The Dixon Digest

Hyper-Connected Christmas Eve

2009-12-25T05:14:00.001-08:00

A great tradition of our family is to gather at the kitchen table after Christmas Eve festivities, drink hot chocolate and talk with each other. As we did so this year, we suddenly realized that we were all connected to the Internet, interacting on Facebook, Twitter and blogs using a variety of devices – extending our Christmas Eve chatter to people far removed from our physical home. Not shown in this photo are my iPhone and the desktop computer on the kitchen desk behind me as I was taking the photo. Just another example of how technology has changed and enriched our lives.

With sincere apologies to Holly for a very unflattering photo!

Del.icio.us Tags: Christmas, Technology, Computer

Merry Christmas from the Dixon Family

2009-12-24T02:44:00.001-08:00

A Christmas Card from our family to yours. May you have a happy holiday season and wonderful new year!

Technorati Tags: Christmas, Holiday

Sacred Places

2009-10-27T23:18:00.001-07:00

Last week, after business meetings in Rochester, New York, I drove to Palmyra and visited the Palmyra Temple, the Sacred Grove and the Hill Cumorah visitors center. Photos really don’t capture the special spirit in those sacred places, but serve as reminders of my tender feelings when I spent a few moments there.

The Palmyra Temple is located in beautiful woodland setting. This shot was taken from the west side of the temple, facing east.

The Smith family farmhouse, where Joseph lived when he experienced the first vision and where he first met Moroni, is located near the Sacred Grove.

Spending a few minutes in the Sacred Grove at dusk is a humbling, enlightening experience.

A thick carpet of multicolored leaves is a fitting covering for this sacred ground.

By the way, these photos were taken with my iPhone camera and edited with TheBestCamera iPhone application.

Wonderful Kids!

2009-10-11T20:04:00.001-07:00

Well, it’s been too long since I’ve posted to this blog. The best photos I found to share featured our grandkids and Holly. Here are some of the best poses:

Olivia is really trying to crawl. She rolls all over the place and captivates us with her big eyes.

Iris has taken her first steps and celebrated her first birthday recently. She has a beautiful smile.

Chloe loves preschool and is always singing us the fun songs she learns. Of course, she had to take her teacher (Granny Goose) an apple on the first day of school!

Eve keeps us all entertained with her big hugs and infectious smile. She knows how to really touch Grandpa’s heart.

Devlin is a big six years old now, and firmly entrenched in first grade. He loves space and science and amazes us with his reading skill and ability to remember scripture stories.

Then, we have beautiful Holly! She is a sophomore in Mesa High School. She keeps busy with cross country, choir, piano and good friends. She was on the Mesa High sophomore homecoming float this week and helped serve at the dance. She is really growing up!

So, that’s what keeps us busy and happy! We are blessed beyond measure.

Sisters

2009-08-30T08:41:00.001-07:00

One of the fun things of visiting Utah is seeing Claudia with her sisters, JoAnn and Diane. They really enjoy being together. The love they share is wonderful.

So … in three different locations, here they are!

On the Shoulders of Giants

2009-08-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

Referring to ancestors who have gone before us, my Dad likes to say "We stand on the shoulders of giants." This summer, we paid tribute to Aunt Gwen, a giant of a woman in a little body, who blessed and enriched our lives with her humor, compassion, straightforward talk and impeccable elegance. We were able to attend her graveside funeral service at the Salt Lake City Cemetery while we were on vacation in Salt Lake City. My picture of the casket seemed so impersonal, I didn't include it here. We'll treasure our living memories of her and anxiously await our reunion on the other side.

After the funeral, we had lunch at Gwen's ward chapel. It was great to mingle with relatives we hadn't seen for a long time.

We caught a photo of the two remaining "Giants" in the James and Sarah Dixon family - my father Ken (with my mother Dixie) and uncle Dick (with Aunt Norma).

After the luncheon, we drove back through the cemetery and visited the spot where Great, Great Grandfather Archibald Gardner was buried, with some of his wives. More "Giants" upon whose shoulders we stand!

Welcome Lexi!

2009-05-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that Alexis Paige Bartle, our ninth grandchild, arrived at 2:49 pm on Saturday, May 16, 2009. She weighed 7lbs 13oz and was 21 inches long. Her proud parents, Heidi and Garry Bartle, are delighted to add Lexi to their family of three sons. Mom and daughter are doing just fine, and Granny is thrilled to be spending the week with them in Colorado Springs.

Happy Birthday Amy!

2009-05-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, we celebrated Amy Redd's birthday at our Sunday dinner - several days late, but fun just the same! The kids love to celebrate birthdays, whether by themselves or helping Amy!

What joy it is to have Amy visit! We are really grateful for the time she spends with us.

Blessed Olivia!

2009-05-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

Today we had the wonderful opportunity to participate in Olivia's blessing. She was given a name and a sweet blessing by her father at our ward fast and testimony meeting. What a powerful spirit attended that tender ordinance! We are so grateful for the love we share and the sealing power that binds us together eternally.

Chloe and her dad share a tender moment ...

Happy Easter - A Few Weeks Late

2009-05-03T20:42:00.000-07:00

I'm catching up on a few family photos. The week before Easter, we had an Easter Egg hunt in our back yard. Devlin, Eve and Chloe had a great time searching for the eggs, treats and other surprises. We had a great time watching them run around the yard in pure, unadulterated joy!

Happy Birthday Chloe!

2009-04-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, family and friends gathered in our back yard to wish Chloe Happy Third Birthday!

Chloe was really excited about the party, and delighted us all with her exuberant celebration.

The cousins had a great time together, and even paused from play for an impromptu photo shoot.

Princess Chloe will be a big help to Granny by watering the flowers.

You can see more birthday party photos on Mark's Flicker page.

Baby Olivia!

2009-03-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

Meet Olivia Dunn, #20 in the Dent-Dixon clan (MCLHGZTGDRDEIAMCOERH)! We are so delighted for her birth last Friday.

Granny is really proud ... and so grateful for the safe arriva of this little spirit from our Father in Heaven

What a wonderful thing it is that Olivia was born to faithful parents within the covenant of the sealing power. We are profoundly grateful.

