AUGUST ALREADY?

How could two months have possibly gone by since I've posted anything....Well I just wanted to tell you all how much I've enjoyed the kids this summer. It seems like everytime I wanted to take a picture PaPa Joe had the camera in Idaho..Oh well here are some of my very favorite snap shots: Dawson and Jackson finding the "perfect" rocks at Cedar Breaks. We didn't have our guide, PaPa Joe, but we found the mysterious white rock and the boys were so thrilled....Ryan and Sam trying to figure our which candy to buy at the dollar store ($10.00 worth) to take to the movie...Shelby and Kirsi looking so beautiful Sunday in our ward. Shelby and Kirsi singing all their broadway songs at midnight in the car ride back from Tuachan! Zach sitting out on the deck looking at the sunset. Ryan and Sam playing horseshoes with Joe and I at sunset on the mountain....Benjamin catching grasshoppers to go fishing....Ben swimming all alone in the pool in St. George...and loving it! Dawson and Jackson at Pizza Factory trying to decide between suckers or cookie dough! Sam and Ryan all curled up in bed, exhausted after a day in the pool in HOT Dixie...Zach taking Great Grandfather to the movie "UP"....Shelby and Kirsi doing "water ballet" in the pool. Ben telling me about the new Harry Potter movie and insisting that we go see it....even though he had already... Benjamin shyly hugging the great grandparents Jackson, Dawson and I at "UP"...(if you're counting yes, I've seen it 3 times).Anyway still looking forward to David, Joseph, Nathan and of course parents are always welcome....Lots of other wonderful memories...I'll try to share more later....Thanks to all of you for raising such darling grandchildren!

WHAT A FAMILY!

JUNE IS ALMOST DONE AND I'M STILL THINKING IT'S SPRING...BUT HERE COMES SUMMER...WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR OUR WONDERFUL FAMILY. YOU GUYS ARE REALLY AWESOME! DAD HAS BEEN SO STRESSED ABOUT NOT GETTING THINGS DONE AT THE FARM HOUSED AND WHEN WE ARRIVE THERE LAST SUNDAY NIGHT WE WALK IN AND FIND NOT ONLY A BEAUTIFUL PINE LOG BED, DRESSER AND NIGHT STANDS, BUT SOMEONE HAS PUT DOWN THE LAMINATE FLOOR!!! AT FIRST WE THOUGHT WHO, HOW, WHEN BUT THEN DAD SAID, "I'LL BET LEON'S BEEN HERE". WE DIDN'T KNOW MARY WAS THE MASTERMIND BEHIND IT...LEON TOLD US..."I WORKED FOR HER". ANYWAY IT WAS SUCH A WONDERFUL SURPRISE. WE DIDN'T REALIZE WE ONLY MISSED WALKING IN ON THEM BY A FEW MINUTES...WE ARRIVED ABOUT MIDNIGHT AND THEY LEFT AFTER 11:00 PM! The next morning we found the lawns all mowed and trimmed and a beautiful pot of flowers by the front gate! You guys are really the Best! We love you so very much. Thank you! Thank you!

