All Cottles Great And Small

Happy New Year (almost)

2011-12-31T16:07:00.007-05:00

Well it seems it's been such a busy year I haven't had any time to share on the blog, so before the year is through here's a little photo run through of what I did (and bailey joined me).

Ice on Whyte 2011

2011-01-31T00:21:00.017-05:00

It's that time of year again, it's cold enough to make things of ice and have fun playing in it. This years Ice on Whyte theme was Chinese New Year and I think it's getting bigger and better every year. Enjoy the pics.

They also made a bunch of things out of snow. This dragon is the side of the giant ice slide.

And lastly please enjoy a trip down the ice slide with me

Welcome to the Snow Fort that is our Yard

2011-01-29T15:23:00.004-05:00

So after about a week and a half of snow falling here in Edmonton, the city finally got around to plowing the residential streets. With all the snow piled on the side of the road we had nowhere to park so Dad hired a bobcat to move the snow, giving rise to the biggest "snow fort" I've ever seen.

A point of note is this is the most snowfall Edmonton has seen in over 20 years. (1989) I remember that snow fall.
Bailey has been enjoying herself playing out in all the snow but we couldn't ever recruit her to shovel it, guess it would have been difficult for her to shovel onto drifts that were about a foot and a half over her head.
So if anyone is looking for some snow to play in, we've got snow for you and an awesome fort to go with it.

Festival of Trees 2010

2010-12-12T16:15:00.000-05:00

So it is that time of year again and time for another tradition up here in Edmonton. Last weekend we went to the Festival of Trees in support of the University of Alberta Hospital Foundation. And this year Amy was back to join Bailey and I in the fun. Here's some of the pictures courtesy of Amy and me.

Activities started off with Mini Tree Decorating, Gingerbread Man Decorating, Tree Ornaments, and Santa Hats.

Bailey and Amy in the bubble. Notice I got Amy right as her bubble popped.

Next we checked out some of the trees

So we have a Mickey & Minnie Tree, a Firefighters Tree (that's my favorite), a Medical Supplies Tree from the Hospital, a Penguin Tree and what I call The Bubble Tree (bubbles were just near by). There was also a tree shaped like a dress but the picture didn't work out.

Here are some of the Gingerbread Houses and Cakes Decorated for the festival. The first one in the Alberta Legislature in Gingerbread. This one and the second cake were award winners from the gluten-free bakery Kinnikinniks.

As you can see there's something for just about everyone.

The next stop was to check out what the money being raised was going to and we hopped into a surgery while we were at it.

And of course, what trip to a christmas festival would be complete without a trip to see the big man himself, Santa Clause.

Well I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Hope to see you all soon.

Whilst I wasted time......

2010-11-12T22:25:00.000-05:00

I checked my email, and had an invite to do this. So, while I know it's still early, please check out the first elfYourself video of the year.
(Note this is a representation of my siblings and me, however since I have no good, recent photos of Randal, Theresa has stepped in. Enjoy!)

Miller Elves

Lest we forget

2010-11-11T19:13:00.002-05:00

2010-10-10T04:12:00.002-04:00

I can't figure out how to compress these pictures so I can publish more than one picture per post. Any advice.....

2010-10-10T04:01:00.003-04:00

one picture at a time

2010-10-10T03:55:00.004-04:00

This isn't working too well....

2010-10-10T03:26:00.003-04:00

Here's a few more

2010-10-10T03:16:00.004-04:00

I'm attempting to post some pictures of my family. We'll see if I can figure this out. These are pictures of our summer adventures in Waterton, Meadow Lake and Oregon. We had such a fun summer and it was so great to see all of you.

We are still waiting for construction to begin on our house. We've bought the lot and are waiting for all the permits to come through so we can start the basement. Very exciting!!

coming home!

2010-10-09T09:07:00.001-04:00

New (well not so new to my family):

I'M COMING HOME OCTOBER 17th!!! I'm SOOO excited to be near family again! This has been a blast - and I cant wait to see you... Maybe visit you all soon :)

Amy Miller !! :)

Happy Birthday Dad, Grandpa

2010-09-30T18:32:00.004-04:00

Just something to mindful of on your birthday: beware of loud bangs!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Craig

Last but defiantly not least

2010-09-27T23:40:00.004-04:00

These are the last of the pictures I have to share of Meadow Lake. It was really fun to see everyone, and we hope to do it again really soon!

me

2010-09-17T21:16:00.004-04:00

I'm coming home in February 2011. Happy but sad times - but unfortunately I dont have a choce - my visa is making me come home then (for a spell)...
Here is a photoshoot that was recently taken of me - it was fun. my friend wanted practice so I was one of her many specimens... Enjoy (I know i had fun) (*Phtographer: Jenni)

more pictures to come tomorrow

Kitchen Pictures

2010-09-17T21:07:00.002-04:00

Jodi asked to see some pictures of our kitchen for planning purposes (hooray, you sold your house!) and so we had J'Neil take a bunch. You can find them here:

http://cottlefish.com/kitchen.htm

I hope they are helpful.

Hey!!

2010-08-28T20:23:00.004-04:00

Hey!

This is a call out to:
Grandpa
Jamie (Jamie, I just sent you the link in an email as well....)
Brent

And a further call out to:
Roger
Craig M
Jeff
Randy
Bennett

And a call out to everyone else (Jodi I'm talking to you here) that enjoys a little football.

And a call out to everyone else.

You need to register YOUR team for the Greyhavens Fantasy Football League! Your team can compete with my own Dunedain, David's The Hand of David, Kristin's Snowmen, and Sam's Sovereign Slayers (formerly The Burning Legion).

Grandpa, Jamie and Brent, all you need to do is go in and register, your teams should already be there. Everyone else, you can easily create your team and register on the site.* Everything can be done here:

Greyhavens Fantasy Football League

Any questions, feel free to give me a call, or email me at craigthegrey@greyhavens.org, or craigthegrey@yahoo.com.

Deadline is coming up fast, so don't delay!

*You will need a Yahoo! id, which if you don't already have is painfully easy to get - just go to yahoo.com and sign up at the "sign up" link near the top right. If you've forgotten your Yahoo! id, you can easily sign up for another one or get into the old one by telling them you've forgotten your user-name or password. If you have trouble, just let me know.

Commissioner Craig

And I'll bet you thought I forgot....

2010-08-27T22:40:00.005-04:00

Like I promised, more pictures. Hard to think it's been almost a month. Too bad we can't do this more often!!!

Cottle Golf Classic

2010-08-23T13:58:00.001-04:00

Those of you wondering about the results of the Cottle Classic Golf - no need to worry, I haven't forgotten, but I want to get everyone possible involved so I'm still waiting for a few scores. If you haven't sent in a 18 hole score, are a member of the Mel and Jean Cottle family, and would like to participate just send the score to me ASAP- remember, I need the score for each hole so I can do the Handicap score. Just so you know, I have everyone’s from Meadow Lake. Results will be posted in about two weeks.

New Blog Design

2010-08-20T16:25:00.002-04:00

With what seems to be a renewed interest in the Cottle Blog, I thought it was time to give it a facelift. The background pic is just a stock photo, so I'd welcome other suggestions to change it.

Firefighters rescue 12 stranded on zoo sky ride | ride, sky, zoo - Top Stories - Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

2010-08-19T00:14:00.000-04:00

Firefighters rescue 12 stranded on zoo sky ride | ride, sky, zoo - Top Stories - Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

2010-08-18T16:45:00.011-04:00

Hey everyone
Though I'd share some photos from mine and Craig's trip to Toronoto to see the tennis stars. It was a really fun trip--great weather, great company and great tennis. So, here's just a few pics of some of my favorites:
This is Raphael Nadal. He's one of Holly's favorites. He's pretty fun to watch and is ranked #1 in the world. However, he didn't win in Toronto--he was beat in the semi finals by the eventual winner.

This is Andy Murray--the great white hope of British tennis fans. Lots of pressure to win a big one for the home country. He hasn't won a grand slam yet (the big ones), but he did win in Toronoto--beating Roger Federer. H'es currently ranked #4.

This is Novak Djockavic--he's another one of Holly's favorites--not really mine. He's a bit of a whiny player. He lost in the semis to Roger Federer. He's currently ranked #3.

This is Robin Soderling. He's one of my new favorites. I like him because he kind of looks like Randy! He's the only player to have ever beaten Nadal at the French Open (last year). He's currently ranked #5.

This is Roger Federer. He's my all-time favorite. In fact, the purpose of this trip was to be able to see him play--and we saw him 3 times--so mission accomplished! However, no matter how hard I cheered for him, he didn't win, but lost in the final to Andy Murray. Better luck next time I guess. He's currently ranked #2.

This pictures is just to prove we were really there. (Notice Federer in the background). This was at the end of a very HOT day sitting in the sun--that's why I looked a bit worn! This is taken from our seats, so you can see we had great seats to watch all the action.

Anyway, since I had told most of you how excited I was to be going, I thought I'd share. Enjoy the rest of your summer.

Pictures

2010-08-14T22:21:00.005-04:00

Hey everybody, it was so good to see all of you! I just had a lot of random pictures that I wanted so share. I have sooo many that I will be doing a couple of posts. I have more of my family on my blog if you want to check it out. Until next time.....

Recipes

2010-08-13T22:34:00.002-04:00

Some folks had asked for recipes from the Meadow Lake dinner. The two I had can be found here:
Indoor S'Mores
Sloppy Joes

Meadow Lake

2010-08-09T20:25:00.002-04:00

Ahhhhh, the oh so familiar view of the fairway on 10. For more pictures as awesome as this check out my Facebook page and for those who don't have facebook (and even if you do), check out this link:

Reunion Fun

I didn't pull my camera out for too many events so I don't have much of a variety therefore I am looking forward to seeing what everyone else has to offer by way of pictures. The more the better.
Anyway I had a really fun time, can't wait to see everyone else again.

GFFL 2010

2010-08-09T03:49:00.002-04:00

Read all about this years Greyhavens Fantasy Football League HERE

Family Photos

2010-08-06T10:47:00.003-04:00

You can find the pictures we took on Thursday night here:

http://defyingsunshine.com/cottle

Hopefully everyone can find one they like.

a quick catchup in pictures :) missing you all

2010-08-01T20:15:00.010-04:00

Hello All,
I just wanted to give a shout out because I'm really sad that I missed the family reunion this year... and very shortly I will post a list of my lame humor jokes (even if they dont make it in for the contest at least you can read them). A taster: "what did one hat say the other hat? A: you go on a head. i'll stay here" - LOL.

Well there's a lot happened since April. I've gone on a couple adventures. I've posted some pictures of mom and holly's trip on my blog (so check it out)... But I'll post some pictures here:
me bmx'ing it - it wsa actually quite scary (i couldnt get enough momentum to get up, i fell off the bike)
this is me doing the obstical course in the Sherwood Pine forest, and having fun with my boyfriend Andrew Buckley... *This week I'm visiting the Robin Hood festival (in sherwood forest) - it should be awesome to see the great oak tree!

this is the African Night we had in my branch (since half of the members are African). It was really fun - fashion show, and food and face painting... It was great! They're having a Portuguese day soon (since 1/4 is Portuguese).

this is Me - and if you cant guess where I am - well then you must not be thinking very hard... THANK YOU MOM AND HOLLY FOR THE GIFT!!! (and trip).

Buckingham Palace in London! and this is one of the castles we visited

Bailey's Week Teaser: Part VI

2010-07-22T00:31:00.002-04:00

Day 7: Sky High Sports

JUMP!

Wow, what a week!

Bailey's Week Teaser: Part V

2010-07-21T00:11:00.003-04:00

Day 6: Santa Cruz

Narrowly avoiding a shark attack

Gotta love a cool day at the beach!

Bailey's Week Teaser: Part IV

2010-07-19T21:53:00.002-04:00

Day 5: Shopping in Downtown San Francisco

This is how hundreds of San Franciscans die every year! Reckless trolley riding.

Do at your own risk! California.

Bailey's Week Teaser: Part III

2010-07-18T21:56:00.003-04:00

Day 4: Castle Rock State Park

Bouldering in bare feet:

Today's adventure--enjoying this wonderful world God has created for us.

Bailey's Week Teaser: Part II

2010-07-18T01:17:00.004-04:00

Day 3: Exploritorium!

Bailey's head is an orb!

There is more where this came from if you come visit us!

Bailey's Week Teaser: Part I

2010-07-18T01:12:00.003-04:00

Day 2: Raging Waters!

Waiting in yet another line:

Doesn't this make you want to come to California to visit ;)

Hi everyone

2010-07-17T15:36:00.001-04:00

I know it's a bit past the day, but wanted to show a little Canada day fun. Can't wait to see eveyone at Meadow Lake.

It's a Party

2010-07-09T14:51:00.001-04:00

It's a Birthday Party!!

Who: Brandon Wursten
Where: Meet at Grandma and Grandpa's condo
When: Monday August 2nd : TBA Not sure when yet maybe afternoon??

Come and help us celebrate Brandons 4th birthday. We will have cake, fun, games, and a pinata to finish out the day. Hope to see you all there.

Groaner

2010-06-29T16:37:00.001-04:00

What is Black and white and red (read) all over? The newspaper – NO! A sunburned zebra – NO! it is Bennett, after being at the water slides all day long, wearing a striped shirt and telling Groaner jokes.
Announcing the First annual Cottle Summertime Corny Joke event
Where – Meadow Lake, Tuesday August 3rd 2010
Who can enter – Everyone. Open to all ages. All you need is one or more Corny jokes and the courage to stand up, tell the joke and endure the groans.

