What's New

I wasn't sure if I would even remember how to log into my blog since it's been so long since I've written anything...time goes by soooo fast sometimes! Since October, Dora has grown by leaps and bounds. She had emergency surgery at the beginning of November because her two front teeth refused to fall out and became a serious problem. Three weeks later she went in to be fixed and she has surprised us with her energy. She has decided she likes to dig and now that the snow has started to fall and the weather has turned cold she picked a new place to file her claws...our leather sofa. I don't know why she does it or when...but we're just praying she keeps it to the sofa and doesn't move along to the love seat or chair. For now, new throw pillows are on our shopping list for Christmas. Dora actually loves the snow. She plays in it for hours and its almost impossible to keep her inside. She takes after her father!

Before the leaves fell, we took a drive through the mountains on the West side of Salt Lake. We came across some cows and it reminded me of the Rood Farm in Coos Bay. I remember feeding baby calves with a bottle once at the Rood Farm. I really like cows, isn't this one cute?
The past few weeks I've been learning my lines and loving my time serving in the Temple. It's such a beautiful place. Our schedules change every three months and right now I have the opportunity to work in the laundry for one hour during my 6 hour shift. I never thought doing laundry would be fun...but it really is. There is exactness in everything we do at the Temple-even when it comes to the laundry. I've also received a new calling in my ward. I've moved from teaching in Relief Society to serving as the Assistant Nursery Leader. I was so worried the children wouldn't like me...after all, my practice with the little ones is limited. But one Sunday after Sacrament meeting one of the kids ran to me and pulled me from my seat by the hand so I could take her to Nursery...along the way one of the little boys grabbed on to my leg as we walked out of the Chapel. It was a very special moment for me. I love serving in the Nursery and my only disappointment is that I wasn't called sooner. Sister Thulin has great things planned and I am so glad I get to help her fulfill her vision of what nursery time should be.
This past weekend we celebrated our 12th Wedding Anniversary! I think I married a pretty cool guy...I really like him! We also had the opportunity to drive to Idaho Falls to attend graveside services for Richard's Uncle. Uncle Lynn arrived home less than 3 months ago from a Temple Mission in Chile with his wife, Marion. The first week home he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. From the stories we've heard from his children, this was an amazing and spiritual time for his family. He was a great man who accomplished great things while serving the Lord during his life. Richard and I hope to do more in our lives to be like him.
Love to everyone! The Ogden's

October 19, 1986

Okay, so I look a little nervous...but with the dashing young missionaries close by, who wouldn't be? I just can't let a year go by without my many friends and "family" members knowing just how much I love them for bringing me to the Gospel! My life is truly fulfilled because of all of you-please know that I am forever thankful for the Coos Bay Ward.

Are We Friends Now?

So Dora and Copper have been having a "ruff" few weeks as they've had to adjust to getting to know each other and learn to live together peacefully. They have been playing well but struggle in the mornings because Copper isn't used to playing at 5 in the morning like Dora is. He's 9 and she's going on 3 months...they obviously struggle with sleep schedules. On Saturday before we headed out for a family outing, Richard and I were sitting on the living room floor playing with Dora and watching a movie while Copper took a nap on the sofa. After a few minutes, Dora wanted on the sofa too. She was kind of tuckered so I thought it wouldn't be a big deal if I put her on the opposite end and made sure she stayed away from Copper. If Copper has one rule in the house its not to bother him when he is asleep. I put her on the sofa and went back to watching the movie. A few minutes later when I went to check on Dora I found her laying next to Copper curled up and ready to fall asleep. I proceeded to watch and captured the following pictures. After watching this, we know they are finally forever buddies. I love my dogs!

Dora, wondering if Copper will notice...

Ogden BBQ Contest...