Spring on the Mountain

Wow! I can't believe I haven't posted anything since March...and that seems like yesterday. Anyway it has been a busy and very eventful two months. I should probably begin with the most recent events since my memory is not the best lately. Anyway we have had Bob and Elizabeth and Carver and Alice visiting with us since the 11th. I think they all had a pretty good time. Dad was very busy with ward business and couldn't spend as much time as he wanted to but he tried. We took them to Zion for a day and then to Kolob on another day. We also went to a movie..."Earth" fabulous! and out to dinner to Rusty's. We played games one night and mostly did lots of visiting. Elizabeth loves to shop in 2nd hand stores and asked if we had any GoodWill stores here so I took her to DI and guess what? She found two knockout dresses for $5.00 each! She was very excited and is planning on wearing one of them to Bob's and my 50th High School Reunion in October...yes you heard right...it is 50 years since I graduated from East Bakersfield High. Bob and Elizabeth want us to go with them but we will have to see what the schedule is for the ward and the farm at that time. I went to St. George last Thursday while the company was here to take Grandmother to the hairdresser and another appointment and it was 105! Grandfather didn't have the air conditioner on and the house was like an oven! I was not very nice and said if he expected me to come to St. George in this heat we needed a cooler! Poor man..I came on a little strong but voila...on Monday when I went down the house was nice and cool and it was only 101. Anyway I'm going down again tomorrow and take Mom to get her hair colored and then bring her up here for overnight! I hope she can handle it. Grandfather definitely needs a little break so I will try. Sounds like the family is all so busy right now....lacrosses, baseball, orchestra concerts, races, track meets, end of school activities. Our oldest granddaughter, Kirsi, is almost ready to graduate. Sounds like she will be attending BYU. We are planning on being to her graduation and hopefully seminary graduation too. Please send us a list of your activities and we will do the best we can. Dad's schedule is pretty crazy.
Sunday morning he had a meeting with the Stake Pres. at 6:00 a.m. and then Bishopric Meeting and then Welfare Meeting and then the block. He had interviews afterwards and at 6:00 that night he had Seminary Graduation. He finally got home about 8:00 that night. Yesterday he was gone from 4:00 until 9:30 and today he left for the farm! Anyway it's definitely a new life but we have been blessed so very much...how can we complain. The mountain is absolutely beautiful right now...wish you could all come down and see it. The meadow is so green and the trees have all leafed out. We have so many birds on the feeders and the hummers are keeping the feeders drained every day! We even had a pair of blue birds here this week-end....beautiful! Harley has decided he's the big hunter on the mountain. Yesterday morning he brought a jackrabbit to the front door...I couldn't believe how he killed it....I was so mad at him because I feed him a lot...but he proceeded to eat the whole thing! disgusting! It was so wonderful for you all to be here when Dad was ordained as Bishop. I know it was a great sacrifice for all the family but it meant so much to us. We loved being at Ryan's ordination on Mother's Day. It was great seeing how much fun the cousins all had together. Are we going on the Bear River for the Fourth? I hope so. Will someone please tell me again how to post things on the Family Blog Site. I can't remember and I tried this morning and couldn't make it work. I truly love reading each of your entries. Keep it up...Come and see us when you can....Love, Mom

MARCH MADNESS (has a ring...don't you think)

Good grief-I just typed my Valentine update...didn't I? Boy, this aging process is really taking it's toll! The frontal lobe is definitely beginning to atrophy! Actually I think it's Daylight Savings...I've been out of sink ever since it started! But we can't complain about how fast time goes...I'm just grateful to still have some. So far we've had a very busy month...All the grandkids are doing so well...Concerts, basketball games, scouting advancements, academic honors, piano achievements, musical productions, dance shows, etc, etc, etc. PaPa Joe and I got this great idea to make the farm house into a vacation home...you know sort of like a place where city folk can see how great it is to live in the country (for a few days). Well when the renter moved out things were left in a bit of a mess (a bit is definitely an UNDERSTATEMENT) but PaPa Joe is undeterred and we are pressing forward. We hope to have it painted, cleaned and furnished so it will be ready to use by May 1st. If any of you would love to earn a few days in a newly renovated farm house...you are welcome to assist in the painting, cleaning and refurbishing process!

I've been in St. George quite a bit lately and it is definitely Spring down there. The trees are all in bloom and of course the daffodils and tulips are in their welcome mode. Grandfather has had some serious problems with his foot and had to give up the temple for a while. He has really been hurting and would appreciate your e-mails and phone calls or if the kids could write him a note that would be great. Grandmother has her good and bad days...mostly thet are good and I feel like she is responding to "Spring" in a very positive way. I took her for a long walk around the temple grounds yesterday. She loved seeing all the pretty little pansies and talking about her Mom and Dad (MaMa and PaPa) It was quite a beautiful day. I also drove her out to Tuachan and then to Lowe's to see all there new spring flowers. A lovely day! Spring Break will be soon...what is everyone planning? We also have lots of Birthdays in the next few weeks, Leon, March 21st, Dawson, March 31st, Jamon, April 12, Jennifer April 13, Nathan April 14, Ryan April 28, Great Grandfather April 28...Lots to celebrate! Happy Spring to all of you...I love you lots....Mom, Grandmother and Kathy.

HOW DO I LOVE YOU?

Well it's Valentine's Day tomorrow and I'm late getting out my cards
this year....I swear I was much more organized in England than I am
now! Anyway I've been thinking today of how blessed I am to have such a
beautiful, wonderful family. How Heavenly Father must love me to send
all these incredible spirits to our clan! Each one is so unique, so
talented, so lovable...no really, this is not just a Grandmother's
diatribe but I feel so lucky to be in this group. However this was
arranged in the preexistence, I don't know...but I do know that I
really "lucked out". So "How do I love you?" In innumerable
ways...Thanks for being YOU. I love you Jennifer,Jamon, Mary Kathryn and Beau, Kirsi
, Shelby, Joseph, Nathan, Zachary, Ryan, Sam, Benjamin, Jackson,
Dawson, David, Jonathan, Nicholas and Jacob. And of course, Laura,
Leon, Jeff andCheryle! You're the best! But best of all is JOE!

