..... Today was his day off, and we enjoyed it together - all while I bugged him to death about what he had planned for our Anniversary (celebrated a day late - that's OK).

I asked a ton of questions all day long: "where to?", "when?", "what do I wear?" and he patiently, but comically put me off.....THEN...finally, he told me it was time to get ready and to dress semi-formal. I got ready and then it was off for the VERY SPECIAL DATE. Mr. Manners opened the doors for me (but he always does that) and then after we drove a few feet, he pulled a blindfold out of his pocket.

He actually blindfolded me and told me to sit back for the ride. I really thought I knew one of two places he may take me - but BOY was I wrong. He decided to throw me, so he drove me all over town then left me in the blindfold as he walked me into the restaurant - but not before walking me through obstacles in a mini-garden just outside the restaurant. Boy was I baffled. Then he carefully guided me into the restaurant. It smelled sooooooo good. People were looking and whispering amongst themselves about me holding to Greg's arm and the blindfold I was wearing. Greg signaled for them to be quiet. . with his finger to his lips. .so he told me - because I literally couldn't see a thing.

Then I heard very romantic country music (which was a clue how much he loves me because he's really not a fan of country music all that much). Little did I know he had taken me into a private reserved room with a view. The hostess closed the door to keep out the outside noise and all the other patrons. He said I could remove the blindfold. We were all alone. He had reserved the ENTIRE DINING ROOM just for us!! It had great ambiance and like I said, smelled just wonderful. He ordered some luscious appetizers and we had a very delicious meal with such large portions that we had to bring some home with us. The restaurant's name is BACK HOME and it is housed in a two story 19th century, brick house here in Elizabethtown. . . of all places. It was built in 1872.

On the ride to the restaurant, there was such romantic music on the car stereo, and then once again on the ride home. There were sweet kisses, hand holding, sincere compliments, manners, and big smiles. I felt like a celebrity or better yet, HIS SWEETHEART. On the way out, he walked me through the pretty little garden and a sweet ride home followed. Once home, I told him I wanted us to just rest and relax the rest of the evening by kicking back and watching some NIT basketball. What a perfect evening. What a sweetheart. Better yet....WHAT A GUY!!! I adore you Greg and love you too. What a memory to add to all the other special ones you give me each day - but 'OH, WHAT A DAY AND A NIGHT' it has been. I told y' all - He's a real Prince.

ANOTHER STROLL . . .THROUGH THE MISTS OF TIME

I included in a recent posting a photo and an article from my high school newspaper that a fellow alumnus (Lyle Nelson) had posted to my FaceBook page. The nostalgic sojurn into the past that those two items provided was. . interesting. .and somewhat revealing to say the least. It was interesting to see and read something that had transpired in my life nearly forty years ago. It was revealing in the sense that it had been a long time since I had seen pictures - other than my graduation picture - from my high school days. Bear with me a moment and I shall endeavor to explain.

Shortly after my return home from serving my LDS mission in Hong Kong, China - and while I was attending school at Ricks College - my home in Idaho Falls caught fire. Although no one was injured, lost in that fire were all of my junior high and high school yearbooks - not to mention a TON of albums, 8-track tapes and cassesttes. Additionally, many items that I brought home from China were destroyed. . not all, but several. Although structural damage was minimal, the fire practically guttted the basement of the house. What the fire and smoke damage didn't destroy, the water finished off. Bottom line is this. . .I have never been able to replace my yearbooks and therefore, many of the pictures, classmate autographs and comments, etc., are long gone. And now, some 33 years after the fire, Lyle Nelson posts some of those pictures to my FaceBook page. I have no idea why he kept these things. No doubt they represent only a fraction of the items he has saved and categorized from the halcyon days spent at Bonneville High. I am simply grateful for the fact that he not only saved them, but scanned and sent them to me at this late date.

He has added three more items; two photographs and an article from my Junior year at that prestigious bastion of adolescent academia. I am including those items in this post. In addition to illuminating the fact that I was - at one time -in possession of a decent amount of hair and a slimmer. more svelte build . . . these photos have inspired me to undertake another project. In the not too distant future, I will be posting photos of all of our children, photos of Lynne and photos of myself. These photos will be before and after images for each of us, utilizing our graduation photos and photos of us now. . .side by side. . . . hmmmm. Should be pretty revealing, eh?

WEARIN' O' THE GREEN, LEPRECHAUNS & ANNIVERSARIES

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, a time when much of the western world pauses to remember the Patron Saint of Ireland, whose purported feats and accomplishments have become the stuff of legend. It has widely been accepted that - among many other things - St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland. Ah, a lovely and indeed saintly feat that would have been, were it not for the wee little fact that Ireland, "dinna hoof no sneks to begin wit', laddie!"

