Valerie is a Time Travelers Wife

Yep, we time traveled forward in time and then back in time.

Can we all say "Jet Lag"?
What a great time. We saw and did so much. Way too many pictures to post all of them...but here is just a little taste of our Japanese living.

So much thanks to Brittan and Asaka for being our translators and guides. I'm sure I would have starved to death or been forever lost in a train station.

Pics from Tyce's Blessing day

Devin got to come down to AZ for the weekend (he's up in Idaho finishing his last internship).

They blessed little Tyce at the Lovell's home.

Catch up time

Here's some pictures from my graduation in May. I finally have a music degree! :)

Bea guilted me into this one!

I Think every new blog needs a picture, so I picked this one. Why?

Well because, I had to go over this...

to get to this!!

Guess which one I liked and which one I disliked?

What would I do for a Klondike Bar? I might cross the most rickety bridge I've ever been across, while paying a toll to do it. Just replace Klondike Bar, for the Nauvoo Temple, while the sun is setting on the Mississippi river, and you get two pictures to post in a new blog.

OK...has nothing to do with this blog, but....You got pictures!

You ever notice, if you wait about a month or more to post a new blog, all your family and friends pretty much write you off, or want to post your picture on the back of a milk carton? They start wearing colored wrist bands with your name on them, and check the daily obituaries.

Why don't they just call on their fancy cell phone to see if perhaps you've just been sitting in front of the TV watching the FOOD NETWORK channel for the last 60 days.

I don't know? But here's your new blog!

Now I gotta go and check the back of our milk carton to see if I can find Devin.

Love you all,

Durk

CATCH UP TIME

FIRST COMES LOVE,

THEN COMES MARRIGE

THEN COMES BRITTAN WITH A BABY CARRIAGE

So that and the fact that I could have said "Then comes Bryce and Nikki with another baby carriage, would bring this blog up to date.

However...I would be leaving out the fact that if you read the blogs from the rest of the family then you would be up to date already.

Yep we are slow to get our stuff posted.

The post office could post my picture faster than I can post a blog comment.
Thank goodness for posterity.....they keep you current on all of our going ons, or you would all be forced to use that old thing called a telephone to find out. Geez, does anybody remember when those were high tech? I don't even use it to make calls anymore. It's used for things like sending pictures, checking e-mail, and accessing the web.

Valerie uses it to buy more instruments (just in case the 4028 we already have isn't enough for a supplement to our food storage program)!

Times are a change'n. Look at the strollers these days. We use to use ours to get things off of the top shelf in a closet. Now they come with cup holders , radios, GPS systems and monthly payments. You couldn't lift it with a jack, let alone one hand.

Oh well, this blog has bloggled my mind, so......I got to go and find my phone to text my Dr. for an electronic prescription sent to a web pharmacy that can deliver via courier service, an extra strength aspirin, to my front door.

Hum........I use to have a car, but I don't really need that anymore! I'm trading it in for an adult stroller.

Easter 2009

Easter 2009 was a beautiful day! All the flowers were blooming and the kids were hunting eggs all over the front yard. Even little Anabel hunted!

Avery was a professional egg hunter and she is not yet 2!

Caitlin found eggs in places that she would not expect.

Who knew that rabbits could jump so high!

Ethan was a high velocity egg gatherer. He swooped down on the grass area

and cleared all traces of rabbit related eggs.

Here are all the grandkids in their Easter dresses and suits. Aren't they cute?

Invitation assembly line

Last weekend Grandma Joyce visited and we put her to work with the rest of the team! Mike set us all up with a paper cutter assembly line (thanks for letting us borrow yours, Nikki) and we cut and punched and braded and stuffed. Even Anabel got in on the act!

Families who watch "Chuck" together...stay together

Nothing says families are forever like watching Chuck.

Oh come on....you know it's true!! Especially when Chuck is in 3D!! Hey, just for fun, enlarge the picture and see if you can find Waldo. (that would be Valerie) OK, she took the picture...but with her 3D glasses on. How cool is that?

Admission was free, and Mike n Bethany even supplied the TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL, super intensity, x-ray, laser emitting, specs.

Chuck... is only the best show on TV...and 3D? Well that was like extra hot fudge on your sundae. Um... hot fudge! Here's another fun game. Enlarge the picture again and guess who eats the most hot fudge. 'Hint' .....he's the one who looks like he needs to deliver a baby.

Well it was a fun evening anyway and next week we are wearing snorkels and watching Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. So bring your mask and join us. \

later...Durk

Anabel's Baby Blessing

Today Michael blessed baby Anabel in Sacrament meeting. His mom and dad came down from Colorado, and all the men in the family helped with the blessing. Anabel wore her mommy's blessing dress with a sweet little white headband & bow that Bethany made. Mike's prayer was wonderful, with many beautiful promises and blessings. We are so blessed to have another beloved little daughter of God in our family.