HAPPY 2009 EVERYONE!

JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR'S! WHAT A FAMILY! IT'S SO FUN TO SEE THE KIDS ALL GROWING UP AND ENJOYING EACH OTHER..DAD AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE WATCHING OUR FAMILY TOGETHER...SOMEDAY YOU WILL KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS...ANYWAY I KNOW IT WAS A GREAT EFFORT FOR ALL OF YOU TO DRIVE SO FAR AFTER YOU WERE EXHAUSTED FROM YOUR OWN CHRISTMAS BUT TRUST ME WHEN I SAY WE REALLY NEEDED YOU AND IT WAS THE BEST! THE GRANDPARENTS REALLY ENJOYED SEEING EACH OF THE FAMILIES...THANKS FOR YOUR EFFORTS WITH THEM TOO. GRANDMOTHER SEEMS TO BE KIND OF FADING AWAY. NOT THAT THERE IS ANYTHING MORE PHYSICALLY WRONG...SHE IS JUST "FADING". HOW WONDERFUL FOR HER TO HAVE ALL HER FAMILY CLOSE BY AT CHRISTMAS. I DON'T KNOW WHY WE DIDN'T ASSIGN A VIDEOPHOTOGRAPHER TO RECORD OUR KARAOKE EVENTS! I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO EXPERIENCE THAT ALL OVER AGAIN. ALSO I WANTED TO ASK ONE OF YOU TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND KEEP UP THE FAMILY BLOG LIKE MARY DID THIS YEAR...I'M SORRY, I STILL HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT THIS CAMERA THING BUT....IT'S SO HELPFUL TO SEE ALL THE DATES AND ACTIVITIES FOR THE KIDS. ANYWAY WE HAVE APPRECIATED THAT SERVICE A LOT! 2009 PROMISES TO BE A GREAT AND EVENTFUL YEAR....LET'S SEE WE WILL HAVE TWO YOUNG MEN TURN 12 AND RECEIVE THE PRIESTHOOD, RYAN AND SAM. ONE BAPTISM...DAVID. ONE GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL...KIRSI, ONE TURNING 16...JOSEPH (HELP)AND LOTS AND LOTS OF OTHER EXCITING TIMES...I CAN'T WAIT FOR ALL OF THEM...JANUARY WILL BRING; SHELBY'S 17TH BIRTRHDAY (JAN. 5) LAURA'S ? birthday AND JACOB'S 1ST BIRTHDAY! WE ARE SO BLESSED...MY CUP RUNETH OVER!

ONCE AGAIN IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME!

WOW! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT'S DEC. 10TH? I AM TOTALLY NOT READY THIS YEAR...BUT I CAN TELL YOU I AM READY FOR THE FAMILY TO ALL BE TOGETHER AND TO JUST HAVE FUN WITH EACH OTHER...WHO CARES ABOUT GIFTS OR ELABORATE DECORATIONS...I JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN WITH MY KIDS! ANYWAY BY NOW YOU HAVE AL HEARD ABOUT MY TANGLE WITH THE BIG BUCK! IT REALLY WAS SCARY AND WHO KNOWS IF THE RAV WILL EVER BE THE SAME AGAIN BUT I AM BLESSED THAT I WASN'T SERIOUSLY HURT AND ...HEY I'M STILL HERE! WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE PARTY AT JEN'S AND THE FARM..,.IT'S GOING TO BE LOTS OF FUN AND OF COURSE WE CAN'T WAIT TO HAVE YOU ALL HERE ON THE MOUNTAIN. I'M THINKING THAT YOU COULD ALL ARRIVE THE NIGHT OF THE 26TH OR EVEN EARLY ON THE 27TH...WE WILL TRY AND HAVE AN EARLY BUFFET SO THE KIDS DON'T GET TOO TIRED....WHAT DO I MEAN KIDS....ACTUALLY I'M TALKING ABOUT THE OLD FOLKS. ANYWAY I JUST REALIZED THAT IT IS ALMOST DEC. 17...MARY AND LEON'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY...CONGRATULATIONS! HEY YOU MADE IT. WHAT A WILD AND CRAZY CHRISTMAS THAT WAS 20 YEARS AGO...

WELL, JUST TWO WEEKS UNTIL CHRISTMAS EVE. LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING SOME OF YOU THIS WEEK AND THE REST NEXT WEEK. UNTIL THEN....REMEMBER HE IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON! LOVE TO ALL