THE GANG 2011

Abby and Mike were kind enough to let us spend several days taking over their house, yard and pool. Uncle Mike went overboard with the pool toys. He bought pool volleyball, basketball, and plenty of lounges, if you wanted to take your chances of being tipped over. When you get seven boys together, add their dads, uncles and a grampa, there isn't too much lounging. Everything turns into a war or shootout or some other craziness.

Several kids seeing who could stand the longest on Uncle Jason's hands.

They all ended up making a big splash!

Fun days do finally have to end, only to have others begin.

James, Becky and boys went to a farewell for one of their cousins and will head out to Flaming Gorge tomorrow morning for a week.

 Nick will be on his way back to the Academy tomorrow as well.

Things will settle down for a bit. Little Dylan might be able to get a nap in this week.

 He won't close his eyes as long as the big boys are around...afraid he'll miss something.

Next year he'll be chasing them around.

 They all grow up so fast.

These moments together are rare, but such a blessing.

SUMMER EVENING

Summers for me meant Grama and Grampa Bagley's house and our cousins coming to town.

We were the only one's who lived nearby, so it was fun when the rest of the family visited.

Grama and Grampa had a big back yard with a fish pond and a hugh garden in the back.

We would have barbeques there on those summer evenings, feasting on Grampa's home grown corn.

After, there was always singing.

 Singing under the stars.

 We learned so many old and funny songs back then.

 I don't know that my grandchildren would sit and sing through the evening under the stars,

but they've all heard those same songs as I've rocked each one of them to sleep.

Some things do get passed down.

All of my children and grandchildren are here for a few days.

I now know how grama must have felt when everyone was home.

I remember seeing her just sitting in her chair as we sang, gazing at everyone.

 I'm sure she was just taking it all in.

Loving the fact that all was well and that her family was together once again.

As I think about Grama I feel a sense of belonging and peace.

 I sat out in my garden tonight... just as the stars starting showing up in the sky,

I could almost hear the singing of long ago.

Those other children, who are now the grama's and grampa's.

We have a different, faster pace kind of fun when the kids come to town.

But there are still things that the older kids are all ready saying like, "I remember this, or that"

or "Grama can we have thinnies the very first morning?"

 Swimming at Abby's, barbeques in our backyard.

Different yet the same.

It doesn't really matter what you do, what traditions, what kind of fun, as long as it is together, building memories, so these grandchildren get that same sense of love, belonging and peace.

"Coming home, there is no corner of my mind unoccupied with memories.

What a lovely time it was.

I can watch Grampa as he comes toward me with his old hat and hoe,

and see Grama as she bends over her lilacs.

And for one fleeting moment, I am home, a child again."

D. Morgan

 (with a few changes by me)

THE GANG'S ALL HERE!

First Jim picked Nick up at the airport,

then we went back and got James and Co.

Everybody's here.

Let the fun begin!

BASEBALL!

Our Eastern Gang live breath and eat baseball in the summertime.
Actually all the time.
 As it should be.
They are a family of four boys with a dad who loves baseball and a mom who gets them to all their games and practices on time, keeps their strength up, loves them, cheers for them, washes all their uniforms, keeps them organized (ok, so I was a baseball mom and I know what Becky does, I've seen her in action- should I keep on going?) 
The other day Hogan had a game that every baseball player should have once, when they are young.
I remember a few from my dad's coaching days.
There was that great day when James' team took the State Tournament after an unbelievable season and two grueling days.
And then this game for Hogan.
 How I wish I had been there to see it!
 But I heard the voices over the phone.
And James sent us this.
I hope this young man doesn't mind me sharing.
 He wrote about the game right after it happened.
 It is the game through the eyes of a 10 year old.
 It's beautiful.
 It says it all.


It Happened on July 24, 2011


By Branden Stauffer


"The 10A Team Harleysville was losing 6-2 in the top of the sixth. Dean leads off, hits a grounder to 2nd baseman, he bobbles it and Dean is safe. Branden is batting, I get hit by the 2nd pitch. So Dean is out 2nd, I'm on 1st. Dean and me do a double steal. Hogan is up with 1 out and hits a single. Dean scores, its now 1st and 3rd for Billy. Billy hits a single, I score, and its 6-4, still 1 out.