Field Trip to see Snakes

Ethan and Caitlin went with Grandma Dopp over to Amy and Kevin Leavitt's house (members in our ward) to see their snakes. They have three very nice snakes. Ethan was pretty brave but Caitlin was not too excited about touching them! It was lots of fun.

Holy Wedding Bells Batman

Yep, you send them out on one UNchaperoned date and they come back all engaged. Which one? Oh that would be Brittan. Remember him? The quiet one...I should have let him play more PlayStation because he had a few bucks saved up and instead of buying some new games he bought "that" (see pic.)instead.

I know a few of you are still saying "does Durk and Val have a fourth kid?" Well that would be yes, and that means one more wedding coming up.

I included a picture of the lucky couple just for some proof for all you doubters out there. (OK its mainly for Devin and Bryce)but just in case there are others...here's a picture.

Um...that is traditional Japanese apparel even though it is obvious she is Norwegian and he is American Indian. (Apache to be exact.)

The Wedding date is May 16Th at the Mesa AZ.temple and that's all the info they will give this old blogger. Probably best that way, cause I would just make it a senior moment and mess it up anyway. I'm sure they will fill the rest of you in with details. I have a tux to fit into so.....Ill be on the treadmill.

OK...I'm excited for them, but I don't want to get all mushy on a blog. That's for the women folk.

Some things never change...

You ever notice how somethings never change? Well I'm not one of them. Maybe Valerie is, but I'm not. If you don't believe me, take a look at the last 29 years. (don't you love before and after pictures)?

It would seem as though time has stood still. Your thinking Gees Durk hasn't changed a bit, but Oh...look closer. 29 years ago...stunningly handsome. Now? Well...still stunningly handsome. 29 years ago, has a hot chick on his side. Now? Hum...still has a hot chick on his side. 29 years ago, has all his hair. Now? I still have all my hair! (Ok, its in a baggy in my sock drawer....but hey, I still have it)! It's what you can't see in the picture that has changed. You can't see the 40 extra pounds, the aching joints, the non-stretch elastic ligaments, and the cholesterol blocked arteries. I especially love my gobble and the extra hair that grows out of my nose and ears. That's kinda like graffiti on Mount Rushmore.....you know....you want to see the marvel, but all you see is " vote for Pedro". I may as well tattoo, "52 years old" across my forehead, but next year that would be old too.
Yep...somethings never change. Thank goodness for blogs, cause this one will change soon. Well....that's what I think anyway.

Uh.. she visited me too!

Ok so who's cuter? (I'm the one on the left). I was thinking about it and I came to this conclusion.
I saw Laura, little Anabel, Darryn, and all of the new babies, plus, had a chance to look around at all the grandchildren at Mark and Beatrix's wedding. I figure Dani and Greg are destined to have another ultimate cutie in 9 months because....well....there isn't anything but cute to be had. Lets face it, cute is in the genes. What an attractive family we were all blessed with. I figure if you trace our evolutionary chart back to our primeval swamp scum, then we must have been the cutest scum on earth. Now that we are no longer the scum of the earth, we must keep the posterity procreating cuties.
Well that's what I think anyway. Durk

Baby Anabel comes to visit!

Baby Anabel is a quiet little thing! She sleeps a lot! Tonight Bethany and Mike came over for Sunday dinner and Anabel woke up! Had to get the camera and take a picture of open eyes! She sure is tiny!

New haircut

When Becky was here I got my haircut! No more long hair and no more 30 minute hair drying sessions in the mornings! Becky put in some "peek-a-boo" highlights too. It is a little hard to see from the picture but there are some blonde streaks there when my hair moves! Thank you, Becky!

inspiration or indigestion

Ok so here's what I think.... have we become so accustomed to computers that we can no longer push the one digit speed dial # on our cell phones to talk to each other? I mean, I know a stamp is what?.....41 cents? ....so mail is way out of the question. Now its blogs? What the heck is a blog? Is that a log with blood on it? Is it what a person becomes sitting to long on the couch? I don't know? Is it a short cut word....like....I blog to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints? What church do you blog to?

What's the true meaning of "blog"? Heck if I know......but I think I just did one?

Oh....gotta go.....Valerie's looking at me.

Durks first blog

Due to lack of "inspiration" this blog is temporarily unavailable...please try again later

Blog # 2 I'm on a roll!!

Here are some pictures from the holiday get together.

First Blog

We finally set up a blog for us! The last one in the family (except for Grandma). Bethany and Mike had their first baby today. Anabel Jo Bergman arrived at 845 this morning. She was 6 pounds 11 oz. and 20 inches long! She is a real cutie pie! She has light brown hair and seemingly blue eyes. We will keep you posted on more Dopp news!

Proud Grandpa