The Gibb Gazette

Mission Post #6--May/June/July

2011-01-29T01:45:00.000-08:00

So here's another installment in the life of the North Carolina Temporal Affairs missionaries, complete with some missionary stuff AND family stuff. It's definitely all good.
May 15 was a red-letter day in the Bosley family when Will was baptized. He is such a sweet boy and lots of fun. We surely do love him!
Here he is afterwards with his mom (Maren) and dad (Andrew). (Have I ever mentioned Andrew's website? You can see his work at http://andrewbosley.blogspot.com/. Check out his iPhone app--The Brainstormer--very cool.)

It's such a blessing to be so near family, and get to attend special events with them. Maren's boys had a piano recital and here's Hyde playing his piece. Both boys did a super job. I think it's in the genes.

Two little cousins, Nate (Maren's youngest) and McKenna (Casey's youngest) share a birthday on May 30, so both families came out to the camp for the weekend to celebrate the birthdays and Memorial Day. Our little cottage is way too small for that many people, so we did our eating down in the lodge, and for sleeping--Casey and Tim's family slept in one of the cabins, Maren and her littlest ones slept on our sofa, and Andrew and the boys slept in a tent out in back. All in all it was a VERY fun weekend.

Here's Will posting the breakfast menu for us.

After breakfast, the dads took the kids canoeing. Here's Tim with McKenna, Livie, Hyde, and Alexa.

Then the parents decided that they needed to have a race.

For a while, I thought Maren and Andrew had it in the bag, but in the end,
it was Tim and Casey who came in first.

When it came to the big dinner, Tim, of course, was our appointed chef--Old Settlers Beans, and barbecued ribs in his own sauce were the main event. YUM!!! After this, we were all so busy eating that I didn't take any more pictures.

One day in July--(have I mentioned how hot and humid the summers are in North Carolina?)--I left Stan to hold down the fort at the camp, and went with Maren to take her kids to the beach (a little over an hour away). I hadn't been to the beach on the east coast, so this was a treat for me. One nice thing was that it wasn't very crowded--unlike the beaches in California. Then, when we got there, I was expecting that nice cool ocean breeze, and what a surprise when it wasn't there. Will and Hyde had a great time. Will proved to be the "ocean dare-devil" and kept trying to go out a little too far.Maren spent her time chasing after the kids while I sat on the chair,

took pictures, and guarded our belongings.

That same day at the camp, Grandpa took Ivy for a ride on the tractor.
She finally decided it was more fun than scary.

Just so I don't give the impression that it's all play and no work around here, I thought I should throw in some camp "stuff." Here's the typical burn pile. Nobody comes around and collects this kind of "organic waste," so we just have to burn it. Actually it's really quite handy to have a pile to toss stuff onto when you're out raking, etc.
And here's my typical summer job. Mow, mow, mow. Actually, it's pretty fun. We even got a new mower that goes on the back and works better than the one in this picture. However, this one's great when you want to go back in the trees and clear out the undergrowth. (They don't let me do that, though--too dangerous they say.)

We got a brand new fence across the road from my house which I love.
I didn't realize how much nicer it was going to make things look.

Isn't that nice? If you look closely, you can see our little white cottage
through the trees right in the center of the picture.

I just had to throw in a picture of a member of our resident lizard family that lives by our door. Here's he/she is on the front step--such a vivid green and never frightened.
We have a little storage shed out in back, and in July, Stan put siding on it, and it really made a HUGE difference in how it looks. Now it matches the cottage.

Here's the step-by-step process.

Looking good.

For some reason or other, I neglected to take a picture of the finished product. So here's one I took in December after a snow storm. Gotta love the red door. Stan told me I'd have to paint it myself, so I did. Keep in mind--the roof isn't white--that's snow.

Mission Post #5--May

2011-01-07T10:10:00.000-08:00

I just figured out that I have seven months of blogging to do in order to catch up before we go home in seven weeks. Can I do it?

Well, spring came, and everything leafed out and bloomed. Here is a patch of wildflowers we found down by the lodge. If anyone has any idea what they are called, I'd love to know. They tell me they are very rare, but I haven't found anyone who knows what they are. I love the leaves that actually look more like green flowers than leaves.

My front yard dogwood lost it's white blossoms, and looked beautiful all green and leafy.

With the change in weather, we began to get lots of work done. Here's Stan doing his least favorite job (painting), and with a smile on his face. What a guy!

The amphitheater hasn't been used for years. It was overgrown, and several of the seats had fallen into disrepair and needed to be removed. Members of one of the local stakes came out one weekend and really cleaned things up for us.

Clearing the land around it meant having to cut down some trees--even some that had grown in the middle of the seats. I'll tell you--anyone who thinks there is a shortage of trees just hasn't been to North Carolina. The trees tend to take over, just like the weeds.

Here's how it looked when they were all through. What a great job they did. Now we just need to replace some seats, pour a concrete slab for a stage area in front, get the electricity hooked up for lighting and we'll be in business. It's really a pretty area with the seats overlooking the lake.

We also got started in earnest on the new bath house. I can't wait for that to be done. Keep scrolling and I'll show you why.

Here's the old bath house--circa 1940.

This picture doesn't show how bad it really is. See that black spot around the pipe going into the ceiling. Yuk! The ceiling has rotted there, and rotten stuff just keeps falling through to the ground. Ugh! I really will not miss cleaning this place.

There are about six cabins (probably built in the 30's & 40's) that sleep a minimum of 12 people. They are all going to be replaced with nice new ones, and you'd be surprised at how many people are upset by that. They have been camping in those cabins since they were Boy Scouts, and their fathers camped here, too, so they feel really nostalgic about those old cabins. I think we'll keep one for storing sports equipment, etc.

Here's one of our cabins--up close.

Check out the door on this one, and there are a couple that have holes in the floor.

But not to worry, we'll have this place in top shape in no time.

We went to Casey's in Clemmons (near Winston-Salem) for Mother's Day. What fun! Her girls love to put on plays, so of course they entertained us on this occasion as well. Left to right: Maya, McKenna, Alexa, and Livie. They are so much fun to be around. We will surely miss them when we go home.

MORE TO COME!!

Mission Post #4 (April)

2010-11-29T10:26:00.000-08:00

On April 24, Maren and Andrew brought the kids out to Mt. Olive for the Pickle Festival. Although the camp where we live is technically in Dudley, we have to go to Mt. Olive to shop. (They have a WalMart and two other grocery stores there.) So far all I have found in Dudley is one tiny Italian restaurant that has a few tables for eating in, or you can call ahead for take-out. The food actually is quite good, and it's incredibly clean inside (although you wouldn't guess that by looking at it from the outside). Imagine my surprise the first time I went there to pick up pizza and found that it is owned and operated by some very nice Vietnamese people? Who knew they could do Italian?

So, back to Mt. Olive, which is where we do our shopping, go to the dentist, and to church. It is famous for the Mt. Olive Pickle Company which is located on Cucumber & Vine Streets. The sign as you come in to town welcomes you to Mt. Olive, the Pickle Capital of North Carolina. I wondered about the origin of the name Mt. Olive, so I looked it up on the Pickle Co. website, and this is what I found . . .

"The Mt. Olive Pickle Company is named for its hometown, Mount Olive, NC. Tradition has it the town was named for the biblical Mount of Olives. We realize it's a bit confusing. Mt. Olive is located on the Coastal Plain of Eastern North Carolina. There's nary a hill in sight.