You can see more photos on Mark's Flickr photo stream.

Older than Dirt

2009-03-10T17:06:00.000-07:00

Our kids frequently remind us that we are really, really old fogies. Six years ago, to celebrate my 50th birthday, they made a video which included a few things, though they were really hard to find, that were older than Dad.

While on a business trip to Monterey, California, recently, I found a t-shirt which, once and for all, pointed out that I am indeed pretty ancient. It puts everything into perspective.

Actually, in the eternal scheme of things, this is the absolute truth. :)

Holly on Stage at Taylor

2009-03-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

Thursday, we gathered at Taylor Jr. High to hear Holly perform with the Treble Cleffs chorus. We continue to be amazed at her musical talents.

Holly's friend Kylie isn't always this glum - but we did like the expression on Holly's face!

Happy Birthday Eve!

2009-03-01T06:52:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Eve's birthday a few days early with pizza, crazy hats and family in Countryside Park near our home. Eve loves to dress up, so we all wore crazy hats to help her celebrate.

We ate Little Caesar's Pizza, which seems to go hand in glove with Countryside Park.

Eve had great fun opening her presents. She received lots of new clothes, new hats and dress-up costumes, which she loved.

All the new headgear had to have a turn!

Devlin was close at hand to help Eve whenever she needed it.

It's time to go ... all dressed up in a new swim suit, complete with gold lame sandals, new water bottle, cabbage patch doll, sun glasses and the old standby Nemo hat!

Happy Birthday, Eve!

Granny's New Hobby

2009-02-26T17:07:00.000-08:00

Claudia has taken up a new labor of love. Using frames provided by her mother, Claudia is making a baby quilt. Yes - really quilting - with thousands of small, individual stitches carefully outlining the designs on the fabric. Can't wait to see it when it is finished!

Thank Heaven for Little Girls

2009-02-25T20:43:00.000-08:00

We love our little granddaughters. It is so fun to spend time with them and see them grow up. Here are a few recent photos you might enjoy.

Multi-talented Holly

2009-02-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

Holly stole the show Friday night at the Taylor Junior High Talent Show with her piano and vocal performance of "We're So Far Away." We're prejudiced, of course, but we honestly think it was the very best of the 24 individual numbers. The talent show was held to raise money for the Taylor Junior High choir trip to Disneyland, where they will perform later this spring.

Additionally, Holly joined a group of her friends singing "Only One," an original composition by one of the girls.

Claudia and Angie spent a lot of time creating decorations for the event, including the long string of hearts across the front of the stage.

All in all, it was a delightful, memorable evening for both performers and audience alike. Way to go, Holly!

Free at Last

2008-12-25T06:46:00.000-08:00

If you can look past Eric's momentary lapse into unconsciousness, do you notice something different about Holly? Yep, she received an early Christmas present. On Tuesday, her braces came off after a long two years. What a wonderful smile on a beautiful girl!

Holly celebrated this event on her blog with the lyrics of Brooke White singing " ... free, free, free!"

Christmas Eve Music

2008-12-25T06:37:00.000-08:00

Following a long tradition, we gathered to share musical talents last night after Christmas Eve dinner. Maybe the big hit of the night was Devlin belting out "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" with a bit of coaching from his mother and helpful smiles from Eve.

We couldn't help notice how the earnestness of his delivery so matched the boyhood mannerisms of his father!

Claudia and Holly tickled the ivories with a great four-hand rendition of "Jingle Bells."

Thanks to everyone who sang and performed so well, even though your photo is not included here. We are were uplifted and inspired by the wonderful message of Christmas.

More family holiday photos are on Mark's Flicker page.

Christmas Eve

2008-12-25T06:24:00.000-08:00

At some time in the future, she may tire of the play on words, but last night, with Santa hat in hand and festivities in full swing, it seemed so fitting to call Eve "Christmas Eve."

More family holiday photos are on Mark's Flicker page.

The Nativity

2008-12-24T22:16:00.000-08:00

Every year on Christmas Eve, we read the story of the birth of Christ from the books of Luke and Matthew in the New Testament as we celebrate the miraculous birth of the Savior of the World. Each year, the actors are a little bit different, depending on the age and availability of our children and grandchildren.

This year, Dave and Rachel were Joseph and Mary, with baby Iris blissfully acting as Baby Jesus.

Holly was the lone shepherd who came to the stable as instructed by angels.

Three wise men, Eve, Devlin and David, soon joined the Baby Jesus to offer their precious gifts.

I can still remember my Dad reading this wonderful story each Christmas Eve when I was a little boy. We can only hope that our grandchildren will continue the wonderful tradition.

More family holiday photos are on Mark's Flicker page.

Christmas Eve Dinner!

2008-12-24T22:04:00.000-08:00

Tonight we celebrated Christmas Eve with a wonderful family dinner at our home. Our dining room table comfortably seats only ten people, so Mark built a seven foot extension with folding legs to enlarge our eating space accommodate all sixteen of us at once.

Claudia found great Christmas themed plates and created great decorations.

But the best thing was the food! We all put any dietary goals on hold and stuffed ourselves accordingly.

More family holiday photos are on Mark's Flicker page.

Merry Christmas!

Beneath the Mistletoe

2008-12-21T20:52:00.000-08:00

Last week, Holly sang the solo part in "All Alone Beneath the Mistletoe" at the the Taylor Junior High Christmas Concert. In the words of our next door neighbor, a wonderful tenor soloist himself, "She nailed it!"

We are thrilled with Holly's love of music and budding performance abilities. What a beautiful young woman!

Goodbye Willard

2008-12-21T20:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we finally said goodbye to Willard, our faithful Chevy Prizm which has served us well since we purchased it in 1999 (I think). Since Ryan went on his mission and Eric got his own car, we were left with more cars than drivers. So Willard will now serve a little family that needs him and we are left with happy memories and a lower insurance payment!

Thank Heaven for Grandkids

2008-12-21T20:30:00.000-08:00

We just love our grandkids. Here are a couple of special moments.