It's also a day when we feel obligated to sport 'a wee bit o' the green', in our adornment so as not to invoke the 'tweakin' oof ar bodeily pahrts by complete strangers'. You remember of course, this rich tradition from grade school. . and no, green eyes - even if they be smilin' and Irish - dinna count.

There are assorted and sundry traditions to celebrate Celtic lore around the land that run the gamut from drinking green beer, to kissing the Blarney stone and eating corned beef and cabbage.

Let me briefly share a fun tradition that started when Tyler, Casey and Cheniel were just 'wee little shavers'. For a couple of weeks leading up to St. Patrick's Day we told the kids to keep an eye out for the leprechauns. These leprechauns were crafty and sneaky little guys who did their best to stay hidden during most of the day. Sometimes you could see them if you peered closely into and around the bushes and shrubs next to the house, but more often than not, all you would find would be their footprints and an occassional piece of green fabric that had torn off of their clothing. Of course, these scraps of clothing and the footprints were covertly and strategically placed by we, the parents. Yeah, we actually got our kids to believe in and look for real leprechauns and 'leprechaun sign'. So, sue me. We even took it a step further and told the kids that if they believed in leprechauns, the leprechauns would come visit them the night before St. Patrick's Day. If they had been good kids and fully believed in the leprechauns, there would be an abundance of candies and gifts strewn about the house. If they didn't really believe in the leprechauns - no goodies and they could expect some tricks to be played upon them by the little men in green.

Sure enough, on St. Patrick's Day when the kids arose they found Hershey's Kisses, Skittles (all the colors of a leprechaun rainbow, ya know?), sweet tarts, tootsie rolls, tootsie pop suckers and all manner of sweet confections strewn across the floors, in their beds, inside their pillow cases and in their shoes. It was great! Of course, the leprechauns managed to play a few tricks each year, no matter how good the kids had been. . .bananas in the microwave, chairs upside down on the kitchen floor, cereal in the refrigerator, shoes in the dryer, clothes turned inside-out on the hangers, school books in the dishwasher and pants hanging from the ceiling fan. Sometimes when they woke up they found themselves upside down in the beds or lying on a sleeping bag on the floor. That had to seriously mess with their heads!
I still remember Tyler coming home from school and telling us that the leprechauns didn't visit any of his friends or bring them treats. We explained to him - with deadpan, straight faces mind you - that his friends didn't get any treats because they probably didn't believe in leprechauns. I still cringe just a little bit when I think of Ty, Casey and Cheniel telling their school friends to watch for and believe in leprechauns in the days leading up to St. Patrick's Day. Their friends must have thought they were nuts. . .especially when they told them that the 'Leprechauns' had come and left goodies and played tricks on them. Cheniel, especially, got into it. So much so that she swears she saw the little dudes peeking in the windows and running down the stairway. It was a great time. A time that I often chuckle about to this day. Good times, great memories, gullible children.

Tomorrow there will be no Skittles scattered on the carpet in our home, no bananas in the microwave. There won't even be any Hershey's Kisses around the house. . .just real ones . . .as Lynne and I celebrate our anniversary. I kinda hope she forgets to wear something green. Heh, heh, heh.

THE DEARTH OF POSTS? IT'S KIM'S FAULT!

It doesn't seem that long ago that I was chastising (albeit mildly and tongue-in-cheek) my adorable daughter-in-law Kim, about the lengthy absence of postings on her family blog. It seems that she had been bitten by that infamous and most vile of internet viruses. . . .FaceBook! Having succumbed to the enticings of this heinous malady, she acknowledged and admitted her complicity in failing to post information and/or photographs for an extended period of time. Kim indicated that after having fallen prey to this devious extension of Lord Vader's Evil Empire, her time had been monopolized in its grasp and she had completely neglected her blogging responsibilities. . .much to my chagrin. I informed her of the fact that I was blissfully ignorant of and above such foilables as FaceBook - or as she so casually but intimately referred to it - "FB". I cautiously reminded her that the masses were waiting to read about the exploits of 'the fam' and couldn't be expected to wait while she amused herself with this FaceBook thing. We shouldn't be expected to be kept waiting and be placated by simply, 'biding our time', until she got around to it.

OK. . .cut to the chase. Kim said I should get on FaceBook. I did. She said it would mess with my mind when it came to blogging. It did. She said my blogging would suffer. It has. She said I would see what she meant. I do. She said. ."yadda, yadda, yadda, yadda. ."