So bring along some of those real groaners (How do you stop an elephant from charging? Answer – Take away his credit card). And be ready to share them – that’s all there is to it.
By the way, by vote of Sam, J’Neil, Adrianna, Sophie, Bennett, Addy, Matt and Marlie; Grandpa Cottle holds the title as the “Corniest corny joke teller in the family. See if you can unseat him and claim the title.

See you all in August
By the way, where do cows go to see the history of cows? To the Moosum of course!

Home Again

2010-06-26T17:23:00.013-04:00

So yes we are back home in Edmonton now :P
Ok so I have been suffering through some post vacation blues but I'm almost over it. Now it's time to plan my next big adventure, until then heres a few pics from this time around

First stop, the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon

View from the Eiffel Tower

Buckingham Palace

Big Ben & Parliament

Ok movie buffs, which castle is this? Official name Alnwick Castle

At the National Media Museum in Bradford

So this is pretty much what I do (minus the budget part, maybe if I worked on something bigger than local news)

Fountain Abby

Now for the tennis fans, who did we get to see play at the Queen's Club in London?

For more pics of our exciting trip across the Atlantic you can check out my facebook page (if you haven't already) And if you don't have access to facebook these links should allow you to see them all.

England (& a bit of Paris)

England Part 2

So that's it for this time around, anyone care to join me for my next adventure.....?

2010-06-06T05:08:00.003-04:00

*this picture is on the Eiffel tower, and at the stone henge
Hey all - I'm not dead! I've been extremely busy with full time work for the last month - yay! it's about time! Good to make money for when mom and Holly came to visit...

They are still currently here with me --- We've seen a lot - Paris, London, Various castles up north... and still a week ahead of great adventures! Just wanted to drop a line. My blog will be updated in the next couple weeks be checking :)

2010-05-26T20:52:00.003-04:00

Part 16
The Crash

Editor Note: As you read the following put yourself in my parent’s (your Grandparents or Great Grandparents) place. Leland is 28 years old and Clara 24 – not unlike the current ages of their great grandchildren Holly, Randy, Heather, Jamie, David, Amy, Jeff and Michael. They have a young family – the youngest, Leland A. less than one year old. They are just getting started in a career – in this case farming – and have many of the same hopes and worries we have today. ( The photo is of Leland, Bea, Alice and Leland A cutting up potatoes for seed about 1930)

And what follows will have a profound effect on their lives, not only for the next 10 years but will shape their attitudes about money, debt and banks for the rest of their days. So join us for a personal look at the Great Depression.

1929 is turning out to be a good year for the Cottles, thanks to some spring rains and plenty of sunshine the harvest is one of the best in recent years. Leland and Clara are settling into, and expanding, the original Cottle homestead. With 3 children (Alice, Bea and Leland A.) and a calling as ward Bishop – life is busy, but good. We pick up the story on October 28th 1929. Supper is over and the kids are outside playing in the creek. Leland and Clara are having a serious discussion.
Clara, “Lee, I think we should sell the wheat right now! It is a good price and you can freight it to Malad tomorrow.”
“I don’t know if that is the right thing to do. Wheat is down a little a little bit – remember back in 1920 wheat was selling for $2.45 a bushel and last year it dropped to $1.49 so it seems to me the price has nowhere to go but up. So I think we’ll hold out for a couple of days.
“Alright Lee, that’s ok with me, but at least take a few sacks of potatoes to market to sell tomorrow so we can have the necessary cash to buy groceries.”
“Clara, I’ll do that – we could use a little ready cash.”
So the next morning Leland heads to Malad with a load of potatoes in 100 pound bags. He finds the price for potatoes a little lower that he wants but nonetheless he sells his entire load and returns to Stone. Meanwhile Bea comes home from school with a story about some wild crash in New York. She is not sure if it trains or automobiles but it must be bad because the teachers are talking about it. She asks her mother why people would be jumping out of windows because of a car crash – it just doesn’t make sense to her.
Of course it is not a car crash, but the famous Black Tuesday Stock market crash that ushers in the Great Depression. The only source of national news in Stone is the newly purchased wireless radio and the news broadcasts are intermittent and sometimes difficult to understand because of the static. So it is a few days before Leland and Clara become fully aware of what has happened in New York and other large cities. The roaring 20’s come to a complete and sudden halt on October 29th 1929 – often called “Black Tuesday” - as the mighty New York Stock Exchange loses almost 40% of its total value in one day. This has a domino effect on the rest of the economy, although the market, in early 1930, makes several attempts to regain the lost value, people panic – consumer spending drops, factories lay people off, causing a further drop in spending (this is not a treatise on the depression but just a little background). Banks, most of whom have loaned more money than their assets, begin to call in their loans – the people, many of whom have run up large personal debt during the good time twenties – cannot pay back the loans on demand. Banks started to fail and the whole house of cards come tumbling down. Let us see how this crisis plays out in Stone, Idaho.
At first the news of troubles in the Stock Market seems remote and far away, and not likely to have much effect in rural Idaho. But things change quickly. Remember that discussion about whether or not to sell the wheat in the fall of 1929 because the price had dropped to $1.59 a bushel. Well, by late 1929 the price is 0.90 cents and before Leland can sell in the spring of 1930 he is lucky to get 0.49 cents, less than one third the price he turned down six months ago. Leland also reports that the price of potatoes drops so low that they are not even worth hauling to market and he just feeds them to the pigs. All this happens so suddenly that there is little chance to prepare. People lose homes and farms and the unemployment rate goes as high as 30 %. Welcome to the Great Depression!
It is a double worry for Leland and Clara, for as well as solving their own financial problems, Leland, as Bishop of the ward, is heavily involved in the plight of ward members. Take, for example the Wren family, while not members of the ward they live in Stone and so Leland feels it is his responsibility to help them as well. Mr. Wren is unemployed and to top it off suffers a broken leg and so is laid up all winter. Leland hauls wood to keep the Wren house warm, takes some of his own wheat to Malad to be ground into flour so Mrs. Wren can bake bread and even goes to Holbrook to get some hay Mr. Wren is owed and brings it back to use as he feeds the Wren cattle, all this while trying to keep his own farm running.
Early one evening while Lee is “separating” (skimming the cream from the milk – sort of an early forerunner to 2% milk) the neighbor boy comes running into the barn screaming, “Come quick, my little sister has swallowed a sucker, stick and all!” Leland jumps in his car (the neighbors have no car) and heads to the neighbors where he finds a grief stricken mother and a frightened little girl with a broken sucker stick in her hand and the sucker and other half of the stick in her throat. Leland grabs the girl and heads the 36 miles to Tremonton and the nearest doctor. A few hours later he returns with a happy smiling little girl in the seat beside him, with a sucker in her mouth! Leland said he bought her the sucker after the doctor busted the one in her throat while removing it and she felt sad at the loss because her family could only afford one candy trip to the local store per month.
Early in the morning of March 6th 1931, the day of the annual ward reunion, Clara says, very calmly, “Dad, I don’t think I will make it to the reunion today, I think I’m about to give birth – but don’t worry I did make the salad for the reunion.” Since it is early in the morning and the ground frozen Lee can still travel on the normally muddy roads to get Mrs. Carter, a practical nurse, who arrives just in time to see Clara cuddling newborn Wallace in her arms. Leland worries if everything is alright but Clara just tells him she is fine and to get on his way to the reunion, because no ward reunion would be complete without the Bishop (Doesn’t this sound just like mom?)
(Editor: I am stopping here and this will be the last installment until Fall when I will have much more about the Cottle Family and the Depression – good times and bad. So have a good summer, thanks for all the excellent comments – to Steve and Alice thanks for the pictures and stories– I will use them in future episodes. And remember I welcome any and all stories, facts or photos relating to the Cottle family.)

Some Great Insights

2010-05-20T00:36:00.002-04:00

Many of you know and have met Kristin's sister Allison and her family, including her son Brandon. Brandon has done real well in his life and it's easy to admire him; and because I do admire him I wanted to share some of his story with you all. The best way for me to do so is to direct you to a couple of web postings. The first is from Brandon's blog: on the occasion of his thirtieth birthday he posted "Life Lessons I've Learned in 30 Years." I find myself thinking that perhaps it should be required reading.

The next is an interview of Brandon on Jet Set Citizen, an online magazine that touts itself as "Celebrating Global Citizens in Pursuit of an Excellent Life." Although the article is a little more about living abroad, there's enough of Brandon's personality and attitudes to make it especially interesting for those of us that know him.

Take a few minutes with these, I really think you'll enjoy reading about him.

Life Lessons I've Learned in 30 Years

Interview with Location Independent Entrepreneur Brandon Pearce

family

2010-05-18T22:34:00.002-04:00

Ok family, I know we all have our own blogs, but I am thinking I need to see more of what we are up to!!! ummmm(BRENT AND JODI)

Missionary Service

2010-05-10T18:29:00.003-04:00

Part 15 Missionary Service
Leland and Clara (fall, 1928) agree to accept a challenge given by a General Authority to have Leland serve a short term mission to Texas, even though their family now number 5 (2 girls and one boy) and it will mean someone else will be looking after the fledgling dairy herd and associated chores for six months. But both feel this is something that this is the right thing to do.
That fall Leland works extra long hours to have everything in readiness for his time away. This includes harvesting all the crops and getting in enough wood to last through the winter. This is no small task, since wood is used for both cooking and heating. One day, while cutting logs in Black Pine and with his wagon almost loaded with logs, Leland decides to make one more climb up a steep incline for just a few more logs to top off the load. As he is returning, ax in one hand, rope slung over his shoulder dragging the logs behind, he loses his balance and slips and slides –feet first –into the wagon wheel. His leg, the ax and the iron rim of the wheel making contact simultaneously. It stuns Lee for a moment, but he quickly recovers and looks around to assess the damage. The snow is already turning red and his leg feels sticky wet. He gingerly pulls up the pant leg and what he sees is not good. A long red gash goes starts just above his ankle and snakes upward toward his knee and blood is flowing. He quickly grabs his ever present bandana (handkerchief) and ties off the worst of the bleeding. Then, since he is alone, he determines he must get back to Snowville and a doctor ASAP. But, and if you knew Leland this makes sense, he takes time to load (injured leg and all) the rest of the logs before climbing on the wagon seat and heading to town.
The doctor tells Leland the cut is not too deep, but does need stitches. It should heal without any trouble. Two weeks later Leland leaves for the mission home in SLC. The leg is still bothering him and, in fact, is quite swollen. As soon as he reaches his destination those in charge take one look at the leg and send Lee directly to a hospital where he spends the rest of his Mission Home “experience.”
However, when it is time for his group to leave for the El Paso Texas Mission, Lee is ready. Clara even travels from Stone (thanks again to Uncle Sam and that Studebaker), with 3 month old Leland under her arm, to see him off. After a tearful goodbye, Leland is on his way! On the train, that leg starts to act up again and upon arrival Lee once again finds himself in the hospital. Lee is discouraged! He is trying to do what is right; he wants to serve the Lord – why is this happening to him? A few days later a visitor appears by his bedside, none other than Elder Melvin J. Ballard a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. He is in town for a district conference and the Mission President tells him about Leland so he decides to make a visit. The first words spoken by Elder Ballard are, “Elder Cottle, I have a blessing for you.”
To which Lee replies, “I’ll sure be glad, I getting tired of hospitals.” Elder Ballard then administers to Leland and, in Lee words, “I felt the healing spirit and felt the infection begin to leave my body immediately.” He feels so good, that by the next day he is out tracting (that’s right, even in the 20’s missionary knocked on a lot of doors). He continues to work hard and fill an honorable mission. Of that time, Bea (the oldest daughter) remembers that every time a letter came from Dad it was a red letter day and the whole family gathered around as Mom read the letter out loud.
In the spring Leland returns and picks up right where he left off. The farm is in good shape, thanks to Clara, who, in best sense of word, is a true “Farmer’s wife.” First Leland is called to the Curlew Stake High Council and then three months later – at age 28 – as the bishop of the Stone Ward. It is a good summer. The forecast is for good commodity prices in the fall and there is plenty of rain and the crops look good. Things look so good that Leland purchases a new 1929 green Ford Sedan. To top it off, Mr. Canon (remember that land Leland wanted) shows up at the house one day and tells Lee he has saved the land for him and it is his if he wants it. Lee snaps it up. It looks like things are going so well that Leland can finally realize his sustainable farm ownership dream. After all, what could go wrong now? Tune in next week to find out

1 year in england who wouldve thought

2010-05-09T11:37:00.002-04:00

Hello the Cottle family

Yes I am still alive. and I've still stayed over on the other side of the pond... England is great - I'm excited to be here to experience another summer - its soo beautiful... and i'm starting to get used to all the rain!

Had some really good adventures this last few months - gone to the beach 3 times already - in one year, amazing!!

Mom and Holly are coming for a visit in 2 weeks, and i'm most excited about that. I'm going to miss you Theresa (and I understand the no money thing - i dont have any myself :P And we're going to miss you grandma as well - but I hope that your knee gets better)....

Pictures will come soon - just a bit busy at the moment. In church I am in the Young Women's Presidency, and I most recently got called to be the YSA rep for my branch... they both require a lot of time... Oh well less time for me to get into trouble right?
Speal soon.