Chloe loves to host make-believe parties with the babies and anyone else she can coax to attend on the little white table Granny recently purchased. The dress up clothes and pretty table cloth provided just the added touches that made a wonderful memory.

Ice cream at Granny's house is a regular treat on Sunday evenings. Tonight after dinner, all the adults were just too busy talking, so Devlin and Eve took matters into their own hands!

Thanks for stopping by! More family photos can be seen on Mark's Flickr page.

Dance Festival!

2008-11-16T08:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the Mesa Arizona Kimball Stake held a dance festival themed "Moving in the Right Direction," which featured youth from all the wards in our stake. Holly was one of the many young people who danced. As Young Women's President in our ward, Claudia has been involved in practice which started in July.

Mark, Eric and Angie joined Claudia and Holly at the Mesa Tri-Stake Center for the final performance last night. It was great to see all the youth participating together and having a good time. Here are a few photos of Holly as she danced:

Happy Birthday, Eric!

2008-11-02T18:45:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday evening, we celebrated Eric's 22nd birthday. Twenty-two candles on home-made chocolate pie makes quite a conflagration!

Eric was thrilled with gifts of tools. It's a guy thing!

Holly's hair has nothing to do with Eric's birthday, but you gotta love this photo!

You can always find more family photos on Mark's Flickr photo stream.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-02T18:26:00.000-08:00

The best part of Halloween this week was seeing the grandkids in their great costumes. Devlin and Eve dressed as the two star robots from the Wall-E movie. Devlin was Wall-E and Eve was Eve!

Chloe was a beautiful ballerina. She stopped dancing long enough to get some treats from Granny. Granny and Gramps sat in the rocking chairs all evening on our front porch, in our wonderful Arizona shirt sleeve weather, passing out candy to all the little (and big) kids who happened to come by.

Neither Granny or Iris put on costumes for Halloween, but we think they look great, just the same!

It's nice to know that Wall-E is learning to read!

Two Year Old Granddaughters

2008-10-17T02:25:00.000-07:00

There is nothing quite like a two year old granddaughter looking up and calling me "Gramps!" And we have two of them! Eve and Chloe are at a wonderful age - beginning to really communicate and play games and connect with an old guy like me. It melts my heart when one of these girls jumps up into my lap to have me read some books or takes me by the finger to lead me into another room to play with the "babies" or build a train out of blocks.

I love you, Chloe and Eve!

Only 20 more to go!

2008-10-14T22:06:00.000-07:00

After fourteen months of eating less and exercising more, I stepped on the scales Sunday morning to the happy realization I had lost 100 pounds since August 2007! I had to step back on two more times just to make sure. A great weight (literally) has been lifted off my shoulders (and belly and arms and legs and other parts of my body).

We celebrated after family dinner with a sugar free jello treat and a great card with nice thoughts from all the family members who were present in Arizona.

Just 20 more pounds to reach my goal!

Iris Olivia!

2008-10-13T23:16:00.000-07:00

The big excitement in Mesa during September was the birth of Iris Olivia Dixon, our seventh grandchild, born on September 23rd to Rachel and David. What a wonderful little girl! We are so grateful for the sealing power that binds us all together as an eternal family!

Please accept my apology for the huge delay in posting this great news.

Clodhopper, circa 1971

2008-09-26T04:51:00.000-07:00

I just scanned in a photo of Claudia from way back in the high school days!

She was beautiful then, too!

Colorful Summer Flowers

2008-09-22T18:47:00.001-07:00

Mark likes to say that in Arizona, photosynthesis really works! Lots of sunshine with plenty of water really makes things grow. Here are some examples of the colorful flowers in our yard this year:

Snail vines will little purplish-pink flowers have completely covered this archway in our back yard.

Thanks for stopping by to see our garden!

Happy Birthday, Devlin!

2008-09-19T03:37:00.000-07:00

Devlin turned a bit five years old yesterday! We celebrated his birthday with a party at the Dalton's on Sunday evening. What a wonderful, sweet boy he is!

For more birthday photos, click here.

Run, Holly, Run!

2008-09-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

Holly ran her first cross-country race Wednesday for the Taylor Jr. High School team. On the two-mile course, she placed second on her team and fourth overall in the meet, helping Taylor win the meet! It is great to see her exercise the Dixon running genes!

Based on her performance at the Junior High meet, the Mesa High coach invited her to participate in the Chandler Cross Country invitational meeting on Saturday. Despite being sick the night before, Holly did a great job on the longer, 2.9 mile course, running further than she had ever run before and finishing 48th out of 120 9th-grade girls from all over the state of Arizona. We are really proud of what she is accomplishing.

You can see more photos of Holly's emerging cross country life in this Flickr photo set.

Go Holly!

A New VW Van?

2008-09-06T21:02:00.000-07:00

This is for our kids who fondly or otherwise remember our VW Vanagon.

Maybe we should trade in the Sequoia for one of these little beauties:

Maybe we can get one in brown and tan. :)

Newport Beach Temple

2008-09-03T15:31:00.001-07:00

Sunday evening, Jeff and Janeen drove us to see the Newport Beach Temple. We arrived just as the evening lights were coming on. The gate was locked, so we were unable to walk around the temple, but we admired it from the street. It is located in a calm, beautiful setting. We enjoyed the peaceful feeling that seemed to permeate that sacred place.

Our good camera had stopped working earlier in the day, so we were limited to this somewhat grainy photo, taken on Mark's mobile phone.

Beautiful Eyes

2008-09-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

We thought you'd enjoy these shots Claudia took of Chloe. One of my Flickr contacts offered this succinct comment, "Beautiful Eyes!"

The Redd Hotel

2008-08-31T16:39:00.001-07:00

We are enjoying staying with Jeff, Janeen and Bryan Redd this weekend in LaHabra, California. They are very gracious hosts. We always have a wonderful time when we are together.

But that isn't all. A few weeks ago, Eric accompanied a large group of his friends to California. Where did they stay? The Redds. I guess we should call this the Redd Hotel. We are grateful that Eric and his friends picked up after themselves and left a good impression with Jeff and Janeen.

