Opa Rolf

Rolf Gunther Flurer

Our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, Rolf Gunther Flurer returned to his heavenly home on Friday, December 17th, 2010.  Rolf was born in Köln, Germany on March 12th, 1930 to Josef Friedrich Flurer and Lydia Klein.  He was sealed to his sweetheart, Christel Auguste Flurer in the Salt Lake Temple.  Rolf filled his life with laughter and love for his family.  He was immensely generous with his time, resources and support.  Rolf enjoyed spending time with his family, spoiling his grandkids and great grandkids, gardening, swimming, cooking and camping.

Rolf is survived by his bride, Christel Flurer, his children; Heinz Flurer (Monika), Joe Flurer (Deanne), Judith Wilkins (Larry), Tim Orton (Ruth), 18 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.



His death was unexpected in that he was not very ill but he was getting older. When I first told Noah about what happened his reaction was "Who killed my Opa?  I will get him".  I kept explaining that no one killed him until finally exasperated he exclaimed "Mom,  I'm playing a game."  He guarded the coffin, patroling back and forth looking for bad guys.  He even checked for bombs around the perimeter and underneath the coffin.  He also helped remind me of what it was about.  I told him that he could talk to Opa and he would still hear him.  And he said "Mom,  I am still talking to him all the time.  He is just in heaven."  

I will never forget Opa's mischievous smile,  his claim that he was always "miserable",  His hilarious comments and jokes.  His flirty ways.  His generous nature and the love and interest he had for all those around him.  We will miss you greatly.  The greatest tribute today at his funeral was after the graveside service all the grandkids did the chicken dance.  I know you approved.  And you are laughing, joking and enjoying the celebration of your arrival on the other side.  I am so grateful for the knowledge that our family relationships go beyond this earth.  We will be together again

Meeting Santa

We were so surprised when Santa came to our ward party.  

This year is so so fun with the magic of Christmas.  My kids are at just the right age.

Noah says it is sad that some people don't believe.

But he assures me that he believes with all of him.  

He raced to the front of the line 

and was the very first kid to see Santa.

I barely got his picture.

He is asking for Legos,

silly bands, and Playmobil.  

He is working really really hard to be good.

And he reminds his sister to be good too.

He figured out the best way for Santa to get into our house

since we don't have a fireplace.  

His mind is much more at ease.

Sofia has a bit less understanding.

But she is getting it down.

She tells everyone that Santa is coming to her house

And that Sanda give her a candy cane.

She wants princesses, silly bands and 

toys, lots and lots of toys. 

Is there a Santa Claus?

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, 

and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. 

Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! 

It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias.

There would be no child-like faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. 

We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. 

The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus!

You might as well not believe in fairies!
Francis P. Church
From the New York Sun, September 21, 1897.

 

I absolutely love this!  

I Believe! Do You?

Busy.... Caroling

My week just got a bit crazier.

Now I have YW gifts to prepare.

A YW lesson for Sunday.

Now I am talking on Sunday.

I have to get my hair colored before Saturday.

I am working on thursday.

I have to get my tooth fixed tomorrow..

Tending my niece on friday.

busy busy busy

I went caroling last night.

With the Young Men and Women in our neighborhood.

It was silly and impromptu.

I will always remember

that while we were singing

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer-

a sweet old lady held onto her husbands arm

and started to cry with joy.

That has never happened when I have caroled before.

That is what Christmas is about.

I am going to remember that for the rest of the week.

Shepherd's Crook

Noah was drawing a candycane.  I asked him if he knew why the candycane was shaped like that.  We went to our Nativity set.  I pulled out the Shepherd's Crook.  We talked about how the Savior is called our Shepherd.  And a shepherd uses his crook to pull in any lost sheep that get lost or run away.  The Savior does not want to lose any of his little lambs.  So he keeps pulling us back to him so that we can be with him forever.  I love how teaching even the simplest things capture kids imaginations and their understanding.  For the next half hour,  Sofia and Noah kept taking turns pulling the sheep and little lambs back to Baby Jesus with the Shepherd crook.  I heard such sweet sayings as "Come back my little lamb", "We don't want to lose you",  "It's better to be closer" and "We love you sheep, say Baa".

Open Hearts

I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, 

as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time;

the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, 

when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely,

and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, 

and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. 