Part 14 - A Bride Once Again

2010-05-03T21:14:00.001-04:00

Part 14 – A bride once again

“No, I don’t want to meet another man; two marriages are enough to last any one woman for a lifetime.” Alice Cottle is speaking to her sister-in-law (Thomas Henry’s sister) Anne Cottle Stock, who is trying to convince Alice to meet her recently deceased sister Flora’s husband, now a widower.
“Come on, just meet him, he is a nice man and seems so lonely since my sister Flora’s death.”
“No, I just don’t have time for any man tomfoolery, just now. I still have 4 children to raise, a farm to manage, I’m in the Relief Society Presidency and just plain too busy!”
“Come on,” Anne counters, “Do it as a favor to me, and I know how much you like to dance.”
“Well alright, I guess just one dance won’t hurt – and I have been itching to try a couple of the new dance steps, by the way, his name is John, right?”
And so it is that Alice Kemp Anderson Cottle meets and is courted by one John Negus, who's marriage to Flora Elizabeth Cottle (Alice’s sister-in-Law) ends with her death in 1926. Things progress rapidly and on September 15, 1927 Alice, age 45, adds Negus to her name as her and John are married in the Logan temple for time. As they began their life together John still has three children at home and Alice four.
But how, you ask, does this affect Leland and Clara? All this time Lee is planning and skimping and thinking of ways to get a good farm of his own, he is currently renting Alice’s farm, the old homestead, and working odd jobs to try and save a little money to purchase some good land. Well, as it turns out, John Negus wants Alice to move to far away Bear Lake, Utah where he has some commercial interests and is also the base of operations for his sheep herding business (he was also in business briefly with J.C. Penny, but saw no future in that retail sort of nonsense). So Alice offers Leland a chance to buy the home (Thomas Henry homestead) place and wonders if he and Clara would be interested? Would he be interested! It is a dream come true, a place to call their own. This is a piece of land big enough to make a living for his growing family, a place that he can put down roots. Just name the price. The farm consists of 120 acres, part irrigated and part meadow, to which Leland purchases 60 more acres of dry land.
And so, in late 1927 Leland and Clara, along with the two young girls, Bea and Alice move to the home place, sell the dry land farm and settle in to a life as a farmer in the thriving little community of Stone, Idaho. Believing that this would be the fulfillment of a lifelong dream and the place in which they would spend the rest of their lives.
Two events took place about this time that would help shape Leland and Clara for the rest of their lives. (1) To supplement his income Leland took a part time job as a ditch rider with the Delmar Canal Company. What is a ditch rider you might ask? His duty is twofold. First, each day, he travels on horseback, the canal from beginning to end looking for problems that might keep the water from flowing properly; such as a log jam, moss build up or something that might cause the water to break from the canal - such as a colony of rodents of one sort or another burrowing into the bank and weakening it thereby causing “canal breaks” (Dad always quipped that when the good Lord said no cussing he made an exception if such cuss words were aimed at gophers or dairy cows). And second to make sure that no one is stealing water; that is diverting water when it is not their turn (much more about this later on). It seems that Lee has a good way about him that not only stops the theft of water but doesn’t make a lot of enemies for the Canal Company (do I smell a career path here?). (2) In 1928 Leland, the stake Elders Quorum President, and Clara attend a stake conference where a General Authority makes a plea for “short term” missionaries – men who could leave their families for six months to preach the gospel. On the way home neither Leland or Clara say much, but as they drive into the yard Lee said, “You know Clara I thought that GA was speaking directly to me.”
Clara replied, “So did I!”
And so with that brief conversation life changes once again. The very next Sunday Lee goes to the Bishop and volunteers to be a short term missionary (Editor’s note; for anyone who knows my parents this is a typical response when called to do something in the church, the answer, without any big fuss, is always yes – as we will see many times in the coming installments.).
Lee sells two of his prized cows to raise the necessary money, and 17 year old brother Charlie (who did not go to Bear Lake with his mother Alice), agrees to milk and do other chores while Lee is away. Lee also has his eyes set on purchasing another 40 acres adjoining the farm so he goes to a Mr. Cannon, the owner, and asks if he will hold it for another six months before selling. Mr. Cannon replies, no, it is now or never. Leland never waivers, saying being in the Lord’s service is much more important than any piece of land. And so, join us next week as Lee heads of on his mission – or does he, that axe accident might put an end to the whole mission thing. Tune in.

The Next Generation of Cottles Take Center Stage

2010-04-27T20:29:00.000-04:00

Part 13 - The Next Generations of Cottles
Leland and Clara Cottle are married October 3, 1921 in Malad, Idaho and return home that same night to start their life together. They live in the two north rooms of the family home that also houses Alice Kemp Anderson Cottle and 7 other children. Not a lot of privacy in that arrangement! It is the start of the Roaring Twenties where the old is being tossed aside for the new. The motto is “more, more, more” and the economy booms. Radios become common in most households and – lo and behold – indoor plumbing is becoming standard in city homes (In the rural areas it is still the outhouse and a Sears and Roebuck Catalogue). Movie stars like Rudolph Valentino and the “it” girl Clara Bow become national icons. Sport stars abound, led by Babe Ruth and his partying life style, and are admired by millions. Automobiles, a luxury before WWI, are now a necessity. Henry Ford and his assembly lines make the Model T affordable to the masses. Probation is in force, but Speakeasies abound and alcohol is readily available. Jazz is the music of choice; women earn the right to vote and set new fashion guidelines. Gone is the rigid Victorian dress code, along with corsets and long dresses with covered arms and legs; to be replaced with Flapper dress, bare arm and a short skirt – a rather shocking change. Bankers have few regulations and stock manipulation is rampant. There is a general feeling, even among politicians, that prosperity will never end and everyone should “live like there is no tomorrow.” Now how does all this play out in Stone, Idaho? Let’s drop in and find out.
Newlyweds Leland and Clara are not wholly sweep up in the Roaring Twenties but it does inspire a feeling of optimism in the young couple and Leland decides to pursue the lifelong dream of owning his own farm. However, this does not happen overnight for the financially cautious Lee and his new bride and there are many hurdles to be crossed before this comes close to being a reality.
Leland and Clara spend their first few summers in a little cabin on a dry farm (this means no irrigation is available – they must rely on the rain to produce a crop) they purchase. It is a small farm and the income it provides is not enough to live on. To try and pay for the dry farm Leland takes all sorts of work. In the winter he freights corn the 40 miles from Malad to Stone. He makes two trips a week, starting from Stone, driving the team to Malad, loading the corn, sleeping under the wagon for a few hours and the driving back to Stone where he sells the corn to sheep ranchers in the area. He does this twice a week for six weeks. He also works at the Garland sugar beet (much more about sugar beets at a later date) factory one winter. But by far Lee’s main enterprise is posts! That’s right, fence posts. Just look about the countryside and see all those fenced fields and pastures, requiring thousands and thousands of eight foot cedar posts. Well, someone has to provide all those posts and Leland is the man. He has a good team of horses, a wagon, a saw (not a power saw, just a plain old manual push and pull type), and a propensity for hard work. He most often travels to an area called Black Pine to find the necessary trees, cuts and trims a load (by himself) and then heads back to Stone. Sometimes he sells the posts for cash, but more often than not he uses them to barter for things he needs or wants, including groceries, a bob sleigh and even their very first rocking chair. One winter he trades 800 posts for his first car, a used Model T Ford, the car is fun to drive, but in Lee’s eyes, not very practical. So before long he trades the car for horse, a cow and a pig – now he has the beginnings of farm herd. The horse he adds to the team making it easier to pull a loaded wagon, the pig produces food for winter and the cow, named Acey, is the mother of many fine heifer calves (Lee has one credo concerning calves, “never, under any conditions sell a heifer calf, but keep just one bull calf a year to butcher for meat, a second - every four years for breeding purposes and sell the rest of the young bulls to the first sucker that comes along) as Lee continues to build up his dairy herd. Leland still has only one main goal and it is always a variation of the same theme – to own and operate a successful farm/ranch operation, one that will provide for his upcoming family and even an inheritance for his yet to be born children. But how to finance such an adventure is puzzlement. He can always find work and is able to provide for the daily necessities – but his long term dream remains largely unattainable, alas life continues and it is not long (1923) before a blonde, blue eyed baby girl arrives that they name Bea.
The LDS religion plays and important part in their everyday lives so Leland and Clara feel something is missing in their marriage and in May of 1924 they decide to do something about it. And after much planning and preparation they are ready for a temple marriage. This means a 3 day trip, by horse and buggy to Logan, Utah where the nearest temple is located. Once again Uncle Sam and the Studebaker come to the rescue. He drives them to Logan, where they are married for time and all eternity (and 16 month old Bea is sealed to them), then spend the night with some friends and are back in Stone the next day. Now they feel prepared to tackle whatever life throws at them.
Leland is working both the dry land farm and also rents the home place from Alice and still doing odd jobs on the side to make ends meet. In 1925 a second baby girl arrives, they name her Alice, after her Grandmother and the family continues to grow. Then in 1927 an event takes place that puts an added twist into their lives, and once again it involves Alice Kemp Anderson Cottle. Tune in next week for the details

2010-04-19T18:40:00.007-04:00

This week, something a little different. Leland T and Clara Anderson Cottle were wed in 1921 and I thought you might like to see what was happening in the world as Grandpa and Grandma Cottle started their life together. Also, I have recently come into the possession of some marvelous family pictures (thanks to my brother Steve) and I would like to share a couple of them with you today - and you will see more in the weeks to come. So here we go.

(1)Warren Harding is 29th president. He dies suddenly in August of that same year. (2) Babe Ruth is sold, by the Red Sox, to the Yankees (thus starting the "curse of the bambino")for "the unheard of sum of $125,000 - the most ever paid for a single ballplayer" (When it was latter suggested, in 1929, that Ruth was being paid more than President Hoover he replied: "Why shouldn't I, I had a better year!" (3) Fashion Alert Dated March 6th - "The Chief of police in Sunbury, Pa. has issued an edict requiring women to wear skirts at least four inches below the Knee. The chief was driven to this decision following citizen complaints. They expressed dismay over the sight of two women traversing the streets who had the lace on their skirts too distant from their ankles. The chief had sent some policemen in search of the offenders, but they returned empty handed." In a related story Utah is passing a statute providing for the imprisonment of women wearing skirts higher than three inches above the knee (who says Utah is not a liberal state?). (4) The League of Nations is formed - forerunner to the United Nations, it proves highly ineffective and lasts less than three years. (5) News item - "There are now 8 million, 1.9 even married, women gainfully employed in the United States, 37% as secretaries." (6) Banting and Best, Canadian doctors are the first to isolate insulin. (7) Britain to rule Palestine; Vatican objects. (I think this is where the whole middle east mess started). (8) King Tut' Tomb found. (9)"Mein Kamph" discloses Hilter's polices in book form. (10) 1922 First Reader's Digest Published. (11)Prohibition (18th ammendment) in force, 1920 - 1933. (12) 1927 Limdbergh files solo acorss the Atlantic. (13) Model A Ford introduced. black only, 50,000 pre orders - cost - $385 - 570. (Henry Ford is quoted as saying, "The American Public can have what ever color car they want - as long as it is black!") (14) Also; 1928 Mickey Mouse makes his first appearance; 1929 Herbert Hoover becomes president, and first Academy Awards are held; 1929 October 4th - Stock Market crash that signaled the end of the "Roaring Twenties" and the start of the Great Depression.

This is Thomas Henry Cottle, my Grandfather, husband (second marriage for both) to Alice Kemp Anderson Cottle Negus. He died suddenly, of a heart attack in Stone Idaho, March of 1918, leaving behind Alice and 8 children, my father Leland being the oldest. Any of you notice any resemblance?

Below is one of my most prized photos. Any Guesses before you read on? The little girl in the center is none other than Clara Anderson Cottle, my mother, with Charles Anderson on the left and Alice Kemp Anderson on the right. This photo was taken sometime in 1906 when my mother was just about 1 year old. Charles died later that same year. Notice any resemblances here?

