Beautiful Charlotte Marie Markel

Pictures of our beautiful granddaughter, Charlotte Marie Markel.

Thanksgiving 2013

We had the Boehmes, Nordwalds and the missionaries come over to celebrate Thanksgiving with us.  Everyone stayed for about six hours.  The missionaries and the teenagers played football in the backyard, we ate, talked, watched football, ate some more and played The Name Game.  It was a very nice day with our Missouri friends!

Welome to the Newest Member of our Family

This is Sir Cooper Markel.  He is a Golden Doodle.  We love him so much.  He is a very happy, very smart dog!

Elder Christopher Perkes Returns with Honor

Christopher served in the Tulsa, Oklahoma mission which put him in my mission in Missouri!  The last part of his mission, he served only 30 minutes away as District Leader.  I got to see him regularly.  It made me feel closer to Chase and not miss him so much.  Christopher even gave Dave a blessing after his scary episode with a pulminary embolism which required a life flight.  It was so nice having Christopher so close.  I was so excited to welcome him home to St. George.  I planned my monthly trip to St. George around his homecoming.  It was so good to see him come back home to his mom.

They Leave as boys and return as men!

Elder Chase Paxman Returns with Honor

On August 13, 2013, Chase returned home from his mission to Kennewick, Washington.  We were all so excited.  Cashaye, Miguel, Zack, Tanner and Juan made posters for him, and Jostllyn took pictures and Carson took video.  It was such a great day.  I couldn't believe the day had finally arrived. After we picked him up from the airport and went met with the Stake President, we had an open house at my condo.  It was so fun having him home again.  It was both touching and heartbreaking to watch him meet with the Stake President. He cried when he had to remove his name tag.  He seemed a little out of place that evening and didn't even feel ready to take off his suit until he went to bed.  The next few days that we were together he still seemed to be uncomfortable.  He gave his homecoming talk on Sunday, and again we had an open house at my condo.  Sadly, Dave, Tanner, Zack and I had to get back home so that the kids could get into school.  A few days later, Chase went to Salt Lake to start school again at the University of Utah.  It was so hard for me to leave him just as I got him back home.  It is hard having your kids grow up. 

Zack Makes Me Laugh . . .

Very funny story about Zack . . .

Zack, Tanner and Dave went to McDonalds for lunch yesterday.  Zack asked Dave, "Did you watch that movie, "Circumcise Me"?
Dave asked Zack, "What are you talking about??"
Zack said, "You know, that movie about the guy who ate at McDonald's every day, and got really fat. We watched it at school."

Dave asked, "You watched Circumcise Me at school?"
"Yeah!," Zack answered.
Trying not to laugh TOO hard, Dave asked, "Are you sure you don't mean, "Super-Size Me?"
"Yeah, that's it!!" Zack said.

He cracks me up!  When Dave told me about this, we were all sitting at the dinner table eating our Sunday dinner (lunch).  I started laughing like crazy and asked him if he knew what circumcision was.  He said no.  So, I educated him.  Then he realized how funny he really was.  Hilarious!!!! 

More Tannerisms . . . .

Another funny Tanner story told by his dad, Dave.

The other day I got home from work and found that Tanner was sitting in front of the television, watching one of his cartoon shows. Zack was at a friend’s house, and Chantel was at a church meeting. I headed upstairs to change clothes, and saw a couple of full Wal-Mart bags sitting on one of the steps. I noticed that they both had children’s clothing in them…a couple of little girls dresses, a couple of tops, etc. I couldn’t think of anyone in our extended family who was small enough to fit the clothes, so I thought they must be for a family friend or someone that Chantel knew. But I decided to ask Tanner if he knew anything about the clothes.

I said, “Tanner, do you know who these clothes are for?” Tanner responded, “I don’t know.” But then, just a second later, he said, “Oh yeah!—Mom bought those clothes for when me and Zack have children.” I was quite surprised by that response—it didn’t sound quite right. So I said, “Really? For when you guys have kids??”  Tanner started following me upstairs, and the conversation continued in my bedroom.

“Yeah. Except, I’m not going to have any kids. I’m not going to get married. I’m going to stay here and live with you and mom,” Tanner said. “You are?” I asked. 

“Yeah, I don’t want to get married. I just want to stay here,” Tanner said.

“That sounds kinda sad,” I responded. “Don’t you want to grow up, get married, and have kids of your own?”

“Naaah,” Tanner said. “I’m going to have a girl friend. But then I’m going to break up with her in two years.”

“That’s REALLY sad,” I answered. “That doesn’t sound like a very nice thing to do to a girlfriend.”

“Well, then, I just won’t have a girlfriend. I just really want to stay here with you and mom. I don’t want to have kids.”

“What are you going to do with the clothes that mom bought for when you have children?” I asked.

“Zack can have them.”

He cracks me up.  I had actually told him that I bought those clothes on sale for babies that will be born in the future (meaning my friend's children and my grandchildren)