~Charles Dickens

3rd Day

We put all our Christmas decor up on Monday Night.

Now every time Sofia walks up the stairs.

She exclaims "ooohhh"

So beautiful.
She tells random people at the store,
that we have a Christmas tree.

Noah and her will lie underneath the tree

and stare up into the lights. 

She walks to each little thing and examines it closely.

Her favorites being of course the baby 

on each of our nativities.  

Every time we pass a house with lights,
she yells what colors and yells "It's Spark-a lee"

Noah tell us which are the really good ones.

2 days down

Kersten's family has a tradition that on the day after Thanksgiving

They rent a room at the Plaza hotel.

We eat yummy meats. cheese, crackers and eclairs.

Bundle up really warm.

And then walk around Temple Square

to see all the magical twinkling lights.

There are lots of dark pink, orange and blue mixed with green this year.

I was blessed to walk around with Noah.

His hand in mine.

A couple times he put his hands in my coat pockets for warmth.

He showed me which lights were his favorite.

His face lit up as he saw the temple. 

He marveled at the reflection pond where you can see 

the temple's reflection in the water.

With candles floating all around.

He loved blowing air out so you could see his breath.

And he gave me lots of hugs.

Even though we have done this every year of his life.

I think this year will be one he'll remember.

My boy has an amazing spirit and open heart.

Plus,  he saved his grandparents from a giant man-eating squid.

It was living in their bathtub at the hotel.

First Day of Christmas

I am going to do my best to post a little thought or funny thing every day during December. 
Either a fun story etc.  Just to help keep the Christmas spirit alive in my home and heart. 

A Countdown to Christmas and a New Year

Here is todays:

My favorite picture of Allie this year

My niece Allie came to her mother and said
"Mom, it sure is nice for Jesus to share his birthday with all of us.  We all get presents on his birthday.  What should we get him this year?  Can we make him a cake and take turns blowing out the candles?"

So our new plan is to make a cake on his birthday and decide what gifts we will give him this year.  They will be gifts like making good choices, reading our scriptures,  always saying our prayers.  I think we should put them in a box and open them the  next year on Christmas to see if we do them

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

Happy Turkey Day!

 I hope you have a fun filled day of lots of food

good friends, family and warm memories.

and I hope you all take the time to remember all we have to be thankful for

After all that is what this holiday is about.  

As we express our gratitude, 

we must never forget that the highest appreciation

is not to utter words, but to live by them. 

~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Guess who lost his first tooth

He lost it on our way up to my family cabin on Friday night Nov 19 and he lost it in the store so we did not have it to put under his pillow.  He was not worried he

Dear Noah,
Congratulations on loosing your first tooth.  On my way to you  I got attacked by bad guys and lost in the snow so sorry it took me until you returned home
Love the Tooth Fairy

He was excited to share with his class monday during smile time.
He is getting so grown up.

Today is my BIrthday

It was a great day.  I got to go to the Brandon Flowers concert on Wednesday.   I saw Harry Potter on Thursday and we went to my family cabin for the weekend.  It was a great 34th birthday.  Noah teased me that I was really old.  I told him that I am the perfect age to be a mom. 

Halloween 2010

 Princess Sofia and Captain Clone Commander Rex

 Laurie a Japanese Masseuse and Kersten the Austrian Tourist

 and a couple of my other favorites  My niece Allie as Minnie Mouse

 Brother Nik as Ron Burgundy from Anchorman and Lina a 50's housewife

My mom Jeanne and Al as Vikings

My kids kept telling them that they were Dragon Trainers

My sister Em as Wilma and Gearold as Fred Flintstone.

We had a really fun Halloween.
We gathered with 3 families in the neighborhood
for yummy taco soup and food.
Then we went  out all together to Trick or Treat.
It was so super fun
It was fun to watch the kids form friendships
and run up from door to door.

Grateful Sunday- October 17, 2010

Time Together:  Our kids had their annual Halloween sleepover with Ginny on Friday night and then my sister Amy or Mimi took them on adventures the entire next day.  It felt like a mini honeymoon.  We went to Zupas of dinner and then walked around the Fashion Place Mall,  watched a flick until late into the night.  Slept in until 10.  Then all the neighborhood kids did our yard work.  We went and saw Red, which was awesome.  Bruce Willis and Helen Mullen are genius.  To top it off we went on a double date with our friends that evening and ate, laughed and talked the night away.  It was an amazing weekend.  Kersten commented that it was nice to be reminded that we like to do things together just the two of us and we still have lots of fun together.  It was so so nice.  Thanks again everyone.