The Next Generation - Cottle History Part Eleven

2010-04-12T20:51:00.001-04:00

Part Eleven – The Next Generation

Leland T, or Lee, as everyone calls him is nervous – no, even beyond nervous – he is terrified! The year is 1921 and he is about to ask the most important question of his your life. Can he do it? Will he get the right answer? Will he live through this nerve racking experience?
But first, let’s go back a bit and see how Lee arrives at this important juncture in his life. Lee is the oldest (1901) son of Thomas Henry Cottle, born in Far West, UT but spends most of his life in Stone, ID. Life is not always easy for Lee and his siblings. His mother Ella dies when he is but 9 years old and has three younger siblings to watch after. Shortly thereafter Lee’s father, Thomas Henry, goes to Portage and returns to the Cottle homestead with a housekeeper, the recently widowed Alice Kemp Anderson and her 5 year old daughter Clara. Upon arrival Thomas Henry lines up all his children for inspection, introducing each of them to Alice and Clara. Leland remembers well his first sighting of Clara. “She was just the sweetest thing I ever did see. She seemed very shy, but happy to be around children her own age.” Clara’s first question concerns the whereabouts of the youngest child, 2 month old Ella, and is disappointed to learn Ella is at an Aunt’s house and will not be home for a couple of days. From that time on, Clara becomes Ella’s chief baby setter and playmate. It is not many months until Thomas Henry and Alice are married and Lee and Clara settle into the same household, growing up as brother and sister. Not much is known of their relationship during this period, but it is safe to say they had the same ups and downs as most siblings.
Being the oldest, Lee takes a major role in the operation the ranch (farm) and accepts many responsibilities not normally thrust upon a 14-15 year old. He becomes the chief bronco buster (something he did for much of his life) and head handyman. Lee has a way with horses and can tame even the toughest ones with a few kind words and the ever present carrot in his back pocket, although he is bucked off his fair share of times. Lee has the knack for fixing things and is always repairing machinery, fences, buildings and other gadgets, using whatever material is available and his ever present pliers.
Lee’s world suffers a second major blow with the death of his father, Thomas Henry, in 1918, and now he is the oldest male in the family of nine, consisting of his step mother Alice and 7 siblings (3 full siblings, 3 step siblings with Thomas Henry as father and Alice as mother and 13 year old Clara). Lee quits school after grade 8 and does what he can to help Alice keep family and farm together – often working for other ranchers in the area, quickly gaining a reputation as someone who knows how to work and can be trusted to complete a job quickly and effectively without a lot of adult supervision. This goes on for a couple of years. Over that time Lee notices a change in Clara – she is no longer that gangly little girl that seems to always get in his way. She is growing up, and looking better and better each day. Not only is Clara becoming quite the little homemaker, taking charge of the younger children and preparing meals when Alice is away on church business, she is developing a charming personality and turning into a young women. Unlike many girls of that day she is interested in an education and persuades Mom to let her attend the local school if she keeps up with her household duties. Clara completes grade 6 – but in that short time instills within herself a love of education (which she carries throughout her life – as will be seen later).
Now Lee finds himself spending more and more time in the company of Clara. He doesn’t call it a “date” it just happens that more often than not they need to go to the store at the same time or run into each other just out for an evening stroll. In fact, before long, spending time with Clara is the highlight of Lee’s day and, more and more, he goes out of his way to make it happen.
This brings us to 1921 and the reason for all the nervousness. Lee is thinking of asking Clara to marry him! The debate goes on in his mind as he walks down the path to the meadow, just hoping to run into Clara. It goes something like this; “Some people will think I’m marring my sister.” “So what do I care, she is the person that makes me happiest, and she is not my sister or any other relation and if I don’t act soon, someone else is going to grab her. I have seen the way that Orvie Steed looks at her each Sunday. For me it’s now or never.” Just then his thought process is interrupted as he literally bumps into Clara.
“Why Lee you seem to be in deep thought, whatever can be on your mind?” Clara inquires sweetly.
“I – I – I was hoping you might think about considering to consider the possibility that you might become my wife,” Lee stammers.
“Why Lee, what are you trying to say?” Clara counters.
Lee bursts out, “Dang burn it Clara, will you marry me?”
“Well, that’s not a very romantic proposal, but I think it's not the type of proposal but the type of man behind the proposal that counts. And Lee, with me you count a lot. Of course I will marry you. I thought you would never get around to asking me”
And so it is that on October 3rd 1921 twenty year old Leland T Cottle and sixteen year old Clara Anderson climb into the back seat of Uncle Sam Kemp’s (Alice’s brother) brand new 1920 Studebaker (one of the few cars in Stone) and the 40 mile ride to Malad for the court house wedding ceremony. They returned that same day and start their marriage life living in the two north rooms of the family home. And from this humble beginning comes forth another strong branch on the Henry Cottle family tree. More next week (Writer’s note: Of course, for Craig, Roger, Kathy and Brent, this is Grandpa and Grandma Cottle)

Relocation

2010-04-11T10:35:00.000-04:00

It has come to my attention that I've not formally announced our recent relocation. So: we've formally relocated. All phone numbers are the same as they have been (all that virtual stuff, you know), so there's no need to update those for the time being. The new physical location is 4266 Spring Creek Lane, Bellingham, WA 98226. If you google it you'll see an empty lot. If you bing it, you'll see the same empty lot, but better views (I particularly like the bird's eye view). The lot isn't empty anymore.

According to bing (and a couple of other sources):

we're 92 miles from the Roger and Cathie household, 94 miles from Safeco Field (though I'm not going unless they start winning....sheesh....), and 105 miles to SeaTac airport
we're 938 miles from Heather and Christopher's place, and 1344 miles from Jamie and Jeff''s place
we're 23 miles from the Canadian border at Blaine, WA, though we have four border crossings to choose from that are all about the same distance from us
we're 52 miles from Vancouver, British Columbia (yes, we're much closer to Vancouver than we are Seattle). We're 95 miles from Victoria, BC, though it involves going either north or south and taking ferries; it's only 43 miles south-west from here to Victoria as the crow flies (we are indeed north of Victoria)
we're 6.5 miles from Western Washington University where Sam will be going in the fall, 4 miles from Squalicum High School where J'Neil will be going, and 1.4 miles from Whatcom Community College that both Sam and J'Neil will be attending at different times over the next few years
for those Twilight fans out there: we're 178 miles from Forks, WA
we're 710 miles from Kathy and Craig's place in Edmonton - (it looks like it would be a very cool drive up through Kamloops and Jasper), and 697 miles to Brent and Jodi's place in Lethbridge
there are lots of routes to the homestead in Cardston, ranging from 719 miles of freeway driving in the states to 676 miles through winding mountain passes in the states to 687 miles through winding-er mountain-er passes in Canada.
we're 311 miles from our house in Kennewick, 394 miles from our house in Clarkston, 1233 miles from our house in Las Vegas and 940 miles from our house in Sandy
we're 823 miles from Stone, Idaho, where we last left our exciting family history stories and it’s 4669 miles from here to Horsley in Gloucester, UK where Henry Cottle (my great-great-great grandfather) is originally from
and finally, we're 2731 miles from Hanalei, Hawaii

Welcome to Ice on Whyte

2010-04-08T19:31:00.000-04:00

So this was supposed to be posted in January but I didn't have time to finish it and just got back around to it now. My bad. Anyway this is an ice festival Edmonton has every year. This year we had above freezing temps during the day so they were having a hard time keeping the ice as ice, but it was perfect weather to go hang out outside. So here are some highlights from Bailey and my visit.

This slide is made entirely of ice and is wicked awesome. The picture is actually taken from our spot in line, it was a pretty popular attraction.

Bailey at the top of the slide

View from the top, just about to go down

Bailey wandering in the ice maze

Hanging out in the ice castle

Relaxing on an ice bed

Ooopps!

2010-04-08T16:44:00.003-04:00

so I started a post back in January, little did I know that when you actually post it, it will be posted at the time started. So if you're interested in what Bailey and I did this January, I invite you to head back to January 23rd on the blog and check out the post Ice on Whyte, that I just posted today. Sorry about that.
-Holly

**I was able to change the post date so that it appears here in April** Kristin

Alice Starts over - Again

2010-04-07T19:14:00.000-04:00

Part 10 – 1918-28; Alice Kemp Anderson Cottle Starts over – Again!
Author note – I have found this the most difficult part to write thus far. It is hard to put into words what it must have been like to be a single mother with 8 children in 1918 – a time before the advent of Social Security, health insurance, welfare or other social safety nets we now take for granted. Alice survived and thrived by hard work, quick wits and a steadfast faith. However, I do not want to paint Alice as a tragic figure. I have come to know a different side of that little old lady sitting in a wheel chair in my parents’ living room in the 50’s and 60’s. I hope to portray, in this brief account, a plucky, hardworking, humble woman – determined to succeed against all odds. Alice Kemp Anderson Cottle Negus is one of my new heroes! And now, on with the story.
As a single mother with a mortgaged farm to pay for and eight – that’s right –eight children, ranging in age from 1 to 17 years, to support, Alice has many sleepless nights. Leland the oldest, is a good help around the farm and the others quickly learn to do their part or go hungry. However, on this night, she is kept awake by a real dilemma. It seems after the sudden death of Thomas she discovers the county government pays a small widow’s pension, about $8.00 a month, and she is using the pension mostly for groceries and other items she cannot trade or barter for. But earlier today she received a visitor from said government who confronts her with the rumor that she is using some of the pension to pay her tithing (more than a rumor, it is true). He goes on to tell her that the law states explicitly that, in his opinion, it is not permitted to use pension money to “donate to a church” and furthermore if she does not immediately stop the pension will be withdrawn! What to do, what to do? Alice always tries to follow the teaching of the prophets and while Thomas was alive tithing is always paid in full. But now, should she forgo the tithing for just a bit, in order to put food on the table? NO! The very next day she composes a letter to said government, telling them exactly what they can do with their widow’s pension – as for her and her house they will always pay a full tithing.
Alice continues to strive in every way to “be a mother and father to the children and to teach them the best she can” and at the same time take care of the material needs of life. This she does by every means possible. She milks the cows, by hand, and sells the milk about the neighborhood, takes in sewing and does other odd jobs for money or barter. Leland and Dewey hire out to neighboring farmers, not so much for a wage, but for hay, grain or other items needed to keep the farm going. At one point Alice realizes that she needs to sell a cow to make a mortgage payment. She narrows it down to two cows, Brownie and Skipper. All the kids campaign to keep Skipper – a family favorite. After much deliberation she decides Brownie will go. But that night during her prayers “Heavenly Father made it clear to me to sell Skipper.” So, despite the children’s protest, Skipper is loaded up and shipped to a neighboring farm. Two days later Skipper suddenly dies and in the words of Alice, “If I had not listened to my Heavenly Father and sold Brownie instead of Skipper I would have been out two cows instead of one.”
Although pressed with making ends meet, Alice does not neglect her church duties. She uses a horse and buggy to go visiting teaching. She also teaches a Sunday School Class and is a counselor in the Relief Society presidency.
Times are not all bad. Alice holds, “family night” long before it becomes church policy. This consists of evening games held after the long working day. Alice eagerly participates in all the games, her favorite being the foot races that start on the porch, wind down across the canal ditch, where you watched closely that someone did not “accidently” bump you of the edge of the bridge, then around the corrals and back up the trail to the porch. At age 30 something, Alice could still beat all but the two oldest boys. After the games and the snacks (often just a carrot or, on special occasions, bread pudding) the kids all gather around for story time, their favorite stories being those of Alice reminiscing about her childhood. She would tell them of the time, at age ten, she helped her brothers herd cows in the sand dunes. The sand was scorching hot, and since she did not have shoes, she would carry large leaves to stand on to cool her feet. When the cows moved she would pick up the leaves, run quickly to a new spot, put down the leaves to stand on again. The kids were never sure if this story is true or if she is just pulling their legs. But they loved it just the same.
Alice survives and thrives, by herself, on the farm for the next nine years (more about two of her children in the next episode). In 1927 she meets John Negus (first wife is Thomas Henry Cottle’s sister) and, after a proper courtship, they marry in the Logan Temple. (Note – John Negus worked at various occupations during his lifetime, but often as a sheep herder – for a couple of years his partner was a young man from Rock Springs, WY. Since sheep herding is a summer occupation the two men had time on their hands during the winter and they decided to try their skill at selling clothes and other dry goods, setting up a small shop in Rock Springs. After one year of this John said, “This is never going to pay off, count me out.” so the two parted company. Oh, by the way, the partners name? J.C. Penny!). At this time she has only 4 children still at home. She spends the next 30 years with John, until he passes away in 1957, and for the third time in her life Alice buries a husband. Alice continues to live with her daughter Clara and in the Sunshine Terrace in Logan until her death in 1977 at age 95. What an amazing story. Ed Cottle, her grandson reported the following at her funeral service:
During her lifetime
· She knew 18 of the 38 (1977) United States Presidents
· Electricity did not arrive in Cache Valley until she was 16 years of age
· The light bulb was invent three years after her birth
· She traveled with a horse and buggy, automobile, train, airplane and even lived to see men go to the moon
· She knew all the Latter Day Prophets (thru 1977) except Joseph Smith and Brigham Young
· Geronimo was not captured until she was 6 years old
· Twelve states were added to the United States during her lifetime (including Utah)
· Also of note – Mel and Jean Cottle lived in Grandma Negus’s Logan home down on 6th west while attending Utah State University between 1957-59

Welcome Karen

2010-03-29T20:59:00.002-04:00

We should all welcome Karen Ella to our blog. Karen is the youngest daughter of Ed and Janet Cottle (Ed is my youngest brother). And notice the second name - ring a bell with any of the people in The Cottle Family History. Welcome aboard Karen.