No mounts in Mount Olive, or olives, either. Just pickles."

Well, there you have it, and so once a year, they celebrate with the pickle festival. We thought it only fitting that we go this year, so we invited Maren and Andrew to bring the kids, since I was told that they would love it. They did! Here they are with none other than the Mt. Olive Pickle himself. Hyde, "Ollie" the Pickle, Will, Ivy & Nate. (I'm not sure about that guy in the background.)
Wouldn't you know, the first thing we saw when we got there was a camel. What are the chances of that? The boys just had to have a ride. I wanted one, too, but didn't see any other adults who were like-minded, so I settled for being a spectator.

After we'd seen everything and had lunch, we went to the "fun zone" and let the kids go on some of the rides. Here's Will and Hyde, and would you believe that the Mt. Olive newspaper that came out a few days later had this picture on the front page (above the fold). Who would have guessed that the first time those boys came to town, they'd end up in the news. Well they sure are cute, and were obviously having a great time!
Back at the camp, with all the fun behind us, Stan went back to working on the siding of the lodge (that's him way up on top of the scaffolding on the right). You can really appreciate the difference it all made, when you see the part that hadn't been done yet. This is the back of the same building with the deck around it that was in my last post.
I just had to throw in a random picture taken along one of the paths here at the camp. By April the trees had leafed out, and it was really beautiful.
Last, but not least, here I am driving the bobcat. What fun. I actually did a little cleaning up with it, just to see if I could. My dad would have been proud. Why is it that only guys get to do this fun stuff?

Mission Post #3

2010-11-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

The weekend after Easter, the regional Young Single Adults had a conference here at the camp. They were great. They wanted to do a service project, so our favorite landscaper from Kinston, Bill Moss, put them to work in my front yard, which is also the entrance to the camp. There was sod to lay, shrubs to be planted, and a wall to build. They did it all, plus some cleanup.

Here's how it looked when they were done. And there's my favorite dogwood tree. The spring version with its blossoms looking very much like the winter version with snow.

After their work was done, they served lunch in the lodge, and then gathered on the deck for talks by the area authority, Elder Ingram and his wife.

It was all fun and games after that.

A couple of weeks after this event, Stan got a phone call from Casey, saying that Alexa who is in middle school, had an assignment to make a musical instrument and then describe how she made it, and play it for the class. It had to have multiple pitches and dynamics. So, of course, we hopped right in the car and drove three hours to Clemmons, so that Grandpa could help. They made a panpipe from PVC pipe. Here they are with the finished product. Aren't they cute?! (I should add that she got an "A" for the project.)

And here she is--in concert. We sure love this darling girl.

Coming up in the next Post: The Mt. Olive Pickle Festival. You won't want to miss that!

Mission Post #2

2010-10-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

One nice thing about getting to serve a mission in North Carolina is that we got to spend Easter with grandchildren. On Friday before Easter, we went to Maren's (she's an hour away from us). She and I went shopping for a little while and left the dad and grandpa there to help the little ones dye the eggs.

Obviously Will and Hyde had a great time, and were well-pleased with the finished product. Aren't they just two too cute boys?!

When Maren and I got back, we gathered everyone up and went to a fun park nearby. I thought this was the best idea for a teeter-totter. Why didn't someone think of this in my day. Remember how the person on the other end would get distracted and run off to do something else when you were the one up in the air. Maybe they did it on purpose, but regardless, it hurt. Seems like you'd just come down too fast to react. No more, though. With this one--you just bounce a little. Great idea!

And these were the best swings ever. Here's Maren showing Dad how it's done.

Then it was my turn to give it a try. Why is it that old people look so uncoordinated. Or maybe I've been that way all my life. Now I just have something to blame it on. Nevertheless, it was fun.

Back at Maren's, Casey and Tim and their girls arrived, and we had the Traditional Easter Egg Hunt and BBQ. Here's little Nate with his find.

McKenna was pretty proud of her basketfull.

And Livie had some good stuff in hers, too.

The grown-ups, on the other hand, helped out by eating some of the goodies while we sat around and solved the problems of the world. Here we are with Casey sitting next to me and Tim's dad, Terry sitting next to Stan. Terry and Lynn were in NC for a week, vacationing at the Outer Banks with Tim and Casey, and stopped by Garner for the festivities on their way back to Casey's in Clemmons.

Nate and Grandpa. . . . Aren't they cute?!

All this fun while Andrew slaved over the hamburgers and hot dogs. Yum!

Easter Sunday, Maren fed us all a wonderful breakfast and then Nate decided to try out his little watering can that came in his Easter basket.

I guess, Ivy could see that he needed help and was there to show how much better her can worked.

Naturally we enjoyed church and the fine dinner that Maren prepared--ham, potatoes, etc. It was all yummy, and I especially loved the container with the "Easter" grass for the centerpiece. Clever.

Life as a Southerner

2010-06-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

So I was with my girls a few days ago, and they told me that I should be updating my blog to keep everyone updated on our mission. I suspect it was their way of saying that I really should get with it, so being the obedient mom that I am, here goes.

As you probably already know, we are serving a temporal affairs mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at a campground in Dudley, North Carolina. When we first started the process of submitting our papers, we had decided we would ask for a farmland reserve mission assignment and were told that based on the timing and the needs, we would probably be sent to Florida or Texas. About that same time, we learned that Eagles Nest Camp had just been approved for a senior missionary couple to help in the renovation of an old Boy Scout camp the Church had purchased, and were told that we could be sent there if we would like. Since Casey and Maren both live in North Carolina, we decided that was where we wanted to go. Long story short, we arrived at Eagles Nest on Feb 1, and as you can see, there was snow all over the camp. This is the dogwood tree outside our front door. Notice the road just behind the sign on the left. That was the first thing I had to get used to. You can tell that it's just a small country road--one lane of traffic each way. And, since most of the houses face the road, and are set back just a little ways, with all the mailboxes on the side of the road, I was thinking that 35 should be the ultimate speed limit. Wrong! You have to go at least 50 or you could have a line of cars backed up behind you. I'm not sure what the real speed limit is, but I do know that they have some curves that say 45, so I guess that they anticipate you'll be going a little faster than that on the straightaways.

The next thing I learned was how to dispose of things you don't want. This pile of stuff was in the field right behind our little cottage. It was a real eyesore, but I looked out one day, and saw someone with a backhoe and the next thing I knew . . .
things were beginning to disappear. You'll notice all the cuttings in the center of the picture--they're gone too. That's the burn pile.

And here's a burn pile in action down by the lodge. We have them all over, and as long as there's no burn ban, we can just "fire" away.

After we'd been here a couple of weeks, Maren and her family came to spend the day. The boys wanted a ride on the bobcat and loved it. Ivy thought it looked like a lot of fun too, until Grandpa turned it on, and then she had a change of heart.
A few days later, we had a work crew of volunteers from the stake come in to work on the dam. It has been a major headache. Without it we have no lake, so we were anxious to have it repaired in time for the camping season.