It was appropriate that Jeff asked Eric and a couple of his friends to speak in Church that weekend!

The Redds have a wonderful tradition reminiscent of a fine hotel - a guest book where each visitor is asked to write their name, address and a bit of advice or favorite quotation. It was fun reading the entries Heidi, David, Eric, Ryan and Holly put in the book when they visited in recent months. Claudia and Mark added their entries to the guest book on this trip.

Thank you, Jeff and Janeen, for always making us feel welcome in your home!

Huntington Beach!

2008-08-31T09:39:00.000-07:00

Friday night, we drove to California spend Labor Day weekend with the Redds. Saturday afternoon, we luxuriated in the warm sunshine and cool surf at Huntington Beach. Holly brought her friend Kylie Shumway from Mesa. Brian Redd brought his friend Andrew Een to the beach with us. Both kids and adults had a marvelous time.

Claudia enjoyed basking in the sun. Actually, she and Mark took a four mile walk north along the beach and to the end of the Huntington Beach pier. We had both relaxation and exercise!

Mark kept connected to the Internet periodically via his mobile phone. In order to keep the sun out of his eyes, he wore sunglasses. To enable him to see the phone screen he needed reading glasses. So, he sometimes wore both!

Big Buff Bryan! Thanks for sharing your beach with us.

A set of more photos from our delightful time at the beach can be viewed on Flickr.

Thanks for sharing our little vacation with us!

Mentos and Diet Coke

2008-08-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

When we begin gathering as a family at Grandma and Grandpa Dixon's home in Jerome last July for our family reunion, the teenagers wandered down to the corner grocery store and came back with the makings of a real science experiment - a couple of six packs of Diet Coke and a generous supply of Mentos. The combination of Diet Coke and Mentos causes a wonderful chemical reaction, which is explained on Wikipedia as the "nucleation-site theory - the surface of the mint Mentos is littered with many small holes, allowing CO₂ bubbles to form very rapidly and in great quantity, in turn causing the jet of foam."

At the request of another Flickr photographer, the following photo is now part of the Planet Mentos group pool of photos.

The initial trials led to all sorts of interesting experiments.

Ryan proved that he couldn't keep Diet Coke and Mentos in his mouth at the same time!

The moral? Eat, drink and be merry - but not Diet Coke and Mentos at the same time!

Standing Around with the Family

2008-08-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

Reaching back into the summer, here are couple of memorable photos from the Dixon family reunion. They bring new meaning to the phrase, "just standing around."

I love standing around with these folks!

Hope Flies High

2008-08-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Christian and Stephanie Nielson were horribly injured and burned in a crash of a small private airplane that claimed the life of the pilot, Christian's flight instructor. Christian grew up in our ward and later lived for a time in the ward with Stephanie and their four children. We have all been deeply impacted, both by the severity of their injuries and the faith of their family and friends.

Yesterday, many neighbors and friends gathered across the street from our home to launch helium balloons into the sky, symbolic of our love, faith and best wishes for this young family. At precisely 5pm Arizona time, in sync with other groups at many similar gatherings elsewhere, dozens of bright balloons rose with our hopes into the bright sky.

May the Lord bless and keep you, Stephanie and Christian.

You can see all the photos Mark took at the balloon launch on Flickr.

Twin Falls Temple - Eternal Dixon Family

2008-08-17T16:31:00.001-07:00

Finally, here are some photos of the Dixon clan when we gathered after the Twin Falls Temple open house. You can view more photos in Mark's Flickr photo set for the occasion.

"Oh, Ken!"

Family Photo Shoot!

2008-08-17T16:18:00.001-07:00

Sorry about the tardiness in posting these photos. Back in July, on the Saturday before Ryan left on his mission, we had a family photo shoot on the ground of the Mesa Arts Center. Here are a few of our favorite shots.

There are many more photos in a variety of poses posted to Mark's Flickr account. These are restricted to access by members of our family. If you would like to be added to the authorized list, please drop us an email.

Mark/Telly Morph

2008-07-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

After Holly produced a short video of Mark morphing into Harrison Ford, Mark produced this little jewel:

Salt Lake Temple

2008-07-19T08:27:00.001-07:00

One item on Ryan's mission "bucket list" was to attend an endowment session in the Salt Lake City temple while we were in Utah on our vacation. So, Claudia and Mark accompanied Ryan to the temple Wednesday morning. Prior to the session, we walked through the beautiful gardens east of the temple, snapping a photo of Ryan with the temple in the background ...

... and admiring the gorgeous flower gardens near the Church Administration Building. It has been great to see Ryan's interest in plants and flowers grow while working for Gold Medal Gardening.

You can see more Dixon Road Trip photos on Mark's Flickr photo set.

Working Vacation

2008-07-14T13:09:00.001-07:00

We have enjoyed working in the back yard today. We like to think we are "earning our keep" while staying with Heidi, Garry and the boys. When we arrived Saturday, we were amazed by the large pile - 15 tons of pea gravel. How in the world would that ever be spread around the play area?

But we did it! We moved all 15 tons, with shovels and wheelbarrows, so the rest of the play structure can be built and another load of gravel delivered to fill the rest of the area.

Mark and Garry got up early and attached the swing support beam to the central play structure. Heidi and Mark attached the wall and added the "climbing rocks." Even though there is quite a bit of work yet to do, the boys are already having new adventures on this fun structure.

You can see more photos from our vacation on Mark's Flickr photo set.

Dixon Road Trip!

2008-07-13T13:36:00.001-07:00

On Saturday morning, July 12th, we (Claudia, Mark, Ryan and Holly) embarked on a 10-day, 2,500-mile road trip that will take us eventually from Mesa, AZ, to Colorado Springs, CO, Salt Lake City, UT, and Jerome, ID, in our trusty Toyota Sequoia that had over 117,000 miles of on the road experience (when we started). Eric had to stay home to meet the needs of his Real Estate clients, but keeps in touch daily by cell phone.