Things change for Alice - again

2010-03-29T20:54:00.001-04:00

Part Nine – Things change for Alice – Again!
March 28, 1918 is a cool spring day at the Cottle Ranch/homestead in Stone, Idaho, with just enough bite in the air to remind one of the winter past and just enough warmth in the sun to hint of the spring to come. Thomas is feeling rather good about life in general and his life in particular as he surveys the barns and corrals where some of the livestock, including a couple of new born calves, are soaking up the spring sunshine. On the national scene the country is bouncing back after yet another stock market crash – and it looks like the long and bloody WWI is finally coming to an end - so the troops will be returning soon and that is a good sign for farmers and ranchers what with commodity prices going nowhere but up. In his own family, Thomas also has reason to feel good. Alice has not only plugged the hole in his heart left by the sudden death of his beloved Ella but has proved a loving mother to his children and an efficient household manager. Leland T. is now a strapping 17 year old young man, with a gentle disposition, a knack for fixing things (it was later said of Leland, “give him a pair of pliers and some baling wire and he could fix anything”) and a proclivity for hard work. His other children from his first marriage, Loretta, Dewey and Ella are entering into their teen years and are a real help around the house and barns. And Clara, Alice’s child from her first marriage, at age 13 remains the apple of Thomas’s eye. After Alice and Thomas marry “3 more children come from this union, Charles, Charlotte and Sterling” (Alice).
So life is good thinks Thomas – But then he chides himself for daydreaming and heads up to the house for lunch. When he arrives Alice is busy rocking baby Sterling but Thomas still walks over and “kinda tickles the back of her neck, a secret way they had of showing affection to one another” (Clara). Then Thomas remembers he has forgotten to feed his favorite horse. “Just keep that lunch warm for a minute, Clara and I’ll be right back!”
The minutes tick by, Clara and Loretta go to the window several times to see if Papa is coming up the path from the barn.
“Don’t worry,” says world wise 14 year Dewey, “that old nag of Papa’s just loves to have his ears scratched before he will eat, Papa will be along shortly.”
“I hope he hurries, I made his favorite sandwich for lunch,” murmurs Clara.
The time drags on. Finally, Alice says, with just a little tremor in her voice. “Dewey, go see what is keeping Papa – tell him his lunch is getting cold and we will eat without him if he doesn’t hustle.”
In no time Dewey returns, but not with Papa, instead he is running full blast, screaming, “Momma, Momma, come quickly something has happened to Papa.”
Everyone joins Dewey and, with a mounting trepidation, they quickly traverse the path back to the barn. And there they discover Papa, looking for all the world like he is just taking a nap. “He was walking up the hill and fell backward, the pitch fork still over his shoulder, both hands holding the handle, one foot in front of the other, just taking a step – his favorite hat still perched on his head” (Clara). And so Thomas Henry Cottle, 41 years old, dies of a massive heart attack. He is at the prime of his life. He leaves behind a grieving widow (twice) Alice and 8 children – the oldest Leland is 17 and the youngest Sterling a mere one year old todler. So here is Alice Kemp Anderson Cottle, a widow for the second at age 36, with 8 young children to raise and a farm to run. In the words of Clara “It was hard. I remember thinking how could Mother do it? But we must take sadness in this world also.”
Tune in next week and see what is in store next for our plucky young heroine Alice Kemp Anderson Cottle as he fights to keep family and homestead together.

Alice Kemp Anderson and Thomas Henry Cottle

2010-02-23T19:59:00.002-05:00

Alice Kemp Anderson Cottle

Alice’s dreaming of her past life comes to an abrupt end as the white topped buggy driven by Thomas Henry Cottle hits a deep rut. She looks about and asks herself, “Am I doing the right thing?” Only a month ago she had resigned herself to raising her daughter, the love of her life, as a young widowed mother, keeping house for her Father and siblings; when, “a cousin working on a dam, the Stone Reservoir, tells about meeting Thomas Cottle, a recent widower, with 4 small children. He mentions Thomas is looking for someone to care for the children and keep house. So, I make inquires, Thomas agrees to an interview, he comes to Malad in a white top buggy, likes what he sees and here we are, on the bumpy road to Stone.” – And on the bumpy road to a new adventure for Alice and 5 year old Clara.
Clara recalls that first trip by saying, “When mother tells me we are going to Stone, the only stone I have ever heard of is a peach stone, and I wonder if Stone is just one big Peach Orchard!” When Alice and Clara arrive at the house the children (Leland 9, Loretta 7, Dewey 5 and little baby Ella) are all “neat and clean, the house in good order with supper ready on the table.” But Clara is most upset that baby Ella is not there, but is in Snowville with an Aunt Ettie. Clara does not see her for three days and as Clara remembers, “She is so sweet, and I love her dearly and with all the kids around Ella never wants for a baby-sitter.”
So, Alice settles in as housekeeper and nanny for Thomas Henry Cottle in late June of 1910. By November she is, “married in the Logan temple to Thomas Henry Cottle.” From this union came three more children: Charles, Charlotte and Sterling. So now there are eight children, a growing farming operation and life seems good. Alice once again thinks, “This is my life and life is good, I have a large family, a loving husband and good provider with whom I can enjoy a long and wonderful companionship.”

Thomas Henry Cottle, born in Plain City in 1877, married at 21 and widowed at age 33, is feeling pretty good about how things have turned out. Alice, his second wife, is a good housekeeper and a loving spouse, and while he loves all his children, little Clara is the apple of his eye. He continues to build up his cattle herd, adds some more barns and corrals, even adds onto the house; much needed now there are 8 growing children to house and feed.
Clara has fond memories of her step-father. “He is a very kind and loving man and I remember there being a lot of happiness in our home.” Sometimes he would take Loretta and Clara with him to Malad on church business, an all day ride in that beautiful white buggy, and Clara remembers all the fun. As they walk down the main street of Malad, “Loretta would tell me, ‘now Clara I’ll hold on to Papa’s coat and you hold my hand’ and then Papa would start walking faster and faster - then stop right quick - and if we weren’t holding on tight we would just keep right on going. I know he was just doing it for fun, but Loretta just kept getting a tighter grip on that poor coat and by the time we returned to Stone that coat was in a sorry condition. I don’t know how Mother got out the wrinkles.”
But Thomas demands respect from his family and they know when he means business. Clara recalls, “I can remember times when Loretta and I would be helping Mother or supposed to be helping and we would start bickering. One time I remember Loretta gets very angry. She is lying on the floor, crying, kicking her feet in the air. We hear the outside screen door open and shut and know that Papa is coming in. Loretta stops crying, jumps to her feet, and believe you me (one of Clara’s favorite expressions) by the time he gets in the house the table is set and ready for the food. Not an angry word is spoken. He just looks at us with a knowing grin – we get the message.”
“Another time we are all setting at the table and Mother is very emphatically telling us all what we are to do, AND SHE MEANS IT! Her fist comes down on the table with a loud bang, we all sorta jump. Silence for a couple of minutes then Papa gets up and crawls under table, everyone looks on. ‘Oh, I just wondered if that bang broke the table’ he says with that slight grin. Everyone starts smiling, even Mother, and we finish dinner with good feelings.”
So life is good! What can possibly go wrong? Tune in four weeks from today and find out. (I’m taking a little break to visit a warmer clime)

Alice Kemp Anderson Cottle Negus (and how she got all those names)

2010-02-16T19:49:00.001-05:00

The story thus far: Henry Cottle, born in Dudley, England, joins the church and comes to American with his wife Elizabeth Bartel, 5 children and his In laws. While crossing Wyoming in route to SLC (1866) his wagon is attack by Indians and both In-Laws and one son are killed and his wife kidnapped by Indians – never to be heard of again. Henry settles in Plain City for a time and his family settles permanently. Henry dies in San Francisco in 1972. One of Henry’s sons, Thomas Edward (1850-1908), Mel’s Great Grand Father, is one of the first garden crop farmers in Plain City. His Son, Thomas Henry, Mel’s Grandfather, marries Ella Neal, moves to Stone, Idaho and takes up ranching. Ella (1878-1910) dies shortly after the birth of their 4th child and Thomas Edward is left with four young children, Leland T., Mel’s father, being the oldest at age nine. We are diverting from Thomas Edward’s story for a short time and talking about Alice Kemp. Now it is on with the story, much of it in Alice’s words (anything in quotations).

Alice Kemp Anderson Cottle Negus (and how she got all those names)
Alice reflects back on her young life as the buggy bounces along the rough road between Portage, Utah and Stone, Idaho. What, she thinks, will happen next in a life that has not gone as she might have expected. Alice’s parents are born in Norfolk, England in the early 1850’s. They join the church, come to Zion and settle in Lewiston, Utah in the north part of Cache Valley. Alice is the third of six children. Alice remembers being left alone to tend her brothers and, in the process of making a fire, dropping, “a hot stove lid on my brother’s hand and he was badly burned. I took my bother to Mother, who was next door, and I believe I will always remember how kind my mother was to me on that occasion and I soon felt better. I think I was crying harder at the time than Sam.”
Alice completes grade four in Lewiston but that is the end of her formal schooling. The family moves to Portage and Alice takes on various jobs to help support the family. This she did until age eighteen.
But for Alice: “Life is more than work. We have plenty of parties and I have lots of dates and attend a dance at least once a week. At one dance I meet a tall, light handsome man named Charles Anderson. He lives in Salt Lake so I go there to work so we can become better acquainted. Two years later we are married (1902). We cannot get married in the temple because Charles does not pay tithing. Our first child is born dead, and we both felt so bad that Charley says we must pay our tithing and go to the temple (sealed in 1904). Another child comes to brighten our home- another little girl, we named Clara, after my sister, but this one is very much alive – and our home is filled with love and plenty of material things. After four years of complete happiness Charley suddenly becomes very sick and in a few short days he is dead.”
So a sudden change for Alice - left alone with a 16 month old girl and no visible means of support. So she moves to Portage (In Utah, but close to Malad, Idaho) to keep house for her Dad (mother has recently passed away), her two brothers and a younger sister. Of this difficult time in her life she writes, “I sure got a lot of joy and comfort out of my little daughter Clara.” She settles into a routine and believes this will be her lot in life – to take care of her Father and her siblings and raise her daughter as a single mother. Boy is she mistaken!
To be continued next week

2010-02-09T16:01:00.002-05:00

I'm all for giving Craig and Kristin a big Cheer. The Super Bowl Candy Pool is a hit. It keeps the game interesting and fun for all. Thanks for going to all that work. In fact - Hip Hip hooray!

Goodbye Plain City: Hello Stone

2010-02-08T19:41:00.001-05:00

Goodbye Plain City; Hello Stone
Thomas Edward (Mel’s Great Grandfather) lives a good life in Plain City, continuing to expand his produce farm and his family (12 children in all, with 4 dying in infancy). He works with his brother William and many of his progeny live in Plain City today. TE died March 8th, 1908 is buried in the Plain City Cemetery. Now, let’s get on with the story.
Thomas Henry Cottle (Mel’s Grandfather) is at a difficult crossroad in his relatively young life. He is the oldest son of TE and as such it is expected he will take over the family farm. So he works his whole life toward this end. He meets Ella Neal when her family travels from Snowville, Utah to Salt Lake City for general conference and stays overnight with some Plain City friends. It is love at first sight and in November, 1898, just 7 months after their first meeting they are married in the SLC temple. Thomas Henry rents a small home in Far West, UT, close to Plain City and the family farm. He continues to work on the farm but he is bitten by the cowboy bug (a malady that continues in some members of the family to this day). Why hoe carrots, or spend hours under the boiling sun thinning onions – then going home smelling l such a way that you bring tears to wife when you hug her? Why indeed, when you could be sitting on hill astride a beautiful roan stallion viewing the valley below, dotted with fat cattle, your cattle. So Thomas daydreams more and more. Then in 1901 a healthy baby boy is born into the family – the first child and first son. Christened Leland Thomas after his father and grandfather he starts his time on this earth. Thomas Henry believes the time has now come to make his dream come true. The crossroad is fast approaching and if he does not act now it will soon be just a blur in his rear view mirror and the cowboy dream will be dead and he will spend the rest of his life buried in potatoes and zucchini squash.
So acting on a tip from Ella’s family, and almost sight unseen, he purchases a “ranch” in Stone, ID a small town just over the border from Snowville, UT. It is a wide open prairie, with only a few settlers in what is called the Curlew Valley stretching north from Snowville toward Malad, ID some 50 miles away. There are few roads and fewer neighbors. Thomas Henry loves it, but Ella, not so much; she has fallen in love with the more “civilized” Plain City area and makes the move somewhat reluctantly.
As with many dreams, reality is somewhat harsher. The property contains a one room home, with a sod storage area built on the back. To start with, the “ranch” livestock consists of one milk cow, two pigs and a dozen chickens, all making the trip from Plain City. The first winter sees record low temperatures and lots of snow. One of the pigs gets lost in the snow and freezes, but at least it is found in time to provide cured hams, bacon and lots of lard (grease) for the family to live on. They survive that first winter, and began to put down roots. Thomas adds a real room to the house, a baby girl, Loretta (1903), joins the family. Thomas is able to trade work for a couple of cows and life moves on. Dewey (1906) comes next and the years roll by. Then the unexpected happens! In April 1910 Ella gives birth to a second girl, Ella Harriet, and all seems well. However, shortly after the birth, mother Ella starts to feel weak and unable to carry on her daily tasks. She tries to shrug it off, but not only does she have little energy, she starts to have stomach pains. Ella takes to her bed, with just enough strength to nurse little Harriet. Finally, Thomas sees no choice but to seek out a doctor. The closest certified physician is in Tremonton, some 30 miles to the south. It takes a long day’s ride to get the doctor and then a second day for him to return. The news is not good; it seems that Ella is still suffering from the aftereffects of the recent child birth. He tells Thomas to make Ella comfortable, give her aspirin for the pain and fever and wait. She will either recover on her own – or not. Unfortunately, it turns out in the worst possible way. On May 6, 1910 Ella Neal Cottle, 32 years of age, passes away. Thomas is left with 4 young children, the oldest, Leland is just nine and the baby, Harriet is 1 month old. Thomas is a long way from family – trying to build a ranch and take care of a young family. What to do? (Photo taken from the Stone Cemetery looking across Curlew Valley)
To be continued

The Plain City Years

2010-02-01T19:04:00.000-05:00

Plain City Days: The Next Generation
A quick Genealogy Note
Henry Cottle (1822-1872) = Mel’s Great Great Grandfather;
Thomas Edward Cottle (1850 – 1908) = Mel’s Great Grandfather;
Thomas Henry Cottle (1887-1918) = Mel’s Grandfather;
Leland T Cottle (1901 – 1990) = Mel’s Father