Finally in March, we closed the gate and it began to fill up. Sand was brought in to make a little beach; we put a trampoline in the middle; ropes to designate swimming areas; got six canoes, twelve life jackets, and we were in business.
Spring was beautiful! For some reason this is one of my favorite pictures. I was walking from the lodge up to our cottage one afternoon and glanced over to my right and there was this lone dogwood in the midst of all those other trees.
Back home, the same dogwood that I began with. All the plants have since been planted and are now somewhat larger. That's my job--constantly trying to keep everything alive and flourishing. Wish I had a greener thumb!

And the Tradition Goes On!

2009-12-03T03:24:00.000-08:00

Since the early 80's our family has gone to Newport Beach in the summer. We've missed a few, but not many. We used to stay here and loved the summers when we could rent the upstairs. Here's Maren looking out the window. It wasn't a glamorous place, but we loved it.
Now we stay at the Marriott villas--much nicer and roomier, but I think we all miss the "good ole days" on 14th Street. So, this past August, we made our almost yearly trek to the beach, and Dave's family (they're the only ones close enough to go now) went, too. It was lots of fun, and especially memorable, because Brenden will be leaving on his mission soon, and it was good to have some time with him.

Here's Dave and Hayden keeping close to shore.

The "big boys" (Brenden and Landon) on the other hand, kept going out far enough to catch the big waves. I really had to zoom in on them, so picturewise, this is the best I could do.

After all the fun it was time to pack up and go back. Here's Landon and Grandpa--NOT helping Hayden with his boogie board, but obviously doing a good job of overseeing.

Dave, wondering why I'm taking THIS picture.
Back at the villas, we spent a lot of time going back and forth between th hot tub and the pool.

An action shot of Hayden being tossed in the water by one of his big brothers.

I'm definitely not a very good photographer--where was Carson in all of this? Was he avoiding the camera? Out of the whole week, these are the only two days I took pictures, and he is nowhere to be found. And he is so darn cute! For sure, I'll get him next time.

Cute Kids!

2009-12-03T02:53:00.000-08:00

In July (can I be that far behind?) I had an end-of-summer pizza party for my Primary class. Aren't these cute kids? They are really good kids, too which certainly makes my job a lot more enjoyable. Unfortunately, I didn't remember to get the camera out until some of them had gone home.
They kind of drifted between the Wii and pickleball. Here's Katelyn and Samantha. I had a hard time catching them when they were still enough for a picture.
Payton, Aubrey, and Ryan. It was fun for me because they were all having such a good time.
I should have taken a picture of the pulley that Stan made and attached to the upstairs deck. The kids think it's the greatest, and loved being able to put the ice cream, etc., in the bucket and let it down to the patio below.

Visitors

2009-08-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

I love to have visitors, so we were really excited when we got a call from Bart saying that they were coming down from Utah to spend a few days with us. Unfortunately, I always get so involved in what is going on that I forget to take the all important "blog photos." We got to celebrate Jarom's 5th birthday on June 28 while they were here, so I did get a few pictures of that. Here he is opening his presents with Kerina looking just as excited as he is. On the right is his cousin--Uncle Jason's son. They came up from Phoenix for the "big" party.Porter very concerned about the presents, Hannah sharing something fun with her mom.
I had to add this picture of Uncle Jason's daughter. Isn't she just the cutest little thing? That's her mom with her.

All Jarom wanted to do for his birthday was go swimming, so we found this fun little water park down in Prescott Valley, and off we went. The kids all had a great time. Some of those people belong to us.

Porter and Emma waiting their turn to go down the slide.

Porter--someday he's going to "love" this picture. He is such a little charmer.
Hannah and Emma. That Hannah is getting sooo pretty, and is such a sweet girl and good baby sitter.
Kerina in the water, and Emma out. Check out Emma's pose--she is such a little cutie!
Joseph--growing up way too fast. He will be twelve in November--a most important birthday. We will be going up for Thanksgiving and to see him ordained a deacon.
Kerina--you just can't help loving that girl.
Okay, so I know there are eight kids in that family, and I only took pictures of five--don't know how I missed the others, especially baby, Grace, who is adorable, and who I took care of the whole time while she slept. You'd think I would have clicked a quick photo--and where were Andrea and Jarom, the birthday boy? I know they were there, but you can't tell it by my shoddy photo journalism skills. Sorry you kids--I'll get you in November.

The day before Bart and Marie left, my sister, Melinda, and her husband, Randy, flew in from Colorado. (We also had one extra elder for a couple of days, so that meant we had 17 people here. Does it get anymore fun than that?

Randy has always loved to cook, so when he lost his job a few months ago (he was a superintendent for a very large construction company--can you say, "Freddie and Fanny?"
Anyway, it was probably a blessing in disguise, because it forced him into a career change, and since he has always longed to be a chef, and since they have a great culinary arts school near him, he enrolled. So needless to say, I didn't cook the whole time he was here. Check out the pro-chef attire. He even has the full-on checkered pants (but it was just too hot for the smock).
Here's one of the meals he cooked--the best steaks ever (done in the frying pan instead of the grill), the salad was amazing, and the grilled corn . . . well, there just wasn't enough of it.
We went to the rodeo (world's oldest, right here in Prescott) while they were here, but I forgot the camera. They were here on the 4th of July, and we watched fireworks with our neighbors from the street in front of our house, but I didn't take any pictures of that either. I did capture a little Wii-playing the night before they went home. I have no idea how long they played--I went to bed and they were still at it. Such fun, and would you believe, they are coming down again in two weeks? I am so looking forward to it. This time, I'll try to be more efficient with the camera.

Fun in North Carolina

2009-08-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

In June we flew to North Carolina to visit the grandchildren (and their parents). The weather was great--not too hot or humid . . . yet. First we visited with Maren and Andrew in Garner (near Raleigh).

The boys had lots of fun in their little pool, and had to show me all their tricks. Will thought a picture of him jumping off the slide into the water would be really cool, and he was right.

Hyde preferred the side approach.

And here are our men at work. Andrew wanted to build a fort in the backyard for the kids to play on, and of course, Grandpa (never one to sit around) was more than eager to help out. (A picture of the finished project is now on Maren's blog.)

Making progress . . .

Still in the beginning stages, but the boys were already so excited about it.

Maren drove us to Casey and Tim's in Clemmons (near Winston-Salem). We arrived just in time to attend Alexa's "Fifth Grade Celebration" (since she would be moving on to middle school. Here are a few of those in attendance.

No one can ever accuse this darling Maya of being camera-shy.

Alexa receiving a certificate of promotion. (I guess that's what you call it.)

Here she is with her teacher. So cute!

I told you--loves the camera.
Unfortunately, I was so busy having fun that I forgot to take many pictures, and some of the ones I took didn't turn out for some reason, which explains why there are no pictures of Ivy, Nate, Livie, and McKenna. I'll just have to do better next time.

Meet Elder Robert D. Schamel

2009-07-27T00:08:00.000-07:00

In March, I flew to Denver to attend my nephew, Robert Schamel's, missionary farewell. He was leaving the following Tuesday for South Africa. He really is a neat kid, and I was so proud of him, as are his parents. He gave one of the best farewell talks I have ever heard. That night, LOTS of his friends (he's a popular guy) came over to say goodbye, and ended up entertaining us. Robert has been singing in a quartet, and the other three guys were there, so they treated us with an impromptu concert. It was the first time I had ever heard them, and halfway through the first song, I realized that they were really good, and since I had my camera in my hand, I set it to record. Here they are--enjoy!