What started out as a friendly family BBQ cook off ended up being just another fun loving family BBQ! Richard decided he wanted to have a BBQ cook off with his family. He planned a night at his sisters where everyone could gather and cook an item to share. There was a ton of amazing food. We had three BBQ grills, several dutch ovens and a smoker all busy cooking delicious food. We ate and savored the flavors of dutch oven baked bread, dutch oven potatoes, different choices of grilled chicken and steak, smoked sausage in three flavors, Mexican salsa, green salad, baked beans and even hot dogs for the kids with picky tastes or just happened to love hot dogs. The adults gathered around visiting and the children played on the slip and slide. We had a wonderful time! What started out as a competition of sorts ended with us just spending an amazing night together...the competition never took place. WE ALL WON!

Richard setting up the table and Emmy wishing the food was ready
Sabrina and Abi playing with the camera

Karen, John and Suzanne preparing plates

smoked sausage...yummy

the SWEETEST steak in Utah

Grilled chicken in a Soy Sauce and Sprite marinade

Oquirrh Mountain Temple

Richard and I were able to spend some time this summer serving at the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple Open House. While Richard worked security and spent late nights cleaning the temple I had the opportunity to serve inside directing people to various places. One of my favorite locations was at the top of the double staircase just outside the Celestial Room. My favorite time was on a Monday night after the last guests had vacated the building. Our group was allowed to explore the temple and visit all the rooms on our own. It was the most amazing night of my life and I knew then that this was MY temple; a place I want to always make time for. On Thursday, August 6, 2009, I was set apart as an ordinance worker by the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple President. It was a beautiful blessing and I am thankful for the opportunity to serve. Today, August 21, 2009, Richard and I attended the first of nine dedicatory sessions. We sat in a room just down the hall from the Prophet. We laughed at his jokes and became teary eyed during the dedicatory prayer. It was another amazing moment in our lives and we will be forever grateful for the opportunity to be present as this wonderful building was dedicated. We truly are a blessed people...never forget that!

Dora's First Shots

We took Dora to Cottonwood Animal Hospital this week to start her series of shots. We decided it would be best to start them over, because the breeder couldn't give us any specific information and it seemed unlikely that they even had any completed. Dora now weighs 6 pounds 10 ounces! She's eating well, playing hard, getting along better with Copper and mastering the doggy door. Here are some pictures of our adventure...Here is Dora hanging out next to Richard in the exam room while waiting for Dr. CarpenterCopper came along for moral support!

Dora decided the wait was too long and took a nap. She's sooooo cute!

This is Dora getting a shot-they distracted her by giving her treats. She didn't feel a thing.

This is Dora with Dr. Carpenter...we love her and think she's the best Vet in the world!

We are hoping to have her completely potty trained soon. It started out great and then turned south this past week. Now that she understands she can get in and out of the house on her own-we hope to speed things up. I hope to have a video to post soon-she's fun to watch play!

It's A Girl!!!

Look, everyone jumps the gun at some point in their life. In our attempts to make things normal we sometimes just don't think things through, right? Or is it just me? Well, whatever it is you do or don't do in your life, jumping the gun was the case with me when only two weeks after the death of Macy, I went out to "look" at some beagle pups in an attempt to bring normalcy back to our home. I really only wanted to "look"-but looking can be hard when they're just so darn cute and cuddly. And what about our attempt at normalcy? It's anything but that! Our nights are now filled with potty training and our days our filled with potty training and avoiding this puppy's new teeth. Copper, now known as, "the other dog" doesn't like her much and never misses a chance to let her know. Richard spent the first few days telling me she was "my dog" which translates into: I'm not helping with any of the training! It's been a little overwhelming-but...I'm blessed with a wonderful ward family! More than one person has offered to come into our home twice a day to play and help potty train my little girl. She's not stressed, we're not stressed and the transition is starting to become easier for everyone. Although, the tension still exists with Copper, our Vet said it will be just a few more weeks before they're the best of friends. She says that, Dora (Richard named her) will make a great addition to our family! I think so too and hope to keep you updated on our progress. Little Dora was born June 2, 2009 and currently weighs only 5 pounds! I love her!

Dora likes to sleep on her back...
she also likes to snuggle with her blanket!