Thomas Edward is somewhat preoccupied. The year is 1877. The place is Plain City, Utah – a farming community some 20 miles northwest of Ogden. Unlike his father Henry, Thomas or TE as everyone calls him, does not have a desire to roam about the countryside. While he works his father’s freight wagons as a youth he soon makes the decision to settle in Plain City, and while still hoping to hear some word about his mother, he gets on with his own life. In 1872 (age 22), after acquiring a small farm he courts and, marries (November) a local girl, Flora England, who, like TE emigrated from her native England to be part of Zion.
This brings him to his present day problem. He has a growing family, including little Thomas Henry (Mel Grandfather) the second child in the family and the first boy, but he has very limited income from his small acreage. In the past he has tried several crops - wheat, barley and alfalfa, but to make money on those crops he needs lots of land, something he is lacking. As he ponders his dilemma, he overhears Flora talking to a neighbor lady and complaining about the problem finding fresh vegetables to feed the family. “One must go all the way to Ogden, waste an entire day, pay a fortune, and still come home with poor quality carrots and lettuce. It’s a crime.”
Bingo! A light went on! TE started that very day to convert his grain fields to vegetable crops, particularly, carrots, onions and strawberries. And while an acre of wheat produces little income, an acre of carrots – WOW! Although carrots and other vegetables mean a lot of hard labor – that’s what kids are for, right? His own growing family (eventually to reach 12 children – 4 who died in infancy, including the 3rd and 4th babies who were born just a year apart and each lived on 1 year, little John who lasts only 3 weeks and the 11th child Violet, just 6 months) plus the neighbor kids could be put to work to plant, thin, weed, water and harvest the crop. Add to this the rich loam soil in the Plain City area is known for growing great gardens, so why not just bigger gardens? This is an idea whose time has come. It didn’t happen overnight, however, after a some trial and error, and lot of frustration and hard work, TE produces some of the first commercial vegetable crops in the area, and before long he is not only producing food for local folks, but freighting carrots and onions into Ogden, via special Ice Box wagons. His reputation grows, soon other farmers in the area convert to this type of farming and it remains a staple crop to this day (In fact, Craig and Roger have supplied some of the child labor mentioned above almost a 80 years after TE). A special treat is the strawberries. TE does not truck them to Ogden, but invites people to come and pick their own, for a fee, of course. And once someone tastes a fresh ripe Plain City strawberry, they are hooked for life. There is one other farming innovation that occurs about that time – Aspeargrass. People harvest the strange looking spear shaped green plant, growing along ditch banks and fence lines, when the tender shoots first pop above the ground each spring . TE and other farmers began to replant the shoots into fields and grow them as sellable produce. They also discover that after cutting, if the shoot is placed in a cool water tank it continues to grow, enhancing the flavor and increasing the yield. So the Aspeargrass industry (Jean has spent considerable time placing those spears into the water tanks to provide family income during the 1060’s) thrives and continues to do so this day. And all this started because TE needed additional income for his family.
Continued next week

The Cottle Saga Continues

2010-01-26T19:07:00.001-05:00

PICKING UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Life Goes On: The Next Generation

A quick Genealogy Note
Henry Cottle (1822-1872) = Mel’s Great Great Grandfather;
Thomas Edward Cottle (1850 – 1908) = Mel’s Great Grandfather;
Thomas Henry Cottle (1887-1918) = Mel’s Grandfather;
Leland T Cottle (1901 – 1990) = Mel’s Father

It seems Henry Cottle will never get over the kidnapping of Elizabeth. He spends much of his remaining life checking on rumors and half truths concerning the whereabouts of his dearly beloved wife. Never does he receive a satisfactory resolution (in fact if you check on newfamilysearch.org today it lists no death date for Elizabeth, only stating that she was “carried off by Indians in Wyoming Territory in 1866)
Henry finally moves on, with stops in Denver, Provo, SLC, Ogden and then, finally, settling in Plain City, Utah with his remaining family; sons Thomas Edward and William and daughter Ann. He tries several methods for making a living, including freighting miner supplies to Butte Montana and other points in the Western States. He always seems restless and can’t settle down. In 1869 he meets and later marries Fanny Washer. They move to Sacramento, California when Henry hopes the change of scenery will help him forget Elizabeth. Three years later, 1872, he dies of consumption (a miners disease – Henry had worked the mines in England) and as his son Thomas Henry put it, “of a broken heart”. He is 50 years of age at time of death. So ends the generation of Cottles that accepted the gospel in England, traveled to “Zion” looking for a better life only to be beset by a life changing tragedy in route to the Promised Land. But all is not lost! Henry’s two sons (Thomas Edward = more about him in the next installment; William Henry Cottle married Elizabeth Drummer and lived in Plain City for most of his life {Craig, remember the Cottles you associated with in Plain City – his Great, Great, Great Grandsons}), and daughter (Ann Cottle married William Robson, they moved about a fair bit, including Medicine Lodge and Moreland, Idaho and then, in 1907, Canada. Ann lived to the ripe old age of 87, passing away in 1943.), go on to live exciting productive lives and continue a linage that includes most of you reading this story. Aren’t you glad they made the trip, and the sacrifice?
More next week

Are you ready...

2010-01-26T04:43:00.002-05:00

Just a reminder about the Candy Pool.

We tried to email everyone, however, sometimes mail gets blocked and we want to make sure everyone knows. Sign up while there are still slots available.

http://defyingsunshine.com/2010/01/are-you-ready/

Snow , snow and MORE snow

2010-01-22T17:15:00.005-05:00

This is outside Brandons window

It's crazy the snow is up to our windows and is up to the fence in our backyard

This was taken on Tuesday at about 1:30

This was Wed at about 6:30am

This was Wed at about 4:30pm

This was Thursday at 1:30

Thursday at 4:30

Thursay at about 5:30

This was last night before bed about 9:3o

And this is today. And it is still growing!!

An unexpected Bonus

2010-01-21T18:09:00.003-05:00

As you may know, we just returned from a brief visit to Hawaii and the island of Oahu. It was fun - sort of like going home. We spent most of the time just checking out all our favorite places and spent little time doing the usual tourist things - since we had seen most of those in the two years we lived at Laie. A side note before I get the the Bonus. Two things about Hawaii, 1) it has the best climate in the world - bar none and 2) it has the worst traffic in the world, bar none!

On with the story. We did decide to visit the PCC since we volunteered there for the two mission years, but that was 4.5 years ago so we did not think we would see anyone we knew. First off the Luau tickets we wanted were sold out and we had to purchase the more expensive Ambassador tickets, which included a small group guide that stayed with us throughout the day. We stepped inside and were greeted by a young lady who's first words were, "I know you guys." It turned out she had been serving a mission at the visitors centre while we were there and on occasion we would feed the young missionaries. We'll that was a coincidence. Next we had our picture taken and the photographer stopped in the middle of snapping the photo and said, "I know you Guys" He was the same person who snapped those photos when we volunteered at the PCC. Then the young lady (I can't remember her name) said she would take us to our guide, "You can't miss him - he is a big Samoan." We arrived just a few minutes late and the guide was already talking to the group. As we walked up he stopped talking and screamed, "Elder and Sister Cottle - I know you guys!" He rushed up an gave us a big hug (another thing I forgot - Polynesians love to hug). I'm tying to place this person - he obviously knew us very well - how could a student still be here from five years ago, that's not possible. And then he laughed - and I knew - Mokilita's son! And he is not a Samoan, but a Tongan - but he is big. Let me explain. Mokilita Santini, a teacher in Tonga was our first scholarship student to come to BYUH and complete her degree. We became fast friends (during our mission time I wrote several e-mails about her and her family, including when we took the family to their first restaurant experience during one of our visits to Tonga, also she gave us her most prized family possion - a tapa cloth) and every time we visited Tonga she would come and see us and bring along her family (six kids). She told all her kids we were their Canadian Grandparents. She is a marvelous person and has lived and thrived through some amazing hardships. Just about the time we left to go back home, her oldest son Nesi, received a mission call to Pocatello, ID. We keep in touch with him through the mission home and supported him with warm clothes and other stuff (he went to Idaho in the winter without even an overcoat). Well the big Tongan hugging us at the PCC was none other than Nesi! He had completed his mission and now a Senior at BYUH majoring in accounting. Finding him was the best part of our whole trip. He had a hard time talking to the rest of the group as we spent the afternoon catching up on the family and all. His sister is also attending BYU, and just before the evening show, she arrived (more hugs) and again after the show and we visited some more. Seeing the two Satini kids after all these years was a great big BONUS!

2010-01-07T16:56:00.002-05:00

Alright, it is time to reveal the real author of the Christmas story published in December.
DRUM ROLL - It is ROGER!
I found the original manuscript buried deep in a box in the closet, while looking for some information for my continuing story of the Cottle Saga (to return in a couple of weeks).
The title is "Stories by Roger Cottle - 1972" and contains several stories.

Also a note of thanks to Craig Cottle for being the driving force behind the fantasy football league. And next year, look out for the Bulldogs!

Also, also - we are headed to Hawaii next Tuesday for our first visit back to the islands since our mission. We are very excited about seeing BYU-H, Temple View Housing (Apt #P150), Cannon Center (where BYU-H plays basketball), PCC, Laie Point, Chinaman's Hat, Sunset Beach, John Bailey, Halewa Joe's, Giant turtles, Turtle Bay, International Flag display at BYU-H as well as all the other things tourists usually visit (and which we have seen many times over). And maybe just going to our favorite beach (not well known to most tourists) and soaking up a little sun.

GFFL Results

2010-01-05T23:22:00.001-05:00

Dateline – WASHINGTON (the state) – With the end of the NFL regular season, the Greyhavens Fantasy Football League finished its playoffs and got their first season in the books. There were lots of ups and downs, but league officials consider their inaugural season a big success.

In the first playoff week, the Championship Bracket saw number one seed Wurstens6 take on the fourth seeded The Burning Legion. In a squeaker, Wurstens6 managed to advance to the Championship game, beating The Burning Legion by less than five points. In a battle of the second and third seeds Dunedain advanced over the Snowmen. In the Consolation Bracket, in what may have been their best week of the season, the eighth seeded Bulldogs upended the fifth seeded The Hand of David team and Safety Blitz barely managed to get by the Bruisers.

In the Championship week, The Dunedain managed to outscore the mighty Wurstens6 to finish in the top spot, while the Snowmen outplayed The Burning Legion for a third place finish. The Bulldogs continued their strong play to win the fifth place game and The Hand of David won their finale to finish in the seventh spot.

There were lots of exciting times throughout the season, from the opening stresses about “how’d I end up with that player” and the “what can I do to get this guy” - to the midseason “oh no, my best starters all have a bye this week” and all the consternation about which players to start - to the final weeks frustrations over the best players sitting out of meaningless games. Everyone that watched felt bad for The Hand of David team in the week they were playing the Wurstens6. At first it looked like they had just barely lost to the Wurstens6, then a scoring change put The Hand of David on top and everyone congratulated them on beating the Wurstens6, only to have the scoring change corrected to put them back to a loss.

The Wurstens6 proved to be the team to beat, scoring 1593.96 points in the regular season, a full 161 points more than the next closest team. Oddly enough, the next four scoring ranked teams were within ten points of each other, the Dunedain at 1432, The Hand of David only five points back at 1427, the Snowmen at 1423 and the Burning Legion only about one point back at 1422.

Some other interesting scoring notes: The closest game played was in Week 11 between the Bulldogs and the Bruisers, when the Bruisers beat the Bulldogs by only 1.14 points. The highest team score for a week came in Week 6, when the Dunedain scored 146.18 points. Somewhat uncharacteristically, the Wurstens6 had the lowest team scoring week when they posted only 32.10 points in Week 4. The highest total weekly score (the two teams combined) came in Week 2 when the Wurstens6 and the Safe-T-Blitz scored a combined total of 243.40 points. The lowest combined score was in Week 4, when the Wurstens6 and the Bruisers combined for only 94.16 points. The biggest blowout came in Week 14 when those same two teams, Wurstens6 and the Bruisers played and the Wurstens6 won by almost 79 points.

For the record, here are the standings at the end of the regular season:

Grand Old Division

Dundedain 9-6
Snowmen 8-7
Bruisers 7-8
Bulldogs 5-10

Junior Circuit
Wurstens6 10-5
The Burning Legion 8-7
The Hand of David 7-8
Safe-T-Blitz 6-9

League officials are all looking forward to an expanded season next year!

Happy Birthday Bailey

2010-01-01T16:05:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to wish Bailey a very happy birthday!! Hope you have a great day and a terrific year!

2009-12-21T18:28:00.002-05:00

The Cottle Saga will return in January - Meanwhile, while looking for more Cottle family history I found the following: A poem written by a member of the Cottle family. Read it! Enjoy it! And then take a guess at the identity of the author

From the Writings of ????? ?????? (age ??)

Year

The Boy who didn't believe in Santa Claus (SIC)

Over the mountains, the forest, and plain

From Quebec, to Alberta, To Utah, to Maine

From New York, to Paris, to London or Rome

Across all great oceans, white capped with foam

From all places only one such boy survived

He was mean and was cruel to my surprise

Bluebeard and the Mafia couldn't compare

To him - all badness was just and fair

The meanest boy that ever did live

He could be cured by no medicine doctors could give

For the things he did would make you heart pause

But worst of all, HE DIDN'T BELIEVE IN SANTA CLAUS

He used to boast "he'd spit in his eye,"

If he ever met the "rotten guy"

"He's a fake and a phony," he used to complain,

"His sleigh is a junk heap, his clothes have soup stains"

But now he has changed from all of that

No longer he thinks Santa looks like a bat

Why he changed no one knows

For he has told none of his friends, not even his foes

But Santa's his hero, and that's a fact

"Santa's the best," on his wall he has tacked

So I questioned him and asked him to explain

He said, "It's simple and plain"

You see it all happened seven winters ago

I set a trap in fireplace for my foe

And I watch in the corner, on my face was a frown

And to my surprise! Santa still came down

And what's more, he had a smile on his face

And walked over to me with wisdom and grace

Non believer, come with me

And you will see my fantasy.

