Busy Weekend

Abby and Whitney are such nice sisters! They had a going away party for Nick. He got his favorite Hawaiian Haystacks for dinner and even presents to help him get started when he moves into his new apartment! Good friends, family and lovely weather in a beautiful setting. Nothing could be better!

After months of listening to Jim tell me about all the practicing! "The late nights!" "The kids are out of control!" "They gave them sticks! They're going to kill each other"!!! I got to witness the program! What was he talking about? They were incredible! The program was unreal. You had to be there to believe it! (I know the leaders had to be there to believe it!) Seriously..The youth celebration was one of the most inspiring programs I've seen in a long time...such beautiful music, scenery and dancing! Well worth all the hard work put into it!

Old Friends

Toni and I met when we were about one! We lived on the same street. We grew up together. We got married to two guys who were friends, about the same time, and had five children at about the same time. We've stuck together through thick and thin. And we still can laugh as if we were silly teenagers over very simple things. Having old friends is one of the best parts of getting older! (small note for Marty: the above picture was taken when we were seeing you and Sherrie off for your Salzburg adventure. We were 15 years old. Remember how the whole neighborhood came to wish you well)?

About 40 years later!!!!

How do I make people feel?

We went to the cemetery yesterday. As I remembered my loved ones, I thought of the love I always felt around both Jim's parents and my mom and dad...

Whenever, we stopped to visit Maude and Leo, we were met with Maude's twinkling brown eyes, happy smile and a warm welcome. Always plenty of coca-cola in her basement and lots of stories!

Always laughter, jokes and fun at mom and dads..Hugs everywhere..A card game going and a few songs.

People will forget what you said,
People will forget what you did,
But people will never forget how you make them feel.

How grateful I am that I had parents and grandparents who made me feel welcome, who loved me, who taught me gospel principals. Who were good people. They made me feel good about myself. They made me feel safe..they made me feel special and they made me feel loved.

I want to follow that example.. so when people leave me, have they left with a kind word and a hug? Do they think to themselves, I feel happy?

Picnic at Polly's

What could be better than having a picnic brought to you? That is exactly what happened on Saturday when my cute daughter's and nieces came to visit! I provided the picnic spot and they provided the delicious food packed with grama June perfection! In lunch boxes...delicious sandwiches, salad's and chocolate dipped grapes! The occasion was Gabi and Marta in town and of course when they come to town the girls have to get together!















The oldest and the youngest. They are all grown up and have little one's of their own.















We even got private yoga instruction from Whitney!















Jake and Benji got along great!

















The little girls had fun running around the yard, singing and dancing for us.

And of course, the twins got to be together. They were the happiest of all!

Marty and I had so much fun just sitting and visiting and seeing the girls all having fun! There are benefits in getting a little older, this was a day to embrace and enjoy those benefits!

A fun wedding shower

The beautiful bride-to-be Melanie

The DeSpain gals (Tam, Kathy and their girls) had a fun shower for Melanie last night. We always have a great time when we get together. Tam hosted at her beautiful home. They are all so kind and generous to help Ty and Melanie get started in their life together. And, it's always nice to have an excuse see each other and visit and did I say...they are fabulous cooks...way delicious food!!!!

Colorado Springs, Here he comes!

Nick and Jim went to Colorado Springs this past weekend, to look around the Air Force Academy and so Nick could look for apartments. Nick liked what he saw! He's excited to get back there and whip those cadets into shape! He found some cool places to live and liked Colorado Springs! Here are a few pictures.

Dreams

Quoted from "A lantern in Her Hand" "All my girlhood I always planned to do something big...something constructive. It's funny what ambitious dreams a girl has when she is young. I thought I would sing before big audiences or paint lovely pictures or write a splendid book. I always had that feeling in me of wanting to do something worth while. And just think, Laura...now I am eighty and I have not painted nor written nor sung." "But you've done lots of things, Grandma. You've baked bread..and pieced quilts..and taken care of your children." Old Abbie Deal patted the young girl's hand, "Well..out of the mouths of babes. That's just it, I've only baked bread and pieced quilts and taken care of children. But some women have to, don't they?..But I've dreamed dreams, Laura..All the time I was cooking and patching and washing, I've dreamed dreams. And I think I dreamed them into the children and the children are carrying them out..."