Here he is with his Dad right after he was set-apart and got to put on his name tag.
Schamel kids--Andrew, Leslie, Robert, and Aaron.
Robert and his mom--my sister, Melinda.

Here we are at the airport. We had to be there about 6 AM, and it was snowing like crazy. Leslie, Andrew, Robert, and I were all flying out that morning. Good planning--Only one trip to the airport for Randy and Melinda.A great story here. We were all going headed over to security, when this girl saw us and noticed Robert's tags. She was excited, because she said this was the first time she had ever seen a missionary leaving from an airport with all his family there to see him off. (Obviously, she's not from Utah.) Anyway, a little while later, I guess she got up her nerve to approach us, and said that she was in a lot of pain because of her arm, and wouldn't be able to do anything about it until she got to her destination (Atlanta I think) which would be several hours from then. She asked if Robert and his dad had enough time to give her a blessing. Well, there we were, in the middle of the airport, with time to do it, but where? Melinda turned and saw a NTSB guy standing nearby and asked if perhaps there was a room they could use for a few minutes. His response was, "Oh, do you want to give her a blessing?" Yep! He was LDS--what are the chances?--this is Colorado, not Utah! Anyhow, he said he'd ask for permission, which was granted, and they were able to use the room right next to us, and the blessing was given. I thought it was a perfect experience for Robert at this important time in his life. Anyway, here they are. Unfortunately, I have no idea what her name was.

After boarding the plane, I think he met up with his companion in New York (or somewhere back east) and then they flew straight to the MTC in Johannesburg, (although he is in the Cape Town mission) and is now serving in a town called Knysna. He is absolutely loving it despite having been robbed at knifepoint on one occasion, and finding himself in the middle of a riot on another, all in the first month. Scary stuff! But his letters are filled with enthusiasm and love for the work. What a great kid he is.

Elders in the Basement

2009-05-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

The problem with having missionaries living in your basement is that you get way too attached to them. These are the first two we had--Elder Chezik and Elder Leavitt. They (coincidentally) moved in on the very same day that Brenden arrived (Landon came a couple of days later), so the four of them shared the basement for about a month. As soon as their folks arrived, Brenden and Landon left us. ( Too bad for us.) This picture was taken on the night the boys came over to say goodbye to Elder C. who was being transferred the next day--so sad. They had lots of fun together--ping pong tournaments, basketball, and pickleball (only at appropriate times, of course).

We are very blessed because we have the cream of the crop--the hardworking zone leaders. We really hated to see Elder C. leave. Up here in the mountains, they have a cool, red pickup to drive. Elder Chezik goes home in August, so he was hoping to spend the last few months back on a bike down in the valley doing more teaching, which is exactly what he's doing. Too bad he spent the cold part of his mission up here in the snow and ice, and is down there riding in the 100+ temperatures for the summer--but knowing him, he's loving it.
Here's Elder Carver who came home with Elder Leavitt after Elder Chezik left. We were surprised that Elder L. got to stay--because it meant that he had been in Prescott for a whole year! But what a great missionary.
Here we are after receiving the news that Elder Leavitt was finally leaving Prescott. He's also down in the valley now. Hot, Hot, Hot. But still a zone leader. We really miss him.
Here he is packing up. He had a bunch of old ties that he never wore which he added to a bunch that Elder Chezik left, and made a ball out of them, which Elder Carver seemed to be enjoying. Too much fun! Now we have Elder Van Orden who took Elder L's place, but unfortunately, I haven't taken a picture of him yet. Guess I'll just have to save that for later.

A Dream Come True!!

2009-04-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

The Big Day!
It has been a long time since we have had any of our children living close to us. Many of you will remember the main reason we moved to Arizona was because we had three children and about 12 grandchildren living here. Then, after only a few months, Stan and I went on a mission, and, wouldn't you know, one by one the kids all moved away, and worst of all, they took the grandchildren with them! Well, things are looking up for us now.--In January, Dave brought Brenden and Landon out, got them enrolled in school, and left them with us. Then in February, he and Roberta drove two big trucks out from North Carolina and moved into a house just two miles from us. They got here just two days after the biggest snow we've had in years. Great timing!

They hadn't seen the house they were moving into, except on the internet. But I had taken the boys over, and got their approval, so we just hoped they wouldn't be disappointed. As soon as the rest of the family got here, we took a quick trip over to have a look. Because of all the snow and ice, we could barely get up the driveway which, I must say, is pretty darn steep. But we were determined to get up there.

The next day we all went to help unload. Needless to say, the trucks couldn't get up the driveway either, even though by this time the sun was out and the driveway itself was pretty clear. So they had to unload the stuff from the truck into the car and onto another trailer and pull it up with a pickup, and then unload the trailer.
Here's the second unloading process.
Notice that everything still had to be carried across the icy driveway. It was quite an ordeal and took two days, with the piano being unloaded on the third day. But we were glad to help because we're so glad to have them here. I just hope they will stay for a really long time. (Sorry to take them away, Van Buskirks.)

A Plea for Sympathy!

2009-04-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

Okay! I've swallowed all my pride, and I'm posting this. I had a little mishap on Easter Sunday. Was out on the back patio with my grandsons--missed the step and fell flat on my face on the concrete. You can see where my glasses cut the bridge of my nose. It scared the kids to death. Brenden wanted to help me up, but I told him to just leave me there until everything quit hurting. He said he was going to go upstairs and get Grandpa. Meanwhile, I was bleeding all over the patio. It's amazing that I wasn't in more pain. I just remember seeing the concrete coming toward me, and thinking that this is really going to hurt. My first thought was that I had broken my teeth, but fortunately they seemed okay. Next worry was that I'd scratched my new glasses (which I did, but only slightly), and then we were all certain that I had broken my nose. Not a pleasant thought. I may have, but since I knew they wouldn't do anything for it (unless it was really bad), I just sat around with ice on it. This picture was taken that evening, after I called Maren and told her what had done. Her first response was, "You are going to take a picture and put it on the blog, aren't you?" Then I called Casey--Her first response, "You need to take a picture and put it on your blog!" How's that for sympathy?

So here I am. Actually, I think I was just getting ready to say something when Stan took the picture, so you can't really see how swollen my lip was, but take it from me--it was really fat!
I should have taken another picture a day or two later, because the bruise above my lip got really ugly. Couldn't hide it, so Stan kept calling me "Charlie" (as in Chaplin) which was a wee bit better than Adolph.

I tried to cover it with all the makeup I had, and Tuesday morning after I got myself looking the best I could, I came into the kitchen and Stan said, "You look like you've been beaten." I said, "Oh (whiny voice here), do I look that bad? I really need to go to the store." Stan: "Do you want me to go for you?" (Insert this implied followup--"You probably shouldn't be seen in public.") He's a real morale booster. Anyway, I'm much better now--the bruise is slowly fading, the lip is back to normal, and I think the swelling is almost gone on the nose (or maybe not, and this is what I'm left with.)