We left Mesa just after 5:00 am Mountain Standard Time (only Arizona is on that time this time of year) and arrived in Colorado Springs at Heidi's home just after 9:00 pm Mountain Daylight Time. We drove north from Mesa to Payson and Heber before turning east on I-40 just outside Holbrook, AZ. From there we drove to Albuquerque (just over half way) before catching I-25 to drive through Santa Fe and on north to Colorado Springs.

It was Mark's first visit to New Mexico. He had been in 45 of the United States, but never in the state next door. Now, only Vermont, North Dakota, Alaska and Hawaii are on Mark's bucket list.

We ate breakfast at the Knotty Pine Cafe in Payson (great down-home cooking), lunch in at Subway in Santa Fe (the normal franchise stuff) and an A&W truck stop in Walsenburg, CO (quick and easy).

We took the following photo of Ryan and Holly in Continental Divide, NM.

While we stopped for gas at Continental Divide, we saw this amazing vehicle. The fellow who owned this big tricycle said it was powered by a Chevy 350 cubic inch engine that generated 380 horsepower. Wow! He had flown to Kansas City to pick it up from the manufacturer and was riding it back to Southern California. Maybe we should get one for Claudia for our next road trip!

If you want to follow our vacation in real-time, you may want to sign in to Twitter.com and follow Mark's updates @mgd. You can send us messages there as well.

We will post road trip photos on Mark's Flickr photo set.

More later!

Breakfast with the Bartle Boys

2008-07-13T08:54:00.001-07:00

We arrived at Heidi's home in Colorado Springs last night (Saturday, July 12), after 800 miles and 15 hours from Mesa. Breakfast with Zach, Tyler and Gavin made the whole trip worth it!

We'll keep you updated with photos from our vacation on Mark's "Road Trip 2008" Flickr photo set.

From Oregon to Idaho on an Lawn Chair

2008-07-05T21:51:00.001-07:00

I recommend that the next time Heidi and her family move across state lines, that they ride on a lawn chair!

:)

Technorati Tags: Oregon, Idaho, balloon

Back Yard Wedding Reception

2008-06-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

This post is a bit out of sequence, but we wanted to share a glimpse of the festivities in our back yard recently. Jerry and Sharon Judkins hosted the wedding reception for their daughter Chaya Judkins and Tanner Allen at our home on May 23rd. Claudia was in the height of her glory preparing the flowers and plants in the back yard for the event. Here are a few of the photos we took.

Chaya and Tanner are great kids who come from wonderful families. They make a handsome couple!

Welcome to the back yard. The party is about to begin!

The gazebo - freshly repaired, painted and adorned with little lights - occupies the center of the yard. It is nice to have it sitting on the floor we prepared last fall.

The cake was lovely ...

... and Claudia's pretty flowers and plants provided a great backdrop to the reception decorations.

Our favorite guests were our kids, of course.

We think Eric is grinning because he is now dating the groom's sister!

You can see more photos of the occasion on Flickr.

Thanks for stopping by. Good night, and God bless.

Girl's Camp!

2008-05-28T06:19:00.000-07:00

On Memorial Day, Mark and Ryan accompanied Claudia and Holly to Kimball Stake Girl's Camp for the day. The camp is located about 30 miles north east of Strawberry, Arizona, at about 7,000 feet elevation among the tall pines.

As Young Women's president, Claudia is in charge of all the girls from our ward. The girls and leaders from our ward wore green t-shirts and matching accessories.

Ryan and Mark helped set up the tents and dining area for the girls.

It was great to be in nature for the day. Ryan and Mark drove back to Mesa after Mark and Holly had a part in the evening devotional. They left their coats with the girls because it was so cold at camp.

We will post more camp photos this weekend after Claudia and Holly return from camp.

Good night, and God bless.

Holly Virtuoso

2008-05-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

Tonight, we watched Holly perform in two Taylor Junior High choirs, Concert Choir and Treble Clefs. She was superb as the featured soloist in "Someone Like You" from Jekyll & Hyde. Her beautiful, deep alto voice was both tender and powerful.

The Treble Clef choir also had a lot of fun with "A Bushel and a Peck" from Guys & Dolls.

Holly literally sparkled on stage as the Concert Choir sang "Yes Sir, that's My Baby."

We owe a great deal of gratitude to Mrs. Kathryn Tellef, who has taught each of our children in Taylor Junior High choirs over the years. Both she and Holly have one more year at Taylor.

You can see more family photos in Mark's Flickr photo stream.

Good night and God bless.

Wedding! Rachel Redd and Brandon Hepworth

2008-05-04T17:59:00.000-07:00

This is a bit late, but we thought you would enjoy a few memories from the trip Mark and Claudia took to Idaho Falls to attend the wedding of Rachel Redd and Brandon Hepworth in the Idaho Falls Temple on April 12, 2008.

Grandpa and Grandma Dixon started it all with their marriage in this temple in September, 1950, commencing a long tradition of temple marriage and temple worship in the Dixon family.

Mark was endowed in this temple in September, 1972. Mark and Claudia were married in the Salt Lake Temple in August, 1976 - almost 32 years ago. It was great to be back in the Idaho Falls Temple. Our last attendance here was at Chad and Becky's wedding many years ago.

Derek Romer, DeAnn's son, is contemplating which lucky girl will stand here with him one day!

Several more photos taken at the temple and the subsequent reception are included on Mark's Flickr set, Rachel's Wedding. You can see some more fun photos on the Rach Bec Hep and Redd Family blogs.

God Bless and Good Night!

Mission Call!

2008-05-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

Elder Ryan James Dixon has been called to serve in the Slovenia/Croatia Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He will enter the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, on July 30th to learn the Croatian language and prepare for his work for the next two years.

What a thrill it was for family and friends to gather at our house Thursday evening when he opened the large envelope from Salt Lake City.

The Slovenia/Croatia mission encompasses six countries that comprise the former Yugoslavia:

Slovenia

Croatia

Serbia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Macedonia

Montenegro

These links will take you to articles about each country on Wikipedia. Other valuable information is available on the CIA World Fact Book.

