JUNE 2012

Our Utah family decided to get together for Memorial Day. Michael Gregson was with us for the weekend and Andy was working.  We visited Hogle Zoo with the babies and Mike took videos of the animals. 

It was very crowded and warm, but we had a good time.  Then we went to Sarah and Denys' apartment courtyard and had a cookout.  The kids got to swing at the playground and with each other on our blankets.

  The guys grilled steaks and veggies for our dinner.  Even though it was a day of fun for us (and a day off work) I want to pay tribute and remember our service men and loved ones that have passed on.  And while I'm showing their pictures, Happy Father's Day this month to our brave and honorable fathers!

Wilford Howard

Benoni and Archie Garrard

On June 2nd, Bruce and I took a little trip to Washington to visit the two families there.   We were able to fly into Portland where Lee and Emily picked us up.  We stopped at Costco to buy a playhouse for their "kid's play area".  Lee got it halfway put together that night before we went to the Forest Festival where the kids went on some rides and we ate Mexican food.  Joshua loved the rides and wasn't one bit afraid.

The next day we attended Church with Lee's family and I went to Emily's class.  That evening we attended the Seminary Graduation that Lee conducted as the Stake Seminary Director.  Whitney will graduate next year and Zachary begins his first year in the fall. Whitney and I played the piano together to accompany the opening and closing songs.

On Monday, Lee and the two youngest kids drove us to the Amtrak station so we could have a new experience of riding the train to Vancouver.  Joshua was very excited to see trains coming and going and would say, "Toot- Toot!"  Emily found the letter "E" outside in the brick work and decorated it with the beautiful Rhododendron flowers that had fallen from bushes.  Those bushes are all over the place up there this time of year!

After we boarded the train, Bruce and I had a very enjoyable ride.  We recommend it highly.  Spencer and Wyatt picked us up at the station in Vancouver where we spent the next two days with their family. 
Both Lee and Spencer have built great chicken coops this year for their back yards.  The chickens are still young, but soon they will enjoy having their own eggs.  They also both have beautiful gardens and enjoy eating from them.  Karyn and Jane are a big help there also.

 

The next day was Wyatt's last day of preschool for the year, so we went to watch.  The class celebrated his 4th birthday (since it is on July 31st).  He got to wear a crown and they sang "Happy Birthday" to him.  When class was over, Spencer helped Wyatt pass out playdough and Smarties to everyone.

That evening, Spencer, Jane, and Wyatt attended the dinner for the students and their parents while Bruce and I babysat Norah.  I can't believe what a good baby she is!  She did just what she was suppose to do without a fuss.  I fed her a snack, read to her, and put her in her crib.  She drinks from a cup all by herself now and she will only be two in October.  Children grow so fast and we don't want to miss out on the special times of their lives. 

The next day we all went for a nice long walk to the Columbia River where there is a nice little park by a beach.  The kids enjoyed the playground.  The next morning, Spencer drove us to the Portland Airport and we flew home.  This day was actually our 40th Wedding Anniversary.  I can't think of a better way to spend time with my hubby than to travel and be with our children.  It has been a real ride!

MARCH, APRIL, MAY 2012

I'll try not to make this  too long (hah!) since I have to catch up on three months!  Springtime is glorious and makes me very happy!  I love to go outside and work in my gardens.  Flowers are springing out everywhere! And now with our new grill we just purchased, we'll be spending more time outside.

 

But to go back..... there was both bad times and good times.  I'll start with the good.
On March 20th the adoption of Adele to Jared and Candace was finalized at the SL District Courthouse.  It was a thrill to be there and witness this cute girl we love so much be legally adopted.  Congratulations to Jared and Candace!

 

Then on March 24th we witnessed their temple sealing in the SL Temple, which was beautiful!  Afterwards we walked to the Lion House Pantry for dinner.  Adele looked so beautiful in her long white dress.  One final thing was to have Adele blessed by Jared, which happened on April 15th.  They had a big get together afterwards at their house for dinner.  One week earlier, on Easter, Andy and Hope's Sawyer was given a blessing at our ward by Grandpa Bruce.  We had a dinner afterwards at our house.

 

With these babies plus Diane's Ellison and Sarah's Sasha that have been born this past year, there are four 1st time mothers that could celebrate Mother's Day in our family.  Thank you to my family for the cards, flowers, and candy.   Lee is sending Dad and I to dinner in August before we go to see the play, "Wicked" at the Capitol in SLC, which was another gift from all our children for my birthday.

 

I  love the birthday board that Candace made for me.  I have the most thoughtful kids in the world!!!
 
Spencer and Jane's family was even with us for my birthday, which by the way, was my 60th!  We enjoyed them staying with us for a few nights from Vancouver, WA.  Jane cooked dinner by herself for my birthday for all our family who came over that night.  It was delicious!  Thank you, Family, for being so good to me!
 
And I have to tell you about the gift my sweetheart gave me.  A classical guitar!  I'm trying, once again, to learn how to play (last chance).  My style is more folk music, but it will be awhile before I am good at it.  My fingers are growing the callouses they need.  It's so fun!

 

Now for the bad times. On March 23rd when Bruce got home from work, he found our basement had flooded from a faulty pipe bursting in the bathroom.  There was about an inch of water above the carpet in all rooms except for the family room, which is the farthest room from the bathroom.  He called a plumber and a clean-up crew.  They put all the belonging into the family room while they worked on the flooded areas.  Heavy-duty fans were placed in the rooms to dry out the walls and floors.  They had to take off the base boards and cut into the wall in the bathroom to get to the pipes.

 

It was a mess, but I was glad someone else was there to clean it up.  The next-door neighbor that we are connected to (we live in a twin home), got a small amount of water in her basement also.  During that evening, the lights flickered a lot and the breaker flipped some power off.  We turned the fans back on the best we could, but when we went to bed, we just left it off after we heard a snap and pop.  In the morning (it was Sunday and I stayed home from Choir because I had been sick with a bad cough) we kept smelling a faint smoke, but couldn't see anything.  Bruce decided to look into the attic, and there he saw smoke!  He told me to get dressed and take the dogs outside.  So I did as he said and he called 911.  He hadn't even hung up the phone before we heard the sirens coming.

 

 

There were three fire stations that responded:  West Valley, Taylorsville, and Kearns.  They went in the attic and found the fire over the kitchen.  One board had burned all the way through and we were just minutes away from the roof catching on fire.  They decided to break a hole in the kitchen ceiling and drop the fire onto a tarp.  Then they pulled it all out the sliding doors to the back yard where they put out the fire. The fans had overloaded our electrical system and caused a spark to travel along the television cable in the ceiling until it started the fire. Sooooo, everything is put back together now and you can't even tell anything happened.  The Stonehollow HOA where we live and their insurance took care of the costs of the flood and the water-clean-up company paid for the fire damage because their set up with the fans caused it. We are thankful the fire wasn't worse than it was and thankful to be alive.

Well, can you see why I didn't write for a few months?  I have a busy life, but I love it!  I have one more year in the Tabernacle Choir and this week we have been recording, which is an experience in itself!  The new CD will be called "Walk in the Light" with all orchestrated Primary songs.  Here is a picture of what the Tabernacle looks like when we record.  The blankets on the benches help make the sound better.