SNOW DAY

2009-02-10T07:04:00.000-08:00

Here's what we woke up to this morning. It snowed all day yesterday and was still snowing when we went to bed. So much for the "Designer" snow concept. We got 8 inches which is really good for us. ( They got 14 up in Flagstaff.) I know it's not too impressive for you in Utah and Idaho where it really snows. But c'mon, this is Arizona!!! Anyhow we're loving it, but I know you'll laugh when I tell you that this was a snow day for all the school kids. Since we live in a town where most of the streets and roads are steep and curvy (and some unpaved), and because the city only clears the main roads, I guess they'd rather have the kids safe at home rather than out sliding around on the icy streets. Even this evening after a lot of sunshine and melting today, we took Brenden and Landon (grandsons) to dinner and the first restaurant we went to had a sign on the window saying they were closed and would open again tomorrow . . . and it was on one of the main streets. Go figure! The weatherman said today that there are three more storms coming. Boy, I sure love my fireplace!

I took this picture from my front door. Sorry it's blurry. I think I was in a hurry to close it. Snow was clear up to the door despite the covering over the porch.

This is looking out the door downstairs in the back.
From the window upstairs looking out the back. You've got to admit, it's beautiful.

Happy New Year!

2009-02-09T19:51:00.001-08:00

We opted to spend Christmas alone and go up to Utah to ring in the New Year with Bart's family so that we could be there for Porter's baptism. We were there almost a week, and played everyday. Being a fan of jigsaw puzzles, we managed to complete three. Kerina was my constant companion, and is really good, although everyone pitched in from time to time.We took all the Christmas presents with us, so we got to watch all the kids open their gifts. Porter was loving his tool kit, complete with belt and goggles. All he needed was some wood and a few nails.
You can't give Hannah a better present than a book. And she has it finished in no time.
Emma tried on her new pantsuit right away, and it was just right for such a pretty little girl.
Marie's folks came for the big New Year's Eve party. Here's her mom, Sherry, getting the party food ready.
Poor Bart had a New Year's Eve gig. I use the word "poor" because he missed the party, but monetarily speaking, he came home a little richer. Deep down, these musicians will miss just about anything for a chance to gig.
The day after New Year's, we all went sledding--sad to say that for me, the southern California/desert girl, it was a first.
I spent most of the time watching, and because Bart and Marie had "geared me up" with all the best in winter wear, I stayed warm. It looked like such fun, though, that I had to give it a try. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of me on the sled, but take my word for it--I went down twice, and it was pretty darn fun!
On Saturday, we all went to the church so that Porter could be baptized by his Dad.
And here's all the family--L-R: Me, Andrea, Grandpa, Kerina, Marie, Hannah, Grace, Bart, and Joseph. The three standing in front are Emma, Porter, and the cute little rascal, Jarom. They are a great family, and we love being with them--It was really a fun week.

Catching Up . . . . Again

2009-02-09T19:33:00.001-08:00

Our first Christmas in Prescott. We were hoping for a white one, which we got, but not on Christmas Day. This is our typical "designer" snow. You wake up to a beautiful light dusting of white, and by noon the sun is shining bright, and the snow is all gone.

We haven't had a Christmas at home for a long time, and I was determined to decorate the house even if just the two of us were going to be here all alone. So, I got all the creches out, put up the tree, made candy and baked. We had some neighbors over a couple of times, and then the Saturday before Christmas, I had a little party for my primary class. Those little kids are so cute, and we were having so much fun that unfortunately, I forgot to take any pictures.

On Christmas Day, we had the elders over for dinner and then played games--Elder Leavitt on the left, and Elder Chezik in the middle. They are really good elders, and have since moved into our basement. We really enjoy them.

Random Photos

2009-01-21T13:10:00.000-08:00

While we were in NC, we drove through Tanglewood Park to see the Christmas Lights. They were really fun and impressive. Unfortunately, McKenna didn't see anything so great about it, and Alexa, who mentioned on the way there that she wasn't feeling very good, threw up halfway through the park. It was quite an adventure. I got a picture of Mckenna, but spared Alexa the humiliation.

We also got to go to a Christmas program at Hayden's school. He's the reindeer on the right. It was a cute program, and he was definitely the cutest reindeer.

Eight Already?

2009-01-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that Livie is eight already, so two days after Thanksgiving, Nov. 29, she was baptized by her Daddy. It was such a nice day, and she is the sweetest little girl. Both sets of grandparents were there, along with aunts and uncles and 8 cousins. She was baptized in the same dress that I made for her mom when she was baptized, and then her mom's friend Heather Richardson was baptized in it, then her sister, Alexa, and now Livie.

2009-01-21T08:56:00.000-08:00

Sorry I left the Bosley family out of Thanksgiving at Casey's. Actually, this is the picture that was supposed to lead into the fact that we (and the Bosleys) drove to Casey's on Thanksgiving day, but for some reason, last time i posted, "blogosphere" didn't like this particulat picture, and that whole part was left out. Go figure . . . how could it not LOVE this picture of this cute baby, Nate. He was six months old here, and crawling so fast toward the camera evvery time I tried to take his picture, that I had a really hard time getting one that wasn't a blur. Finally I got this one--Is that a cute face, or what?!

Thanksgiving at Casey's

2009-01-12T04:12:00.000-08:00

McKenna helped with dinner preparations by staying "out of the way" in her favorite spot.

Tim turned out the perfect turkey,

and Casey and Alexa served the perfect rolls!

As a blogger, I'm somewhat of a failure. I get so caught up in the conversation, etc., that I forget to take any pictures. Hence, no pictures of the table and all the people that were there--Tim's parents, Dave's family, and us. The only real evidence of Dave's family is this picture of Brenden holding McKenna. (I also need to sharpen my photography skills.)

Holidays in Review

2009-01-11T18:00:00.000-08:00

A Surprise Visit and "Stan the Man"

2008-12-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

What a great surprise. Our very best friends from our years in Denton, TX, when Stan was in graduate school, came to visit--Jim and Maurine Richards. They are really the neatest people. So much fun. They just returned last winter from a mission at the Merida Temple in Mexico, and were on a trip to visit their mission president. We were so flattered that they put us on their itinerary. We haven't seen them for about 20 years. Maurine taught school, and Jim is an outstanding artist. He taught in the art department at NTSU when Stan was a student there. Now their claim to fame is their daughter who plays the flute with the orchestra on temple square. If you've ever seen the orchestra on TV, you've seen Jeanine--she's the beautiful brunette who is always on camera. I can't tell you how fun it was to see Jim and Maurine again. Lots of reminiscing and catching up on old friends. We just needed a lot more time. Maurine's the one who taught me how to enjoy my kids and told me how important it is to have a sense of humor. (She told Jim that, too, when their little boys had way too much fun with their dad's paint one time. I doubt he saw the humor in it at the time, though.)

While Jim and Maurine were here, we spent some time in Stan's music room, so he could demonstrate his new "toy" the MalletKat. I should add that Jim and Stan did a performance together at NTSU--Stan playing percussion, and Jim painting on clear plastic that was projected on a screen. That was back in their "avant-garde" days.

Obviously, this guy is having way too much fun these days!

Time to Check Ourselves into the Home?

2008-11-17T15:26:00.000-08:00

This came in the mail on Saturday, and I couldn't resist posting it. Boy!! You turn 68 and word really gets around. Maybe we should hurry on down before they sell out.

October 9, 2008--A Red Letter Day!

2008-11-09T15:26:00.000-08:00

Thursday, October 9, 2008, we went to the Mesa Temple with my aunt, Cleora. She is one of my mother's younger sisters. (My mother was the second daughter, and Cleora was the fourth.)