The mission home in Slovenia is located Ljubljana, which appears to be a beautiful city.

God bless you, our son! Go forth and serve with honor!

Amy's New Home

2008-04-12T06:37:00.001-07:00

Our niece, Amy Redd, has been living with us for the past few months while establishing herself in the Arizona area. She works as a claims adjuster for Farmers Insurance and transferred from Southern California to Mesa a few months ago. Amy is a BYU graduate and served a mission in the Texas Houston East Spanish speaking mission.

After looking at many potential homes, she finally selected a great house within walking distance of Angie and Myron's home in Gilbert. She is excitedly waiting the closing date later this month. A week ago, Amy's parents and brother visited us from California to see the home and help Amy plan for her move-in. We drove together to her home for a personal guided tour.

Doesn't Amy look excited at the prospects?

Amy and her family are standing in front of her new home.

For more Dixon family photos, please visit Mark's Flickr page.

Bicycles!

2008-04-12T03:28:00.001-07:00

David and Rachel frequently show up at our house with kids in tow - literally! Dave and Rachel ride their bikes, with one of them towing Devlin and Eve in a little trailer. We worry a little bit about their safety on Mesa's busy streets, but applaud their efforts to get exercise and enjoy the great Arizona weather we are having this time of year.

You can see more Dixon family photos on Mark's Flickr page.

Congratulations, Mark and Holly!

2008-03-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

Mark caught up with Claudia in age today as he celebrated his 55th birthday. You might say that he entered the world of senior citizenship today! We celebrated by having a family dinner on the back patio, complete with a low-carb "cake."

In the evening, we attended a special meeting at the stake center just prior to the General Young Women broadcast, to honor the young women in the stake who had completed requirements for the Young Womanhood Recognition award. Holly was the youngest girl in the stake this year to achieve that award.

We thought you would enjoy another couple of photos of our wonderful grandkids.

There are many more family photos on Mark's Flickr photo page.

Spring has Sprung

2008-03-16T19:05:00.000-07:00

We're enjoying the nice spring weather here in Arizona, although today is unseasonably chilly. We are grateful for the rainy weather this winter that has filled our reservoirs and provided the water we so desperately need in the desert. This little cold spell will pass soon.

Our flowers are blooming, weeds are growing and the yard is beckoning. This colorful bed of flowers outside our front door makes us happy every time we step outside.

Petunias are blooming on the back patio ...

... sweet peas are climbing the fence ...

... and we have a gorgeous yellow rose.

"... even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." (Matthew 6.29)

Please visit Mark's Flicker photo stream for more family photos.

Good night, and God Bless!

Thank you, Mama Clod

2008-03-02T18:50:00.000-08:00

Just one more post tonight, with a message from Alex Gerber, a young man who graduated from Mesa High School a year before Ryan. The sweet tribute he wrote for Claudia on our white board says it all.

Good night, and God bless!

Happy Birthday, Eve!

2008-03-02T18:35:00.000-08:00

Eve's two year birthday will be March 4th (same day as Great Grandma Dixon's birthday), but we celebrated yesterday with a small family party at Dave and Rachel's home.

Eve looks like a beautiful princess, even though she isn't sure she wants that funny thing on her head!

One of her favorite gifts was a telephone fit for a princess.

Dad helped her blow out the birthday candles on the cake Granny made ...

... and Eve's brother and cousin joined in the fun!

More birthday party photos are on Eve's Birthday Party Flickr set.

Good night, and God bless!

The Music Man

2008-03-02T15:47:00.001-08:00

The culmination of many weeks of practice and preparation arrived this week with the public production of The Music Man by Taylor Junior High School. We were greatly entertained by the wonderful group of talented young people. We are grateful for them and all the adults who gave of themselves to make this a hugely successful affair.

Holly played one of the "Pick a Little" ladies and townspeople. Isn't she beautiful?

Claudia made Holly's costume and decorated her gorgeous hat.

Claudia also made the suit coat worn by our next door neighbor Derrick Espinoza, standing second from the right. Of the forty cast members, eight lived on our little street. We live right in the midst of a veritable plethora of talent and commitment.

Several more Music Man photos can be seen on Mark's Music Man Flickr set.

Good night and God bless.

Happy Birthday, Ryan and Rachel!

2008-02-17T18:37:00.000-08:00

Sunday night dinners are always great at our house. Always good food, good people and good conversations. Celebrating birthdays or other special events adds to the fun.

Tonight, we celebrated Ryan's and Rachel's birthdays which had occurred during last week.

Ryan got a real kick out of a T-shirt with an "inside joke" on the front.

Rachel emphasized the value of a cash birthday gift. She is saving up for a pair of prescription sunglasses.

Devlin coached Ryan on how to blow out the candle on the chocolate pie Granny made.

Chloe modeled her new outfit for us. Isn't she pretty?

Eve eyes sparkled for Grandpa ... and melted his heart.

Thanks for celebrating with us. A bit more "joy and rejoicing" in our posterity. You can see more photos on Mark's Flickr page.

Good night and God Bless!

Angela Johnson, Sculptor of Christ

2008-02-17T16:25:00.000-08:00

Our good friend Angela Johnson just launched a new website to exhibit her sculptures of the Savior Jesus Christ. We thought you would enjoy taking a look.

Claudia and Mark met Angela and her husband Kenneth while we were at BYU. Mark and Kenneth took many classes together and graduated together with Electrical Engineering degrees in 1978. When we moved to Mesa in 1990, the Johnsons were the only family we knew in Arizona. They helped us find the home we still live in today.

Angela is a classically trained operatic soprano, but put changed her artistic emphasis to sculpture several years ago. We are now beneficiaries of her extraordinary talent and tender spirituality.

Her sculptures have been featured in the Newport Beach Temple open house, the Museum of Church History and Art and the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitors Center. They are currently scheduled for display in other temple visitors centers.

Thank you Angela and Kenneth for this wonderful contribution to our lives.

Busy, Busy Dixons

2008-02-17T15:19:00.000-08:00

Our family is busy and happy, doing many good things. Here is just a taste of the action ...