And we climbed on his sleigh and were off like a shot.

And in all that sky we were just a small dot

And we landed at the North Pole

It was desolate and ugly and wouldn't support a sole

but in all that whiteness something appeared

A small little workshop, and elf's so queer.

and with a gesture he invited me in

And tiny elf's worked on toys, balls and scuba fins.

He showed me all the workings of his shop

But then all at once, something made him stop

It was the clock on the wall striking twelve gongs

Signaling Christmas Eve was along

Santa said it is time for me to go

And in a twinkling of an eye we were up in the snow

He dropped me off at my place of abode

And jumped on his sleigh and away he rode

but I heard him exclaim as he flew out of sight

"Always believe and I'll visit you on Christmas eve night"

"But disbelieve and you will find to your shock

A lump of coal in your very own sock!"

MERRY CHRISTMAS

WHO WROTE THIS MASTERPIECE?

2009-12-14T18:33:00.000-05:00

Part III: Fort Laramie, Wyoming – 1867
As Thomas Edward watches the Indians converge on Fort Laramie, his mind begins to wander over the events of the past year. Since the Indian attack last July that kills his little brother, grandmother and mortally wounds his grandfather; and causes the disappearance of his mother; events are sort of muddled together. But some things he will never forget, starting with the immediate aftermath of the attack.
First TE digs two shallow graves in the bald prairie and places the body of his little brother George in one grave and his Grandma Bertell in the second grave with only sagebrush branches as grave markers. Then Captain Duncan detours the wagon train to Big Laramie where they met up with a Captain Smith, who, upon hearing of the attack, organizes a company of 75 men and starts after the Indians, assuring TE that; “he will have his mother back before sundown.” Captain Smith is unable to keep his word. He follows the Indians for three days before pinning them down long enough for a brief battle. However the Indians slip away during the night and Captain Smith is forced to return to Big Laramie empty handed.
TE, his Father Henry, Brother William, Sister Anne and Grandpa Bartell (gravely wounded) accept an invitation to go to Denver to see if a doctor can help Grandpa ( he cannot and Grandpa dies a short time later). They stay in Denver for a year, working to make enough money to travel on to Utah – but at the same time always hoping for word about their mother/wife.
In the early summer of 1867 a Captain Wilson contacts the family and invites them to go with him to Fort Laramie where several Indian tribes have agreed to “make treaties with the white man” so a Peace Commission is established to conduct the terms of the treaty. There is a rumor that a provision of the treaty will be that the Indians return all hostages. This brings TE back to the present as he scans the hills carefully, watching for his mother’s trademark red hair. TE is surprised at the number of Indians, he guesses there might be 8-10 thousand and with only about 500 soldiers he is constantly warned to stay inside the fort. However, Thomas Edward often sneaks out in the afternoons and visits some of the more friendly Indian camps. He always asks about the red headed woman. And he gets lots of leads. Sometimes he feels he is so close to his mother he can almost feel her presence. He is sure it is just a matter of time before she will be back safe and sound. NOT TO BE! In spite of the best efforts by the family, the army, the peace commission and some friendly Indians, Elizabeth Bartell Cottle is not found. The Peace Commission wraps up their work and the Indians fade back into the hills and still no Elizabeth. TE returns to Denver with a heavy heart, but vows never to give up. Even as a grown man TE continues to track down every lead, every rumor, but to no avail. At one point, much later on Thomas Henry (son of TE and Mel’s Grandfather), hears of a motion picture company that had gone to Wyoming some years earlier to film an Indian Tribe and while there they see a woman with red hair who is the wife of the chief. They ask her why she does not return to live with the “white men” and reportedly she replies, “It’s been too long, my people will never accept me.” Thomas Henry tries to track down the movie company but does not succeed. And so the fate of one Elizabeth Bartell Cottle, wife of Henry Cottle, mother to Thomas Edward Cottle and Mel’s Great Great Grandmother, remains unknown to this day.

Winter Again!

2009-12-10T18:56:00.004-05:00

I know I left you with some photos of a late season storm. Well, here we go again. This is the result of a storm that started Friday 5th of December and ended Sunday evening. We have almost 30" of snow on the level and much higher in the drifts (which are right in front of my driveway). Will it never end?

Randal's Favourite Albums of 2009

2009-12-10T14:59:00.003-05:00

Head over to http://randaltheresa.wordpress.com to check out my list of my favourite albums from this year.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

2009-12-08T22:53:00.008-05:00

...everywhere we go.
So starting Friday, the weather up here in Edmonton turned a bit nasty. It snowed all day, then factor in winds causing drifts everywhere, it created for some interesting driving (I almost got stuck on the roads a couple times and that doesn't factor in the parking lots. Those are a whole other beast themselves.)
This is what it looked like just outside my apartment door, about 20 - 25 cm fell (8 - 10 inches) so not the 2 feet like Jamie, but we got snow on the ground, now the temperature has dropped and we're once again wondering why we live in Edmonton.... :-S

But to really kick off the Christmas season Bailey and I once again participated in the Festival of Trees to support the University of Alberta Hospital Foundation. Here's some of the fun we had this year.

First stop, a visit with Santa

This year was the 25th anniversary of The Festival of Trees and all kids got these bags to decorate and keep

The traditional mini tree decorating

One of the many decorated cakes/gingerbread houses (this ones a cake) on display for judging. This one won gold in the pro decorating category, and it's from the gluten-free bakery Kinnikinnick, so it holds a special place in my heart.

Bailey practicing her stitching technique, the patient should heal well

Bailey a little worse for wear after a visit to the "Hospital"

Time to go home, we had a ton fun and hope that all of you have a ton of fun this christmas season too.
so finally, Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!

2009-12-07T17:56:00.000-05:00

PART TWO – Somewhere in Wyoming 1866
“Jump down boy,” says Captain Duncan as he approaches the wagon
TE does so, still puzzling over the increasing crowd of men coming his way. He double checks the wagon and the team to be sure everything is ok. THEN HE HEARS THE WORDS THAT WILL CHANGE HIS LIFE FOREVER.
“Son, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but we just got word that Indians have attack your dad’s wagon, we are now in the process of sending a posse to find the Indians and also to retrieve the survivors”.
The Captain continues talking but TE can’t make out the words for the sudden pounding in his head and he mumbles. “What are you talking about?” “Survivors, why are you talking about survivors?”
Now his mind is starting to clear and he thinks, “Captain would only use the word survivor if someone did not survive – and he said they attack my Dad’s wagon, that means…”
“Come on boy, join Sister Duncan in my wagon and we will wait until the Posse returns and gives us a full report.”
“NO, I’m going with them – I must find out what is happening to my family.”
With that TE grabs a horse tethered to a nearby tree, and without asking permission, jumps on and starts after the Posse. No one tries to stop him.
The 15 miles to the Cottle wagon go by in a haze, TE thinking to himself, “Survivors, I hope they all survived. I’m sure my brother and sister made it, who would hurt such little children? And my mom, she is so nice to everyone, especially me, so I know no one would hurt her. But my Dad and my Grandparents; Oh, I hope not.”
Just then the horse stumbles and almost pitches TE off, so he quits daydreaming and concentrates on staying astride the horse for the remaining miles, which seem to take forever.
The first glimpse of the area around the wagon does not look promising. The wagon itself looks in shambles. One of the oxen has been shot and fell, breaking the wagon tongue. Clothes are scattered everywhere, along with household belongings, supplies and just stuff. Then TE sees what he fears most. BLOOD! The more he looks the more blood he sees. The limp figure of a woman is lying alongside the wagon with a great amount of blood on her dress.
“Oh no, not my mother, I cannot live without my mother!”
As TE gets closer he can see this woman not only has her throat cut, but has been scalped as well, so TE cannot tell if this woman has the bright red hair that is his mother’s pride and joy and her trademark. He holds his breath and turns the women over – It is not his mother but Grandmother Bretell (spelling varies). He has mixed feelings, sorrow at the loss of his Grandmother but with renewed hope that he might find the rest of the family alive. But the next sight is anything but encouraging; a small limp form is laying close to one of the wagon wheels. It is his little brother George, with his skull bashed in – poor little George, it looks like one of the Indians just picked him up and smashed his head against the wheel. This is more than TE can handle, he feels unwell and all at once the events of the morning catch up with him. He slumps to his knees, leans across a washtub, upchucks his breakfast and breaks out crying. As he continues sobbing he thinks he must be growing crazy – the tub is making a thumping sound. What is going on? He gets control of himself, lifts up the tub and there underneath is his just younger brother William – and he is alive! He had forgotten about William when he was thinking of his family earlier. Fourteen years old, and small for his age – and someone TE often fought with – Will is a sight for sore eyes. No sooner has he found Will that he hears a further groaning. He and Will, without saying anything to each other, rush to the other side of the wagon. There is Father, blood running down his face, but alive. Now to find Grandpa Brettell, TE’s little sister Anne and, most importantly – his mother Elizabeth. A quick search of the surrounding area turns up Grandpa, gravely wounded by a blow to the head, but alive (he died of his wounds some six weeks later).
TE and Will hold a quick conference, decide to split up and look for mother and Anne. After more than an hour of frantic searching one of the men from the wagon train arrives with Anne, unharmed, across the front of his saddle. It seems that during the attack she takes off on the dead run to warn the wagon train and none of the Indians notice her leave.
Still no sign of mother, everyone searches until they are exhausted! Finally the survivors set down together to have a talk and plan their next action. Father is still too woozy to think straight, so TE – at 16 years of age becomes the man of the family, at least for the present. The story is pieced together as follows: It appears a group of Indians appear upon a nearby hill – dressed in war paint, but saying, by sign language, they want to trade. Father walks away from the wagon and toward the hill and offers several items in trade, after a lot of haggling father says he will give them all our sugar, bacon and 200 pounds of flour if they will let us pass unharmed. The Indians agree. Then as father turns to go back to the wagon, one of the Indians “shot him down like a dog” (words of William Henry Cottle) and the attack is on! The Indians fire over 500 rounds in and about the wagon. Grandma and little George are killed and Grandpa fatally wounded. Mother grabs William, shoves him under a tub and tells him not to raise that tub, no matter what. Anne clings to her mother’s skirts for dear life. A large buck Indian on a big white horse charges the camp swinging his rifle as a club and in one motion, knocks Anne to the ground and swoops Elizabeth up on the horse in front of him; then takes off across the prairie – with mother’s bright red hair streaming across his shoulder. Anne goes running for help and TE arrives a short time later. In less than an hour, TE’s whole world is turned upside down. TE walks a short distance from the rest and has a good cry, then dries his tears, “sucks it up” and returns to what is left of his family, with one thought uppermost in his mind.
“I will not rest until I find my mother!” TO BE CONTINUED
(Note: This story is true but I have used two different accounts of the incident for my information. One by William Henry and one by Anne Cottle Robson – and each account varies somewhat. Also I took writer’s license to make the story more interesting.)

2009-12-01T17:58:00.001-05:00

Part One 1866 somewhere in the Wyoming Territory
Thomas Edward Cottle or TE as everyone calls him is having a horrible day. It is hot and dusty and the team of oxen he is assigned to drive are slow and always stopping to eat along the way. When TE tries to use the long rawhide bullwhip to get the team moving again it gets tangled in the wagon canvas, just about pulling him off the seat and does little to move the oxen. He is almost on the verge of tears, but then a sixteen year old –almost a man – does not cry. And furthermore, if the other “bull whackers” spot tears they will tease him endlessly. So TE sucks it up and tries to think of pleasant memories to cheer him up. He remembers the missionaries, with their funny looking stove pipe hats and strange accents coming to their home in Dudley, Stafford England and talking about a group of people called the “Mormons” that live in this far off place referred to as “Zion” or sometimes, Utah Territory. It seems a little strange to TE but he likes the Missionaries- they make him feel good inside, and he joins the rest of the family in being “baptized” into this religion (although Thomas Edward is not baptized until after the family immigrates to Utah). It is almost a blur after the family decides to “go to Zion”, but he does remember the long ocean voyage – and how sick he got when a storm buffets the ship - Of landing in New York, the biggest city he had ever seen! Then after a brief stop in the big city making their way by train (and some walking) to Winter Quarters, Nebraska where his dad (Henry) joins up with Captain Duncan’s wagon train for the long trip across the American Plains to Zion. By this time their meager savings are exhausted and Cap Duncan wants “cash up front.” So, Henry makes a deal. His oldest son will drive a freight wagon across the plains and in exchange allow the Cottle wagon to join the train. TE does not necessarily want to drive a wagon but his Dad will book no argument. Now that the journey is almost half over TE admits, to himself, that there could be worse things than driving a yoke of oxen to Utah. And maybe being an experienced teamster will come in handy when looking for a job in Utah.
A big bump stops his day dreaming and the oxen’s forward progress. So TE gets down and looks around to see if the wagon has sustained any permanent damage. He can see no problems but just as he is about to climb back in the driver’s seat he hears shouting coming from the rear of the train.
“Indians, Indian attack, Indian attack!”
TC’s first thought is to find cover and his second thought is about his family. He is glad his family (Father Henry, Mother Elizabeth, little brother George, bratty little sister Anne, and his Grandmother and Grandfather Brittle [or Bartel]) is not with the company at this time and therefore cannot be part of the Indian attack. The reason: It seems Captain Duncan would not pay the required $2.00 per wagon to cross the Platte River earlier this morning. Instead the Captain orders the entire company, including TE, to travel some 10 miles north to a place where the company can ford the river, thus avoiding the ferry toll. However, the Henry Cottle wagon is experiencing wheel axle problems, so Henry said he will fix the wagon, and then pay the ferry toll, although he could ill afford the $2, and catch up with the main company that evening.
Thomas Edward immediately circles his team inward to repel the attack, just as he has been taught. However, no one else is moving; all the drivers are just sitting on their wagons looking around.
“Quick,” TE calls, “Let us get these wagons in a circle, there is not a moment to lose – the Indians will be here any second.”
Still, no one moves.
“Now that’s strange, not only is no one moving but it looks like the Captain and some of the men are coming toward my wagon, did I do something wrong?” TE puzzles to himself.
“Captain, shouldn't we be circling the wagons to guard against the attack?”
Still no one moves, and the usually jovial Captain Duncan has a somber look as he wends his way through the assorted wagons toward the spotted oxen pulling TE’s unit.
In his mind TE thinks, “What is going on! What IS GOING ON?”
…TO BE CONTINUED

From Craig, Kristin, Sam and J'Neil

2009-11-29T23:06:00.002-05:00

It's that time, time for our annual Christmas Dance Greeting. Be sure to turn your sound up because this year we've added vocals!