She is one of the youngest 82 year-olds that I know. (Last week she went bowling--twice--with her son and granddaughter.) She is also one of the sweetest and most thoughtful people I know. This was her first time going to the temple, and she loved every minute of it. If I were a better blogger, I'd have pictures of all the ward and family members that were there, but alas, I'm not quite with it yet, and with all the excitement, completely forgot my camera. So, this picture from the church website will have to do.

You'll just have to picture us all there in front of the entrance.

After we left the temple, we (the family) went to lunch at Rosa's--known for their fish tacos and the best green salsa you've ever tasted. Here's Cleora's younger sister (the baby of the family), Velda, with her daughter, Denise, and me just arriving at the restaurant.
Here comes Stan--a little slower than the rest. He actually went through the temple in a wheel chair which was much easier for him.
In front of Rosa's (quite fitting since Rosa was my great-grandmother's name and now the family is all "linked" together). Anyway, here we are with Denise taking our picture while Stan makes his way across the parking lot--Me, Cleora, and Velda.
Inside--enjoying the food--Dustin (Denise's son-a biochemistry major at ASU), and Aunt Cleora. Fortunately, she remembered her camera and then emailed all the pictures to me--quite a "techie". I told you she was young. Anyway, it was a great day, and Stan and I were honored to play a part in her experience. We really love her.

Beach Time!

2008-10-16T14:44:00.000-07:00

It has been two or three years since we vacationed at the beach, but this was the year. A week in September at Newport and, I must say, I don't remember ever having such good weather. Here's the view from our balcony. Before we checked in, I called and told them that my husband was on crutches, so we would probably be spending most of the time in our room, and it would be really nice if we had a good view. They certainly came through, because it's likely that we may have had the villa with the best view of all.

Our good friends Gary and Diane Anderson from Upland spent the first three days with us which made it a lot of fun. They are great to have around. Diane even treated us to cupcakes from "Sprinkles". If I were a better blogger, I'd also have a picture of all of us going to the Crab Cooker and meeting the Guymons there for lunch on Tuesday. They had come down from Utah to see and old neighbor and someone told them we were in town, so they called and we were able to hook up.

After the Andersons left, Stan spent a lot of time here, looking out over the ocean and reading his book.
On Wednesday after the Andersons left, I got a phone call from my sister, Melinda, and she and her husband, Randy, and their son, Robert, had just landed at the airport in Orange County. I knew they were coming over for their grandson's baptism, but neither of us realized it was the same week we were going to be there. Melinda happened to talk to my aunt that morning who told her we were in California. So we got together that evening, and then the next day they all came out to see us at the beach. Poor Stan had to stay back at the villa, (since the sandy beach isn't really very "crutch friendly" but the rest of us made the trek to Crystal Cove. Here we are in the tunnel going under the highway--The Schamels (Randy, Melinda, and Robert) and the Kims (Leslie, Brian, Tyler, and Cameron). Actually, Leslie took the picture so I could be in it. The tunnel is full of the politically correct environmental paintings by the school kids.
They have been restoring the beach cottages at Crystal Cove for a long time, and it is really a "happening" place now. This place with the umbrellas is the one you pass as you come down the path onto the beach. It is a restaurant and there were lots of people there eating. They also have picnic tables all along the front of the cottages.
Here's Leslie, Melinda, and Cameron--He's a real cutie! All three of her boys are darling, and so well behaved. I was glad to have the chance to get acquainted with them.

Just before we left, of course, everyone had to go check out the tide pools.
The next day they all came back for a trip over to Balboa Island. Here's Grandma Melinda and Cameron on the ferry.
This picture needs no caption--just serves to make you all wish you were there, having a Balboa Bar with us.
Tyler Kim after his baptism--so proud of his new scriptures. Such a sweet boy. I was flattered to be asked to speak at his baptism.
On Sunday, before we left for home, we went to church at the Bosley's ward in Newport Beach and then went with Rita (Andrew's mom) to the convalescent facility where Ted (Andrew's dad) was and had a picnic. We thought it would be fun to have a picture of the two Grandpas in their wheel chairs. What a pair!! It was fun to see the Bosleys again and we had such a nice visit as well as a yummy lunch.

Tag! I'm It!

2008-10-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

Okay so Maren tagged me, and now I guess I have to come up with 6 quirks about myself. I'm afraid that at my age, I've developed way too many.

My first one, though, is exactly the same as Maren's--(Did I do that to her?) I can't stand to see people chew gum. It just seems so gross to see something rolling around inside of someone's mouth, and I guess there's just no way to be discreet about it.

Number 2--Another thing that I think is really gross is to see paper in a plate. e.g., You finish dinner and then unwrap a mint or something and put the wrapper in the plate on top of all the leftover food--Can't stand it--Gives me the creeps. (Weird, I know.)

Number 3--I like things straight and orderly. You know that little lever that holds your tray up on the back of the seat in an airplane? Well, every time I have ever flown anywhere with Maren, she will always turn that lever so that it's not straight up an down. Call me Monk, but I have to straighten it. She does the same thing when we're playing dominoes--always puts her domino down a little crooked. I try to ignore it, but eventually it gets to me.

Number 4--I'm really afraid of heights. I'm okay in an airplane, but don't like looking over the edge of anything that's up high. The thought of dropping something off a bridge and watching it fall can cause me to break into a sweat, too. And, as if that's not bad enough--and this is admittedly really weird--I sometimes get the same feeling watching a helium balloon float up into the sky. A kite's okay, though, because there's a string. It must be all about control.

Number 5--I can't sleep in a bed that hasn't been made. If I didn't get to it all day, I have to make it before I get in it--even if it's 1:00 in the morning. I have even been known to get up in the middle of the night and "straighten" the covers.

Number 6--Casey's husband (Tim) made fun of me once because I like my spices in alphabetical order in the cupboard. But I think it helps me find them faster. As a matter of fact, I've been thinking lately it would be a good idea to do the whole pantry that way--AND my food storage shelves. I'll let you know they it turn out.

Okay, I tag Cheryl, Carrie, Sue (Brown), and Bart

Bart to the Rescue!

2008-10-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

Well, as fate would have it, three days after I brought Stan home from the hospital, I was attacked by a kidney stone--not good. We realized immediately that I needed to get to the hospital, but Stan was of no help in that department being on crutches and all drugged up on pain meds. My visiting teacher was out of town, so I finally called my next door neighbor who is soooo nice, and she and her husband came and whisked me off to the emergency room. I was there for a few hours, and then the bishop and his wife came and retrieved me, took me home, and even went to the pharmacy to get my prescriptions filled. Such nice people. As soon as Bart and Marie found out what had happened, they insisted that Bart was coming down to help out (or to determine if it was time to put the old folks in a home). So Thursday night (Sept. 4) Bart arrived. He went right to work the next day finishing the "dreaded" walkway that Stan was working on when he broke his ankle. As a matter of fact, Stan was so worried that Bart might have an accident out there also, that he kept reminding him over and over to be careful. Finally Bart assured Dad that it wasn't "the Bermuda Triangle out there, just the side of the house." Here he is cleaning up after a perfect job.