Occasionally I feel like this. I may not be eighty, but feel like life is passing me by. Then as I rock my little grandson Jake to sleep I think what could be more important than this? I may not have quilted or baked that well. But I gardened, hopefully teaching my kids to love flowers..and I read and cuddled and rocked my children, I listened and encouraged them to dream their dreams and taught them to fly... to have faith in themselves..

I taught them to wonder about life and find their answers. I love being a mother. I can't sing anymore, and I can't paint very well, but maybe there is a book in there somewhere....

Our Amazing Race

This summer for our Youth Conference, we are takingour kids on an "Amazing Race". They will go to different places throughout the valley with assignments they have to perform in small groups. Teaching them to work as a team, listen to and follow instructions, support each other, learn to never give up and other valuable lessons are part of our goals. We will end up in Brighton..so mountains will be involved. If any of you clever friends or relatives have ideas for any of our stations, I would love for you to leave a comment..especially if you have done this in the past or are in the middle of doing something similar. Or if not, just put your minds to work and come up with something spectacular! Can't wait to hear from you..

Two Favorite Bushes

I love this bush! It is called a broomstick bush! It has beautiful little yellow flowers in May and then when they go away, it kind of looks like a bushy broom.

This one is a favorite! My snowball...and it is mine! Jim's mom gave it to me for my birthday about 20 years ago. It's just getting ready to be really beautiful with those great big white snowball-like blossoms. I love snowballs next to lilacs.

Mother's Day

Mom taught me a lot of things. Here's just a few.

She taught me to dress well!

She taught me to smile, even if the ride got a little bumpy!

She taught me to just go along with the unexpected and be happy!

She had lots of friends and enjoyed their company.
She loved her family.
She was devoted to our dad,
and to her kids.
She loved the Lord and served Him
all of her life.
She was humble and grateful.
She kept an immaculate home, and
enjoyed having people over to visit..and
you always felt welcome there.
I loved visiting with her on the phone,
I loved the feeling of her arms around me..
that feeling says "comfort", "warmth",
"come in", "home", "love", "mom".

It's Time To Plant!!

As Mother's Day approaches I always get excited! Not because of Mother's Day! But because it is now finally time to plant flowers! I always figure that the week before I can plant these fun seeds in the ground. They are annual morning glory climbers. Not those awful morning glory's that we are always trying to keep from spreading all over. These beautiful vines grow up trellis's and have beautiful flowers in many brilliant colors. They take a few weeks to take off and then suddening they'll grow a foot overnight! I'm not kidding! For years I had a lovely wisteria that covered this trellis along my pathway and a few years ago it suddenly passed away! So I've covered it with morning glory the last few seasons and I love it!

Things I thought I'd never do...again

Recently Abby signed Jake up for a little tumbling class and because I'm nana, the nanny I take him on Friday mornings. He liked it! The little "birdies" or "chicks" or whatever they are called get to run and climb on the balance beam and hang on the rings and climb on the stairs. Then it came time to show the little ones how to do a somersault! I watched in horror as the other mothers (they all looked like they were about 18) ran and did theirs with no effort at all. I looked a little hesitant (!!???!) and the teacher came over and said she would spot me (!!!??) (she didn't say I didn't have to do it)! so I bravely (I didn't want Jake to be embarrassed) ran.... and, did my somersault!!!! everyone clapped and cheered (really) I was thrilled! I'm sure I've found a new sport to embrace in my life. (are there cute clothes involved)?

I love lilacs!

The Graduate

Last night we had a celebration for Jason who just graduated from college! What an accomplishment! We are so excited for Jason and Whitney and what is ahead of them. Whitney is working really hard and taking 20 hours this summer so that she too will be a college graduate by August! They are two great, hard working people! I was caught up in the excitement of graduation and found quotes for the graduates...(they don't really need them, they are mostly for me,) but I thought I'd post them, these kind of quotes are good to get everyone thinking.

"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?"
(unkown)

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead, where there is no path and make a trail."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door."
-Melton Berle

"All our dreams can come true...If we have the courage to pursue them."
-Walt Disney

and of course, one of Giggs's favorites...

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone is omnipotent."
-Calvin Coolidge