Canadian Thanksgiving:  Either of my parents don't have a lot of parties or dinners anymore.  Yesterday we celebrated Canadian thanksgiving with my Mom and Al.  I love being with my siblings and watching the kids run around like hooligans.  The food was divine and felt like home.  Can't get much better than that. 

New Callings:  I was released from Girls Achievement leader this week and I have the new calling of Young Womens Secretary.  I am excited.  I will really miss my girls.  I was just to the point where I felt I knew them well and could really have lots of fun with them.  I am thrilled to get to know the YW and look forward to this new adventure.

Painting:  I love painting.  I have been painting a bookcase for Sofia's room this week.   It really soothes my soul.  It helps me be at peace with myself.

She made even US look Good!

 On Sept 11, 2010 

our neighbor and friend Sonja 

took our family pictures.

Wow,  I am so so blessed to have talented people in my life.

 Sofia-        Joy,  She lives in extremes.

 Me -  I finally feel I have found me.

 Noah - Oh, the adventures he has.

 Daddy, You come play with me?

 Kersten -  Yes, Ladies,  he is ALL Mine! 

 Yes, Please!

Can't get much better than this!

Sonja is such a great example to me.  She has so much joy and passion 

and lives in such a way that you want to be better by knowing her.  

Thank you again for sharing your talent with our family.

Grateful Sunday - October 10, 2010

Today I am Grateful for:

Kersten:  I don't know what I would have done without him this last week.  He has been so helpful and patient with me.  He has my back and has helped me every step of the way.  He anchored me down when I went crazy and kept me on the forward path.  He is my match in every way.  So glad he is mine.

Daddy/Daughter Party:  Oh My Goodness.  This event was Saturday night and it was a total success.  It really was just so so so so much fun.  We had a mini prom for the girls ages 8-11 years and their dads.  More details to follow but it was just magical.  I am still on a bit of a high from it all.  I of course forgot my camera in all the details of gettting everything ready.  But the Bishop and 1st counselors took pictures all night they are getting them to me.  I love these girls and I feel like I finally feel like I can help and make a difference to them

Help:   I am blessed to have people in my life who help and support me.  My husband namely and also my brother Nik,  he came to the party and DJ'd the dance.  He is so super fun and crazy that it was perfect.  And Al my stepdad,  he came and took professional pictures of the girls with their dad for their first prom picture together.  My mom made her rolls and helped me gather all the decorations.  And my partner in Girls Achievement Sharon,  we do make a great team.

Weather:  Oh,  glorious Fall.  Cool, crisp mornings and pleasant sunny afternoons.  This world is glorious.  I am so grateful to be here and witness the beauty of this earth. 

Little Hands:  my children have the most beautiful hands.  Sofia's soft chubby little fingers with chipped pink finger nail polish and Noah's longer slender fingers that can do so many things not and look so much more boy now than baby.  I love holding them in mine, rubbing their little knuckles,  feeling their palm flat acros mine.  Having their little fingers play with the tips of my nails.  And the feel of their little hands tickling my arm or legs.  Oh,  I am trying so hard to cherish this time that they are small. 

Just say Rats!

Sofia amazes me.
On Saturday Noah, his friend Dylan and Sofia were playing outside.
Dylan comes running in yelling "We found a dead rat,  Sofia has a rat."
I go running outside to see my daughter
Holding a purse in one hand
and a dead rat in the other.
This rat looks huge hanging from her small sweet hand
the tail dragging on the grass.
She calmly says "Look,  I have a rat."
Instantly I start screaming "Put down the rat, put the rat down"
I run down our deck pick up the little person and scrub all her limbs.
Kersten disposed of the rat.
We talked to our bug/rodent guy
and most of the disease in rats are in their insides and bites.
And this was a freshly dead rat.
She had a bath and is just fine.

I marvel at her bravery and curiousity.
I don't believe there are many kids or adults for that matter
who would think that picking up a dead rat is a fun and exciting idea.
My, Fia is sure one of a kind.