It really turned out nice. Before the walkway there were some stairs there, but the purpose of this was to make it possible to "roll" things (like marimbas and vibraphones) down the side of the house to the basement, rather than having to take them apart and haul them down the stairs inside. It works great!
Having the walkway finished also meant that we could get the cabinet that Stan built from the garage to the bonus room downstairs. It was in three sections, so Bart took each one of those down and then installed them for us . . .
. . . while Dad looked on. No need for supervision here--just watching. Pathetic sight, isn't it?
So here's a big THANK YOU to Bart. It was so nice to have the instruments downstairs, to be able to unpack all the boxes of stuff that went into the cabinet, and to have the cabinet out of the way in the garage making it a lot easier for Dad to navigate with the crutches/walker/wheelchair (depending on the mode of transportation for the day) when getting into the car. We were consigned to the fact that the whole job would not be finished before spring, since I'm sure that winter will set in before Stan is truly mobile again. I have to say, though, aside from all that Bart accomplished, it was just plain fun having him around for those few days. He really cheered up the old folks who were getting a tad discouraged. We love you Bart!!

OOPS!!!

2008-09-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

Is this serious dedication or what? Bad news for Dad. On August 19, while working on the walkway he's putting in from the driveway to to the back of the house, Stan slipped on a little sand that was on top of the pavers, and down he went. (He has wished ever since that he could have those few seconds back.) Anyhow, I was upstairs in the kitchen when I heard him climbing up the stairs sounding exhausted (huffing and puffing would be the technical term). I asked him what was the matter, and he said that his right foot had slipped and he had fallen with all his weight on his left foot. He said that when he looked at it, he could tell it was dislocated, since it was pointing off to the left at an angle he'd never seen before, so he immediately grabbed is foot and snapped it back in place. (The doctor chuckled and said it was a good thing he did it immediately, because if he'd waited a couple of minutes, he would never have done it.) by the time he got to the kitchen, he thought it was just a bad sprain since he'd been able to walk up the stairs on it. We were supposed to go downtown to the square with our neighbors to hear Toni Tenille sing (she lives here), but after a few minutes, I could tell that wasn't going to happen. I convinced Stan to let me take him down to Urgent Care (he was wanting to wait until morning), got him the old crutches we had in the storage room, and off we went. As soon as the X-Rays came back, it was obvious that the ankle was broken, so they put a splint on his leg and sent him home for ten days to let the swelling go down before putting the cast on. You can see from the picture, that he was determined not to just lie around being unproductive. The marimba is downstairs, and he managed the stairs by sitting on his bottom and dragging the crutches along. I bought him a stool, and later put a little box under his foot to rest it on. The main problem was that he was never able to control the pain.
Nine days later, we went to see the orthopaedist expecting to have the splint replaced with a cast, but after taking another X-Ray, they sent him straight across the street to the hospital. A few hours, a metal plate, a rod and a few screws later, he was out of surgery trying to wake up. That didn't go well. The pain meds kept putting him back to sleep and his breathing was so shallow that they had to put him on oxygen, so they decided to keep him overnight. I brought him home the next day, and as you can see, crutches have been replaced with a walker. Now he not only feels old, but is acting the part.
There was no way he was going to stop and pose for a picture since he knew it would go on the blog, so I had to catch him "on the run" as you can see by the blur. Now he spends his days lying on the sofa with his foot propped up on 3 pillows. He goes back to the doctor on the 9th, and hopefully the plan is that they will put a cast on which he will have for 4-6 weeks, and then they'll replace the cast with a boot for another 4-6 weeks.
Pretty pathetic, isn't it? I have to say, though, that he's really being a good patient, and believe it or not, he thinks I'm being a good nurse. I told him that after this, he'll never get to accuse me of being an unsympathetic care giver again. I've set him up with his laptop and a couple of file boxes on top of the coffee table, and he's been working on writing his father's history. He figures this is the good thing that can come from the whole ordeal. It's something he's wanted to do for a long time, but has put off for a host of other "projects". On a side note, he just got called to be the first assistant in the High Priest Quorum. It turns out that the quorum leader is just recovering from the exact same surgery that Stan just had. So now it's Stan's turn, and if I were the 2nd assistant, I think I'd be really careful.

More Reunion Photos

2008-08-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm new at this blogging thing, and keep having problems getting all the pictures in the order I want. Here are my last two from the reunion. The day after the dinner, we had a brunch . . . very relaxed and more time for visiting.

I thought it would be fun to gather up all the people there from our old neighborhood. We all went to school together at Vista La Mesa Elementary. L-R: Pete Danielson, Liuba Cesena (now Lurcook), Burnell Lurcook, Burton Brown, Diane Rider, Lee Birch, ?, and me. The woman next to me lived on a street beyond where I was allowed to go, so we didn't really play together, and for the life of me, I can't remember her name.

Here I am talking to Burnell and Liuba. All three of us lived on the same street. I loved playing with both of them. Liuba once found a baby bird and we tried to feed it a worm that was much too big to go down, so we went into her mom's kitchen, got one of her knives and cut the worm into little pieces on her breadboard. Hmmmm! Obviously her mom wasn't home at the time, but poor Liuba certainly heard about it when her mom got back. Burnell and I had a fight one time on the way home from school and were going to settle things with a wrestling match. I was sure I could take him. As soon as I got home, I went straight to my room and put on my jeans and headed for the door. Mom asked me where I was going, and I told her that Burnell had challenged me to a wrestling match. Imagine my dismay when she told me there was no way that I was going to go out and wrestle him. I told her I had to, because a bunch of kids from school were all outside waiting to see who won. She didn't budge, and I had to go out and tell everyone the fight was off, because my mom wouldn't let me wrestle. Those were the days.

Burnell went to work for my dad after high school, and it was great to hear how much respect he had for him. He said that Dad was the head guy (next to the owner of the company), and when he walked into the office, you knew he was there and everyone toed the line. He credited my dad with giving him his start in life. It was really fun connecting with all these people again.

Fifty Years ???

2008-08-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

Yep! Believe it or not it has been 50 years since I graduated from high school!!!! We had the big reunion festivities at the Town and Country Hotel in San Diego. I admit to being a little nervous about the whole thing . . . what if no one remembered me . . . that sort of thing. And of course it wouldn't have taken any effort at all to get Dad to stay home, but I knew I'd regret not going, and I have to say he was really a great sport about it. Our old school newspaper was called the Highland Fling, so in keeping with that, here's the booklet that was distributed at the reunion. I always thought it was ironic that I graduated from Helix High School in La Mesa where we were the Highlanders, our mascot was a scotty dog, we had a bagpipe band, and our colors were green and grey. All four of my kids graduated from Upland High School where they were the Highlanders, their mascot was a scotty dog, they had a bagpipe band, and their colors were green and white (they really went out on a limb there and rejected the grey option). My high school was built in 1952 and Upland's was 1955. I'm convinced someone in Upland must have known someone in La Mesa.
The afternoon before our big dinner dance, Dad and I went on a hike near our hotel.

The trail ran along the San Diego River . . . hard to believe that it's in the middle of such a metropolitan area.

That night, the Helix High bag pipe band was there to play for us. Quite nostalgic. We all loved it. The evening was great . . . I should have taken more pictures, but fortunately for me, Dad took the ones I have, while I was talking to as many people as possible and trying to catch up on the last 50 years. We all agreed that it was unique to think that we had known each other at the beginning of our careers and family rearing, and now we hook up again at the other end after we've done it all and retired.
There are a few old classmates that belong to a car club and had brought a few old classic cars and parked them around the area where we gathered before dinner.
Dad particularly liked this one, since it is the exact model of the first car he ever owned . . . an early 40's Ford Sedan. So even Dad experienced some nostalgia.