She was right. . . and in an effort to recompense my 'sin of omission', I'm writing this post. I have also had a very good friend ask why I haven't been writing and then raise a question about my health (would that be physical or mental?). From now on, I will make a concerted effort to exercise due diligence when it comes to this blog. But. . . .it's still all Kim's fault. The blame rests with her, the little sorceress.

As a sidenote, I have added a link to my FaceBook page on this blog should you feel so inclined. Lynne has a page as well. I have also added a link to my graduating class's (Bonneville High School Class of '73) FB page. If you have a burning desire to see a non-airbrushed, genuine, un-retouched, full-haired photo of me as a senior in high school, click away.

Also - when I was a sophomore (1971), President Richard Nixon visited Idaho Falls. I was a budding journalist on the 'Bonneville Buzz', the school newspaper. I had an opportunity to interview Dan Rather who at that time was a member of the White House Press Corps. A fellow BHS alum, Lyle Nelson, saved the article from that issue of the paper. He also saved a photograph he took on that day. Lyle posted them on my FaceBook page. I hadn't seen them in more than 37 years. Here they are for your reading amusement (bemusement?):

SISTER JENNI CLARKE'S WEDDING PHOTOS

We just received some wedding photos from Sister Jennifer Clarke, another one of 'our girls' who served for a time in the Elizabethtown Ward.

It's aways good to hear from the missionaries - sisters and elders - who have labored in this part of the vineyard, then transferred out or returned home.

Like so many other missionaries that we were privileged to have in our home, Jenni is one of those special personalities that captivates everyone she meets. It was a delight to know her and work with both her and her companions. We miss Jenni and look forward to seeing her again. . .perhaps on our next trip to Utah and Idaho. We'll just add her to the list that includes Jacci, Michelle, Madel (Philippines), Andrea, Natalie, etc. We are, ahem. . still waiting for wedding photos from Madel. Are you reading this girl? Those of you in the E-town Ward may or may not recognize Jenni from these photos . . . wedding gowns and heels weren't considered appropriate

missionary attire, then or now.

RED ROSES AND GUILT IN THE BLUEGRASS

It has oft times been reported - particularly in circles known to be travelled exclusively by men - that Valentine's Day is another one of those 'pseudo-holidays' invented by women (and greeting card companies) for the sole purpose of extracting as much affection, attention, gifts and prose as possible from their husbands, fiances, boyfriends and men-folk in general. The women in our lives seem to possess an uncanny ability to not only accomplish this feat while maintaining a coy, detached aloofness but they also manage to register a discernible and substantial amount of surprise when men actually come through with the requisite gifts and attention. Phrases such as, "For me?"; "Today is Valentine's Day?"; "Why, I'd forgotten all about it!"; "You didn't really need to get me anything."; "You remembered!"; "Honest, this is such a surprise!" and the ubiquitous, "Oh Honey, you really shouldn't have!" abound, resound and reverberate throughout the homes of America and in a dozen or more languages in various parts of the world.

It should also be noted that the fairer sex has an innate ability to do these things without betraying any of the qualities that endeared them to us in the beginning. They remain - if possible - even more beautiful, thoughtful, kind, loving and considerate during this highly ritualized dance of intrigue. They even have the uncanny talent of making us feel guilty when they issue forth with such commentary as, "I don't need anything for Valentine's Day."; "Really, you don't need to get me anything."; "A simple card would be wonderful for Valentine's Day." and the REAL deal maker, "I'm really not expecting anything, honey. I'm happy. Besides, it's enough just being married to you!" OUCH. Having made such poignant (and accurate) observations, I would be remiss if I failed to add another. What is it about DeBeers, Kay Jewelers, Zales, ProFlowers and all the other Valentine's Day promoting entities that make it sound like Valentine's Day is the only day of the year when it is appropriate to give your better-half jewelry or flowers? Or cards and sweet things? What about the other 364 days of the year? Is it not okay to send your wife a dozen roses just because it's Wednesday? What about an impromptu, romantic, candlelight dinner on a cardtable in the living room on a Thursday afternoon? Do we really need a holiday to express those feelings that should be expressed each waking day? Well, no. . . not actually. . . but it is nice to have one special day when we can cast off the vestiges of cavemen and treat the ladies in the manner with which they are so deserving of being treated.

After reading these comments, it's only natural for you to wonder what the passage of Valentine's Day left in its wake in the Hutchens' household. Right? Right? Smiles. It left smiles. Smiles, hugs and . . . well, you know - a sufficient amount of suck face. In large measure because Lynne was treated to a surprise delivery of three dozen red roses followed by dinner and a movie. Hey, I may be pragmatic at times, but I'm actually a sensitive guy at heart. . . and I'm certainly not an idiot.