Holly is immersed in practicing for the Taylor Junior High stage performance of Music Man scheduled for production in the last week of February. Besides shuttling her to and from practices, Claudia has been painting sets and sewing one of Holly's costumes. Saturday, a group of women gathered around our kitchen table to decorate hats the girls will wear. Just think what this hat will look like with flowers and other decorations!

Eric is working full time at Bank of America and is attending a full load of classes at Mesa Community College before and after work. One time this week he returned home to find everyone gone and nothing but V-8 juice for dinner!

Ryan turned 19 years old this week. He is attending Arizona State University (Go Sun Devils!) and working part time in the ASU bookstore. Can you believe our little boy is old enough to serve a mission!

Mark has been traveling out of town every week in the new year. This week, he missed Ryan's birthday, Rachel's birthday and Valentine's day. So, we will celebrate the birthdays later today. Claudia surprised Mark with a CD, DVD and Valentine's treat he discovered in his suitcase when he arrived in California. Mark and Claudia celebrated Valentine's Day together late Saturday by eating a salad at Baja Fresh and going together to the grocery store. Somehow, roses atop the groceries in a Fry's shopping cart aren't terribly romantic, but they do look nice in the vase atop our kitchen table!

So, are you as breathless as we are? It's all good. Oh, by the way, I didn't mention Claudia's house shopping and dress shopping with Amy, or tending the grandkids or ...

Please visit Mark's Flickr page for more family photos ... and smile! Life is an adventure.

Good night, and God Bless.

Cousins Week!

2008-02-03T15:28:00.000-08:00

It has been great this week to have Heidi and her boys visiting us from Oregon. It gave the cousins a chance to get to know each other and have little adventures together. This photo op was one adventure too many for Chloe. She definitely didn't want to get her picture taken!

On a memorable adventure to the mall, Granny bought matching Cars shirts for the boys. The shirts seemed to inspire goofiness in Zach and Tyler as the boys played in the back yard together.

It looks like Chloe may inherit Granny's love of gardening!

Eve discovered the pleasures of hitting a baseball!

Last Sunday night, we all accompanied Eric to the church, where he gave a fireside about his experiences in Mongolia. Claudia and Mark wore the Mongolian dels we got for Christmas. Eric brought other outfits so the youth could get a photo taken wearing Mongolian clothing. Our favorite photo was Gavin in a Mongolian hat. Proud warrior in miniature!

We posted several more photos on Mark's Flickr page.

Thanks for stopping by. Good night, and God bless.

Thank You, President Hinckley

2008-02-02T09:15:00.000-08:00

Today, we bid farewell and Godspeed to our beloved prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley. In a world filled with much turmoil and despair, I am grateful to know that God has loved us enough to share with us a prophet, his spokesman on earth, a man with authority to say, "Thus saith the Lord."

Of all the tributes I have seen or read about President Hinckley, these are my favorites:

A blog post by my daughter, Angie:

A video tribute narrated by excerpts from President Hinckley's own statements:

A personal tribute by Glenn Beck:

To these I add my personal witness that Gordon B. Hinckley is indeed a prophet of the living God, as real a prophet as Abraham and Moses and Paul. This world is a better place, my family is a better family and I am a better man because of what he taught us by word and example. May we all strive to follow in the righteous footsteps of this wonderful man.

Happy Birthday January

2008-01-21T19:07:00.000-08:00

The second week of January is full of celebration at the Dixon home. Claudia and David share a January 8th birthday. Holly follows up two days later on January 10th. Mark was out of town all week, so we celebrated on Sunday evening, January 13.

We capped the celebration with Claudia's signature chocolate and lemon pies!

Chloe isn't too happy with the situation.

Eve loves the baby dolls at Granny's house.

For more family photos, please visit Mark's Flickr page.

Puzzling New Years

2008-01-06T18:46:00.001-08:00

What would New Years Eve be at the Dixon home without a puzzle? Claudia started this one about 10pm on New Years Eve. Mark helped to get the border in place before he fell asleep. Eric, Ryan and Holly contributed after they returned from their respective New Years festivities. Claudia and Mark put the final pieces in place after they awoke on New Years Day.

The house has been appropriately "de-Christmased." The corner where the Christmas tree stood is bare ...

... and the decorations are neatly tucked back in the closet. It was quite a puzzle just get them back in place!

So, there you have the sum total of our spectacular photography this week. Things are pretty much getting back to normal after the holidays. Mark, Eric and Ryan are back at work. Holly is back in school and starting some intense practice for the upcoming production of The Music Man at Taylor Junior High. Claudia is immersed in Young Women stuff. Dave and Rachel returned with their kids from their Dalton family excursion to California. Myron and Angie are in withdrawl because their high def TV had to go to the shop for repairs. Amy got back from her visit home during the holidays, but went to San Diego this weekend. Claudia accompanied Dave and Rachel as they sang "Come, thou Fount of Every Blessing" at a stake fireside tonight. Mark heads back on the road tomorrow, just in time to miss three family birthdays. Yep, our "un-eventful life" is pretty much back to normal.

If you haven't checked lately, you can see more family photos (from previous weeks) on Mark's Flickr page.

Good night, and God bless!

Relaxing on a Sunday Afternoon

2007-12-30T18:55:00.000-08:00

We couldn't leave you with just photos of our inanimate bathroom on a Sunday afternoon. We thought you might want a glimpse of our family members as well.

Ryan is obviously enjoying himself ...

... as Claudia prepares dinner ...

... and Mark sits behind the camera admiring the flowers, thinking of how good the food is going to taste!

Please visit our Flickr Photostream for more shots.

God bless you, and good night!

Belated Bathroom Photos

2007-12-30T18:27:00.000-08:00

We finished our bathroom remodeling project a few months ago, but finally Mark got around to taking some photos. It's certainly not the best photography in the world, but it will give you an idea about what things look like. The color scheme is actually light green, white and grey, not just all dreary grey. We really enjoy the beadboard look.

After 17 years of living in this house, Claudia and Mark have "His and Hers" lavatories. Very handy when we are in a hurry to get ready for church!