Craig, Kristin, Sam and J'Neil 2009 Christmas Dance Greeting

And this year a bonus:

Matthew, Ashlie, Dillon and Brandon showing off.

New, temporary address

2009-11-18T06:52:00.001-05:00

We're moving over the weekend, to a tiny little house in Kennewick while we wait for things to be ready in Bellingham. So for the next three or four months, our address will be:

6603 W 5th Ave
Kennewick, WA 99336

Phone numbers will stay the same for now.

Kristin

2009-11-12T12:01:00.002-05:00

To promote the Canadian Football League (yes, for you skeptics in the US - the CFL is alive and well) Western Division Semi-final between the Calgary Stampeders and the Edmonton Eskimos on Sunday, CBC radio is running a joke contest between the two cities. Here are two sample entries.
#1
Welcome to the National Pronunciation Contest. First contestant is 12 year old Judy
Judge - Judy your word is C-a-l-g-a-r-y (saying each letter, but not the word)
Judy - Cal GARY
Judge - repeat
Judy - Cal GARY
Judge - wrong! Correct pronunciation for Calgary is DUMB!
Judy - I don't hear any difference between Cal GARY and DUMB!

#2
Why do all the trees in Calgary lean toward the north?
I don't know, why do all the trees in Calgary lean toward the north?
BECAUSE EDMONTON SUCKS!

Home Again

2009-10-20T17:16:00.004-04:00

We are back! After two weeks of touring Europe, and a cruise around Greece, Turkey and Croatia, we are home. We had a great time but I have seen enough ruins, big churches and marketplaces to last me for a while.

New Info

2009-10-15T19:23:00.003-04:00

Hello family,

Hope you are all doing well. We are busy getting ready to move on Sat. Just thought I would let you know our new address and phone #

9 Little Bear Lane
Bayfield CO, 81122

970-884-2393

We are getting excited to move. If you want to see some pics of the house go to my blog.
wurstenfam.blogspot.com

I will post some more pics when we get there. Love and miss you all.

A little bit of tennis fun

2009-10-15T15:15:00.005-04:00

Ok so as pretty much all of you know I am a fan of The Colbert Report. And on Monday night, Colbert did a segment that made me think of all my fellow tennis fans so I thought I would share. Please note this link will expire in approximately 30 days from the post date (give or take a few days) Anyway enjoy!

http://watch.ctv.ca/the-colbert-report/episodes/the-colbert-report---october-12-2009/#clip223152

As for the blog readers in the States, I'm sorry I couldn't find a usable link. Being in Canada I'm very limited on what I can do on those American sites. But if you're really interested you can look up the segment "Fallback Position" from his Oct 12th show on the website www.colbertnation.com

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA

2009-09-30T15:34:00.005-04:00

Thanks for being such an awesome grandpa. Hope your birthday is a good one.

hi from England

2009-09-05T16:20:00.003-04:00

this is the harry potter bridge, and me being harry
this is the eilean donan castle - the most famous castle in Scotland
the west coast of scotland. (croy shore)
Roman ruins near the border of Scotland and England.

Well its me again. Hope people have been checking my blog b/c I've been keeping it updated with lots of pictures, that I sort of forgot about this blog (my bad!), and dont forget to look at the pictures on facebook (loads more)...
So school starts on Monday but I probably wont start working until the second week of September. I am planning on working for 2 different agencies - that cover different areas, so more schools :) I can honestly say that I've never been so excited for school to start - this is the closest I've come to going into debt (actually I am starting debt, but can easily get out of it with 2 days of work)...
I thought I would add a couple pictures, show you my exciting adventures in Scotland (last week), and possibly a couple others.

Answers to Holly's questions

2009-09-02T23:30:00.003-04:00

It is with another dental practice. The guy that is opening it is Mormon too. We knew them in dental school although they were 2 years ahead of us. It is brand new medicaid office, and it is the only one in Durango. So it's a really good opportunity for us, and should do pretty good. We are excited for it.

moving

2009-09-01T17:21:00.002-04:00

Well Holly and fellow family members...We are moving to Durango CO. If you don't know where it is Google it. It is very pretty and sort of a touristy town. Populaiton 15,000 but around 60,000 with surrounding cities. Very close to ski resorts, lots of mountain biking, lots of river rafting. Really a great place to be if you like the outdoors. I am excited, but a little worried about being in a small town. I am a big city person! But i think I will be ok, so feel free to come and visit. Jeff got a really good job opportunity so we thought we would take it. The market here in Arvada is tough, and he has only been working 3 days a week. We REALLY can't live off of that, so we feel like we finally after 4 years have found our break. His practice is pretty much just gone. It really stinks, but what are you going to do. We live and learn right? So keep us in your prayers that things will go well, and that we can finally feel a little stable.

GFFL

2009-08-23T11:45:00.000-04:00

Dateline – WASHINGTON (the state) – Last week Commissioner Craig Cottle announced the establishment of the new Greyhavens Fantasy Football League. The fledging league will begin operations for the 2009 season and hopes to provide fun and excitement for members of the league and their families. “The last several years have been pretty tough for us 49er fans, and we know we’re not alone. We hope this new league will give us something additional to get excited about,” Commissioner Cottle said. Left unsaid was that it looks like it may be another tough year for 49er fans.

The GFFL is currently comprised of the three founding teams: Dunedain, The Hand of David, and Snowmen. There remains room for additional teams, and in fact the league needs more teams in order to provide the hoped for fun and excitement. Cottle is on record as saying “we would like to open the season with at least six teams, would feel comfortable with eight, and could handle as many as ten.”

There has been an emphasis in the league on simplicity. Keeping it simple should attract the appropriate demographic to the new league. “We’re not looking for the hardcore fantasy player,” Cottle said, “rather those that have considered playing in a fantasy league, but hadn’t gotten around to it yet. This, our inaugural year, will focus primarily on offense, have simplified scoring, and we anticipate minimal trading activity.” Of primary importance at the outset is the simplified draft format: owners need only rank the available players in order of preference and the draft will all be handled automatically on September 6^th.

Team owners should register their teams for the GFFL as early as possible, but will have the next two weeks to rank their players for the draft. To register, simply visit the league’s website at join craigthegrey@yahoo.com’s custom league . Any questions can be directed to Commissioner Cottle at craigthegrey@yahoo.com or via any of his web presences (Live, From Wherever I Am, All Cottles Great and Small, Facebook, and even Twitter).

Sign that the world is coming to an end

2009-08-19T11:57:00.002-04:00

Remember when SI had a little blurb in every issue entitled "Signs that the world is coming to an end"? Or something similar
Well...

Sign that the end is near
1. Over the past 10 years, golf has replaced ice hockey as the most popular recreational sport in Canada, according to Statistics Canada.

Anyone else have a sign that the end is near?

Whom do you trust

2009-08-19T11:45:00.002-04:00

Alright, so I'm a little late with the answers (alright a lot late), but life sort of interfered. He we go - see how your choices stack up with most Canadians
1. Batteries - Duracell
2. Camera - Canon
3. Chocolate Bar - Hershey's (and I thought the only bar to trust was Snickers)
4. Credit Card - Visa (What an oxymoron - to use Credit card and Trust in the same sentence)
5. Deodorant - Secret (Men using Secret?)
6. Home Entertainment Equipment - Sony
7. Household Cleaner - Mr. Clean
8. Passenger Car - Toyota (In this family it think Honda might be the one)
9. Personal computer - Dell
10. Pick-up Truck - Ford (and I'm thinking about buying one)
11. Razor - Gillette (for both men and women)
12. Running shoes - Nike (My personal fav is New Balance)
13. Shampoo - Head and Shoulders (This is a surprise - Canadians must have a lot of dandruff)
14. SUV Manufacturer - Toyota (see comments above)

Thanks to all those who shared their most trusted ......
Grandpa/Dad

Good Luck Randal!

2009-07-28T16:36:00.002-04:00

Ok so I don't exactly know when it is but according to my Dad, Randy is now in California taking the bar exam to become a real life lawyer. I just thought I would wish him good luck, we're all rooting for you!

And just something I found online for good luck.

2009-07-19T20:48:00.001-04:00

Last chance to give us your "most trusted brands" opinion. The word comes out on Tuesday

2009-07-14T12:01:00.003-04:00

I found an interesting survey presented by Reader's Digest Canada. 1500 Canadians were ask "For each of the products listed, please identify which brand you trust the most." While some products referred exclusively to Canada (i.e. Airline = Westjet and Bank = TD Canada Trust) some of the others were most interesting. So why don't you give the question a try on the following products and post your choices in the comment section (if I get enough responses I will list the Cottle most trusted brands) and then I will post the most trusted Brands, according to us Canucks, in a couple of days. Remember - the key word here is not price or value but Trust!
1. Batteries
2. Camera
3. Chocolate Bar
4. Credit Card
5. Deodorant
6. Home Entertainment Equipment
7. Household Cleaner
8. Passenger Car Manufacturer
9. Personal computer
10. Pick-up Truck Manufacturer
11. Razors
12. Running Shoes
13. Shampoo
14. SUV Manufacturer

2009-07-09T14:21:00.002-04:00

Alright, I must confess - same as Craig, I saw it as the AFLAC trivia question on the Mariners broadcast. Here is the answer. Yesterday at 12:34.56 sec. P.M. The Time and date read = 1234567(July)8(day)9(year). In other words time and date counted the digits 123456789. By my calculations I'm not sure when, or if that will happen again. The first 8 happen every year - but the 9 year not so often.

2009-07-08T11:37:00.002-04:00

Anyone know what numerical anomaly will occur today shortly after noon, local time (whatever time zone you happen to be in). Answer tomorrow

Hello from England

2009-07-06T12:59:00.012-04:00

hey Im sorry I have not been keeping track of things that've been happening on this post - I've been busy with my own post, AND having too much fun!!
Here i thought since you may not've looked at my post I'll post 1 picture from each month since I've been here. *sorry its too hard to pick just one...

So lets start with the picture of the bridge and sunset - that's just down the street. The one with the yellow coat person - you see those everywhere, they're the crossing guards. the one with the bridge behind me - that's the Harry Potter bridge. There's one with my great aunt sylvia in Wolverhampton. Then theres some pictures of the country side. The sparkler is on my birthday (a present from my really really good friend Andy).
And just because I'm weird - here a picture of me making everyone celebrate Canada day (funny they didnt know about canada day but they did know about ID4 - whats with that?!)

Happy Independence Birth Day

2009-07-04T18:37:00.005-04:00

Well it's been a busy few days around here and even if we are in Canada we still like to acknowledge this holiday, so to all the americans out there, Happy Forth of July.

And of course we cannot forget about Kristen.

I think that looks like a good number of candles for you.

jonas brothers concert

2009-07-03T19:19:00.005-04:00

last night me and addy went to the jonas brothers concert in edmonton. This was my first concert and it was FLIPPIN AWESOME! they had a spining stage that they would stand on and it would rotate so everyone could them. they sprayed us with soapy stuff. we bought t-shirts. me and addy like joe the best. he was the awesomest in the concert.(joe rules all holly }:P ) here are some pics from the show!

Happy Canada Day!

2009-07-01T23:39:00.003-04:00

Can't wait to see the new quiz on Randy's blog. I'm heading over there right now.

The Third Annual Canada Day Quiz

2009-07-01T11:14:00.001-04:00

Happy Canada Day! Head over to my blog to take our third annual Canada Day quiz!

Thanks

2009-06-20T01:55:00.003-04:00

Graduation #2.

Thanks so much for coming down to the graduation, Grandma & Grandpa.
We really appreciated you being there!

Sam also thanks all the family for your cards, thoughts and encouragement!

Meet Carson Mel Erickson

2009-06-17T18:02:00.001-04:00

Head on over to my blog to meet the newest addition to our family!

Samwise & J'Neil at his high school graduation

2009-06-07T00:17:00.002-04:00

Great job, Samwise!
One ceremony down, one to go.

Happy Birthday Jamie!

2009-05-11T16:48:00.004-04:00

Happy Birthday, Jamie!!

I hope you have a great day!