October is Here

It's October today
My favorite month of the year.
a long time ago, my husband kissed me
on the roof under the stars on this day.
It really was the beginning of something quite wonderful.
Noah kept exclaiming on the way to school that it is October.
I love the air
I love the leaves
I love the crispness.
I love that you never know what to wear
Warm or cold.
Oh, I am excited.
Sofia is feeling better after a week of illness.
As she says she is "Making Happy Choices"
General Conference is this weekend.

Oh this is going to be glorious.

Attempted Family Togetherness

Over the weekend,  Kerst and I had a fabulous idea of going on a little hike up to Donut Falls up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Noah had been begging for 4 days to go up into the mountains.  So we went up in the afternoon to go on a short hike.   It seemed like it would be successful

From the beginning it looked like we had one little person not very happy about the prospect of walking in the mountains.

Screaming, crying,  complete fit throwing.    We made it a few hundred feet before we figured there was no way we were going to enjoy this hike.

We left sad and bitterly disappointed that we did not get to go on our hike.  It was a lesson for all of us how one person can make a difference in every situation.  We talked about different situations where what your attitude is makes a difference.  And examples of when each of us made a good or bad difference to our family.  Sofia fell asleep on the way down the canyon and stayed asleep which in itself is a miracle.  She slept for over 2 hours.  I think that is what she needed most.  Noah still talks about it. And we will try again this coming weekend

Filled

 NOAH

 SOFIA

My days are filled with these little people.

I am enjoying them a bit to much to think about blogging.

I write in my head but never actually sit down to express all my thoughts.

Let's hope tomorrow inspires a bit more.

Feel like Grown Ups...

In my dreams I have a beautiful bed 

with a head and footboard and in rich black antiqued to look old.

In reality I just had a mattress and a box spring.

In our house our bedroom is really not that big.

A bed like in my dreams would close in the room and make it very small.

So I have been dreaming up what would work for over a year now.

I think I have it figured out.

And the headboard I was thinking of was half off

so I bought it

and it makes me, oh so very happy. 

(

(My camera has been taking fuzzy pics lately,  it is making me worry)

Kerst was a little reluctant at first.

Now he says he feels like an official grown up with a headboard on our bed.

He even said he should just trust me when it comes to stuff like this.

I think I need to get that on tape as evidence for later.

I smile every time I walk in my room.

Who knew something so little could make such a difference.

Now I need to paint our nightstands, 

find a new bedspread,  finally switch the lamps over, 

find a painting for over our bed..etc......

They Kill me....

In all ways possible.

Who knew that motherhood 

would be so difficult 

and so rewarding all in one.

Man, I love these kids.

Our Trip to Washington

Seattle

Highlights

Here we are at the top of the Space Needle

Sci fi museum- which was super cool

I mean look at this Storm Trooper

 R2D2

The Supremes Clothes Exhibit

at The Music Experience

They were tiny women.  Beautiful Clothes

Sofia's favorite part of any of the museums.

Trampoline Fun

 Noah really wanted to see the Ocean.

and he says this day was his favorite part

Other than playing with his new friends

Sofia's First time at the Ocean

 Kersten saw his cousin Mason.

We spent the day with him at the beach/park.

Went on a double date with Care and Lincoln.

We saw Inception.   So amazing everyone should see it.

AND went to dinner at Iver's.

We celebrated Kersten's birthday that night.

This was my favorite part of the trip.

Isn't my best friend so beautiful?

Our Hosts for the trip.

They really made us feel welcome.  

It was a bit of paradise

Kersten had steak and Crab legs for his bday dinner.  I love the bib

On Kersten's actual birthday we went to Pike's Market.

We started out with Carrie making us yummy waffles.

I love the energy and all the venders.

Noah loved seeing a big salmon.

Kersten's childhood fantasy comes true.

and some of my more recent fantasies come true.

We had about 5 random people comment on how cute that little

girl with her curly hair was on her daddy's back.

We played a lot of Wi

the boys got along so well,  it seems so meant to be.

My sweet husband watched the kids for us so that Carrie 

and I could go shopping and go to lunch.

It is like coming home being with my friend.

I just don't know what I would do without her.

Can you stand this baby?

I mean this Maggie just has me smitten.

and my entire fam as well.

she is a frequent topic at our house now.

Oh,  I just want to squeeze her again.  

All the kids in one place.  

We really did just have so so much fun.  

It was just fabulous.

Thanks again for housing our little brood.