We love our shower, with an overhead rain head, plus a more conventional shower head on the side.

Claudia hung nice curtains on the window.

Some more photos of the bathroom and our new bedroom furniture are on Flickr.

God bless you, and good night!

Christmas Morning Excitement

2007-12-26T08:09:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas day. Angie, Myron and Chloe came to our home at 9:00 AM to help us open presents. Dave and Rachel brought Devlin and Eve a while later. You can see our Christmas morning photos on Mark's Flickr Christmas Morning photo set, but here are just three to whet your appetite:

Chloe loved being right in the thick of things - helping everyone open wrapped gifts to see what was inside!

Eve loved her her baby bottles and her new doll. Now, just what one should I use?

Devlin's Christmas revolved around the movie, "Cars." Cars jammies, a Cars lunch box, and, of course, Cars cars.

More family photos can be viewed on Mark's Flickr Photostream.

God Bless you all, and Merry Christmas!

Celebrating Christmas Eve

2007-12-24T21:10:00.000-08:00

For the seventh consecutive year, we celebrated Christmas Eve with Rachel's family, alternating homes each year. Paul and Lana Dalton were our gracious hosts this year. We enjoyed a wonderful meal, had great musical entertainment and paused for a few minutes while Mark read about the birth of Christ from the gospels of Luke and Matthew.

Devlin sang "Silent Night" with all of us, and then sang an encore solo, "When Somebody Loves You," from Toy Story 2. Devlin loves to sing as he grows up in the footsteps of his talented parents.

Rachel favored us with "Birthday of a King."

David sang "O Holy Night," with such power and range that he gave us all goose bumps!

Mark read the Nativity story from Luke 2 and Matthew 2, reminding us once again of the miracle of the Savior's birth which we celebrate at this wonderful time of year.

More photos of the wonderful evening we shared are on Mark's Flickr Photostream.

Good night and God Bless!

Mongolian Merry Christmas

2007-12-22T19:32:00.000-08:00

While Eric was in Mongolia, he had traditional Mongolian dels and hats made for each member of the family. Tonight, after an enjoyable family dinner, we surprised the family with these delightful, colorful outfits and went caroling through the neighborhood in full regalia. It was a bit nostalgic for Eric, but we had a grand time as we shared a little bit in the wonderful experience he had for the past two years in Mongolia.

Heidi's family received their dels a couple of weeks ago, while Eric, Claudia and Mark visited in Oregon. Don't Zach and Tyler make handsome little Mongolians?

At this wonderful time of year when we celebrate the anniversary of our Savior's birth, please know of our love for you. May you know that you are always welcome to our hearth and home, whether in spirit or in person. Merry Christmas!

You can see more Dixon family photos on Mark's Flickr photostream.

God bless you, and Good Night!

Music and Memories

2007-12-18T13:47:00.000-08:00

The highlight of our last week was attending Holly's choir concert. She thrilled us all with her great solo part. It was scary for her, but she did a great job.

Claudia and Mark have been home from Oregon for over a week, but still have great memories of being with Heidi's family. We miss those little guys!

Eric was a great friend to Tyler and Zach. They hated so see him come home.

For more photos, visit Mark's Flickr page.

Thanks for stopping by!

Love those Grandkids!

2007-12-08T16:24:00.000-08:00

Claudia and Eric flew to Portland last Tuesday to help Heidi and her new son. Mark joined them Friday night after his business trip to Texas and California. The highlight of Saturday was cutting a fresh tree from a nearby Christmas tree farm. Gotta love that fresh pine smell and the smiles on little boys' faces!

Little Gavin is wonderful! What a thrill to hold him and think of the miracle of birth! His big brothers are delighted to have a little brother.

And, of course, Granny is delighted! It is going to be hard for her to return to Arizona.

If you want to see more photos, please visit Mark's Flickr photostream.

Thanks for stopping by.

Zippin' along in Park City

2007-12-06T22:44:00.000-08:00

Back in October, I spend a week in Park City, Utah, for company planning meetings. One sunny afternoon, we had some fun in a "team building" experience on the mountain. Here is evidence that not all is heads-down work while I am on the road.

Welcome to our World, Gavin Bartle!

2007-12-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, Heidi gave birth to her third son, our sixth grandchild. What a miracle birth is! Mark likes to say that God has shared with us his greatest power - the power to create life. We are also grateful for the sealing power that binds us together.

Heidi sent the following photo last Saturday. What a cute little guy!

The Dixon Digest Rebirth

2007-12-02T19:44:00.000-08:00

Welcome folks, to the new Dixon Digest, brought to life in the blogosphere! After long lapses between Dixon Digest issues, Mark decided that a new format was necessary to ease the process of preparing photos and publishing the DD. The new plan is this:

1. At least weekly, Mark will post a few photos to this blog (http://dixondigest.blogspot.com).

2. In addition to the photos shown in this blog, we invite you to visit Mark's Flickr photostream, where he will post several other photos of the family.

3. If you click on any photo in this blog, you will be taken to the Flickr page for that photo, where you can download any resolution you would like.

4. Mark will send a copy of the weekly blog post to the Dixon Digest email list. If you want to be added to the list, please send Mark an email.

5. An archive of the "old style" Dixon Digest is still available if your would like to look back over time.

Please let us know if you have any questions or comments.

So, here we go for the inaugural post ...

The big event in November was the return of Eric after a two year mission to Mongolia. We had a delightful time welcoming him at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport the day after Thanksgiving.

We celebrated Eric's 21st birthday a month late after we returned home from the airport.

In somewhat unrelated news, Holly got attacked by the mysterious rubber chicken that seems to turn up in all sorts of interesting places. After Mark brought the chicken home from a trade show, it just seemed to find its way into Claudia's makeup drawer, under Ryan's pillow, into the glovebox of the car, and into Eric's bed the night he got home. Wonder where it will show up next?

So ... please let us know what you think. We'll tweak things now and then, and hope to be more regular on informing you about the happenings in the Dixon household.

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-27T14:35:00.000-08:00

Such a darling witch!

Hi Claudia!