Family Reunion 2008

2008-08-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

We finally got the whole family together at the same time and under the same roof. What fun. Counting our new grandson-in-law, we now number 32. We had beds for all the grown-ups and the rest had sleeping bags. The two teenage boys (Brenden and Landon) had their own little private den in the storage room complete with TV and video games. We needed beds for four babies, and I was one short, so . . . Here's little Nate . . . . in his drawer bed.

On the 4th of July, we hiked around Lynxwood Lake near our home. Here we are taking a little break while the guys tried to out do each other skipping rocks.

Hayden (David's youngest), in the lead, obviously had a place in mind that he was taking us.
Here's Ivy (Maren's) relaxing while polishing off a few snacks.
I should have taken pictures of the 4th of July barbecue which was really good, thanks to the guys, but I guess I was much too busy enjoying all that great food.

Saturday night we had a talent show, which was lots of fun. Here's Kerina (Bart's 4th) who impressed us with her own composition--it even has words. She's definitely a "chip off the old block."

Here's Marie and Jarom aka Batman and Robin--a great skit, and wouldn't you know, the Dynamic Duo prevailed once again.
A Mother and Daughter Duet--Casey and Alexa. Such concentration and not one mistake.
Along with the singing, playing, and art, Casey decided that her real talent was sewing, so when it was her family's turn to perform, they modeled the aprons that Casey had made--one for each family. Here's Meagan with hers.
David wearing the more "manly" apron.
Maren obviously likes hers.
Hannah (Bart's oldest) impressed us all with her accuracy and technique. Such a darling girl. In case you're wondering about the piano--we couldn't fit everyone into that room, so the men put it through the double doors as far as it would go so we could see all the performers. Thanks guys! Such problem solvers.
Sunday morning everyone was ready for church and we were there in plenty of time to find seats for all of us. Here's Landon (David's) all ready to go and waiting patiently.
Ivy and her Daddy (Andrew) also ready to go.
Bart's ready, but looks like he'd rather still be in bed.
And look at these sweet girls (Casey's) ready to head out the door. Alexa holding McKenna, Livie, and Maya.
It was a special day for us because Bart and Marie had Grace blessed in our ward. She is such a beautiful baby. Poor thing--just three weeks after they returned home, she ended up in the hospital for a few days with whooping cough. Their whole family was quarantined for 5 days. I was talking to Andrea (Bart's 2nd who is 12) on the phone about being quarantined. She was especially disappointed because she had plans to go to the mall the next day. I told her how bad it must have been back in the day when people got quarantined for much longer periods. She then reminded me that back then, they didn't have malls! Silly me.

Here are some of the men who stood in the circle to bless little Grace--Uncle Tim, Grandpa, Daddy, and Uncle Andrew. Uncle Dave and Cousin Pavel had to leave right from church to get back to Utah for work Monday morning, so they missed the picture, but they were in the circle as well.
Tim and Casey left that afternoon for California, and Maren and Andrew and Bart's family left Monday morning. I have to admit that I was too lonely to enjoy the peace and quiet. It had been such fun--we had wii tournaments, played pickleball, and ping pong, and watched power point presentations that I had put together of the kids and grandkids growing up. I think the grandkids really liked seeing their parents as kids--couldn't believe they would wear such funny clothes and hairstyles. It was remniscent of all the laughing their folks have done through the years about our clothes and hair. What a lot of fun. I can hardly wait to do it all again. There simply just isn't anything better than having all the family together, and I can't thank my children enough for the wonderful grandchildren they have given us. We just can't get over what good children they are thanks to their parents.

Blogging Attempt #2

2008-08-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks after Meagan's wedding, we flew to Washington DC. We had been there for ONE day a couple of years ago, and realized that we needed a lot more time than that. Now we have discovered that you can't even do it in one week. Just too many things to see and experience. One of the most outstanding places was the Holocaust Museum. It's definitely a "must see". We both found it difficult to even talk to each other while we were there.

Here's Stan in front of the Capitol Building (I know,---you can hardly see him). We got passes to go into the gallery of the House and the Senate. What an eye-opener that was . . . plain craziness in the House. On the senate side, there were only three or four people down on the floor besides the senator who was speaking. What were the chances that we would be there at the exact moment Orrin Hatch arrived to give a speech on the evils of pornography--good for him. When he finished we left and went downstairs. Stan, of course, had to pay a visit to the men's room, and while I was standing there alone, who should happen by but Senator Hatch. He stopped to talk to a couple of people from the NAACP just as I approached him to thank him for the great speech we had just heard. He was very friendly--introduced me to the NAACP folks, then we talked a little about what I was doing there and he asked where was my husband. I told him we were on our way to NC for the birth of a new grandchild, and he got very excited and told me that he had just had a new grandchild and then gave me a hug. We said our "goodbyes" and I was off. By the time Stan got back, he had missed the whole thing.

We went to visit the place where they print all the money. (If you go there, don't expect any samples.) I always thought Stan was worth a million dollars, but according to this chart, I was wrong. He's worth almost TWO MILLION!
We rented a car and headed down to NC to Casey's. On the way we stopped in at Mt. Vernon to visit George and Martha and their two grandchildren, Wash and Nelly.

We timed it just right to be in NC for McKenna's birthday #1. What a little sweetheart to want to share her birthday cake. Such a cutie!
Casey and the girls took us to see Kerner's Folly . . . a very interesting house nearby. You can see that McKenna was really excited about the whole outing.
I think this was the "laundry room" at Kerner's Folly. I bet they never had any girls this cute living there.
Nathan Gibb Bosley arrived in plenty of time for Grandma and Grandpa to get to spend some time with him and his family before returning to Arizona.
Casey and the girls (Alexa, Livie, and Maya) drove us straight to the hospital and we all took turns holding the new baby. What fun!
We even gave Mom and Dad a turn.
You can tell Livie was loving her new little cousin.
Here's Nate--at home--and with his eyes open. Do they make hair gel for babies?

Blogworthy events in 2008

2008-08-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

Okay--After prodding me for some time, Maren finally sat me down in June and set up this blog which I assured her I would get to as soon as we returned home. Since then, it's just been hanging over my head and obviously, I haven't done a thing. Actually, it just seems rather daunting, and I'm not sure I can make it interesting enough that anyone will want to read it. But, here goes. I decided to begin with what I consider the first blogworthy event this year, (leaving out our move from the Phoenix heat up to the cool and beautiful mountains) . . .

Meagan's wedding. Enjoy.

May 2, 2008--Meagan and Pavel were sealed in the Mt. Timpanogas temple. They are a darling couple. Pavel moved here from Russia with his family when he was 8. He has such an interesting background, but best of all, he seems to love taking care of Meagan.
It was such fun seeing "old" friends from Upland at the reception. Here I am with the Guymons and the Harpers. The Harpers are now having some very unique experiences while he serves as temple president in Nigeria. Stan's not in the picture, because, of course, he was playing music with Bart.Here we are--all grown up (for a couple of us--maybe "old" is more appropriate). Stan and Bart managed to tear themselves away for this family shot. Maren (we were hoping she wouldn't go into labor until she got back home), Casey, me, Stan, Dave (is he really old enough to be "Father of the Bride?"), and Bart.
The happy couple with both sets of parents.

(Event #2 to follow.)