Brian smashes one to deep center, the center fielder catches it a step away from the warning track. Hogan tags up and scores and Billy gets to 2nd. 6-5 and 2 outs with runner on 2nd and Aaron up. Aaron has 1 ball 2 strikes, 1 more strike and the game is over. Aaron...rips a double down the left field line. Billy scores easily, Aaron gets to third on throwin error. 6-6 tied up with 2 outs and runner on third with Matt. Matt hits a fly ball that the shortstop catches in left field.


Bottom of the 6th we held the Lancaster Barnstormers so we went to extras. In the 7th, the Harleysvill Hornets and the Lancaster Barstormers had something going in their half inning but nobody scored. In the 8th we scored 3 runs in the pouring rain. Then in the bottom of the 8th we shut them down in the screaming rain. We win! I will never forget this moment in my life. This team beat us yesterday 11-2, and now today we beat them in the Berkshire tournament.


It was 2 hours long. We played 8 innings. Some of them were in the rain. We used wooden bats. Wow! Have you ever seen a better baseball game than this game?"




Well I've seen a few, but the words of a 10 year old boy describing them is something I haven't seen.
This was priceless.


I just have to interject here that the team had pretty much used all their pitchers, so the last four innings our grandson Hogan was pitching. His dad told him to just take his time and pitch slow balls right over the plate. They couldn't hit them. The other team didn't score off of our little guy (a grama does have bragging rights you know).


Summertime and baseball -
nothing better.

TO BE A PIONEER...

I have a lot of pioneers in my family.  Even today we are still pioneering in a different way. 
It is the way of things. 
But on July 24th we, here in Utah celebrate those that came across
the plains and settled in Salt Lake City. 

Julia Anne and her husband, Edward Bagley had 12 children. In August of 1844 they heard two missionaries from the LDS church.  The Bagley's were baptized.  They wanted to go west, but a baby was expected and so they didn't go right away, but their young son John wanted to go ahead.  After much worry and thought, they let him go.  There were two families travelling together, but the mother of the other family died, so Julia was the only woman.  The crossing was remembered as "quite fun" by one of the boys, although I don't know if Julia was of the same mind.  Cholera hit the wagon and on June 20, Julia Anne got up in the morning and cooked breakfast for the family.  She came down with Cholera, and by sundown had died.  Now both husbands were without wives.  Both families lost children as well.  Men of less faith would have turned back, but they continued on.  Seventy-five years later Julia Anne and Edward's son, Alma, was 82 years old and he could still describe her death.  He said that wolves howled and the morning doves mourned, and then he cried just as he had when he was a 7 year old boy. 

Julia Anne and Edward's son's prospered in Salt Lake and surrounding areas.   Charles was into lumber and had property where the Cottonwood Mall stood.  William Henry pioneered the town of Charleston, near Heber in Wasatch County.  Joseph Bagley had a farm in Wallsburg, Utah, was hard working and industrious and used his talents to help build the valley of Wasatch County into the rich and beautiful land that it is today. 

Like all the families of that time, the Bagleys had their share of problems, tragedies, and hardships, but they persevered to build a place for themselves in their communities.  The descendants of this family have been doctors, attorneys, bankers, farmers, ranchers, engineers, businessmen, teachers and writers.  Hopefully, their hundreds of grandchildren and great-grandchildren will continue to be useful, active citizens of this great and cherished land.

How grateful I am to come from these people on just one side of my family.

They truly had courage, faith and love of their beliefs to make them

strong. 

My mother's side was every bit as faithful, but their's is a different story.

It is the coming together of such stories that makes us

what we are,

 each unique,

yet a part of one another.

"You do need to have great courage

Faith to conquer fear

And work with might for a cause that's right

To be a pioneer."

~LDS primary songbook

NO IMPROVIZING!

Jake has a building set similar to Legos. They snap together and make structures.

One of them is the Batcave which is like the one above. Very intricate.

When Jake was about two I taught him the word Improvize. We used this word when we didn't have enough blocks or couldn't figure something out. We would just improvize!

It was a great word and Jake caught on fast. He would say it often when he got frustrated with some project he was working on.

 He'd say "grama polly, we'll just improvize"! Saved us alot of tears. Well, the other day, his dad had built him a great big robot out of these blocks, and Jake wanted the batcave. Mike was on his way to work, and said "maybe grama polly will build it with you." Jake's answer was a very sad, "no dad, she'll improvize".

 When I got there Jake had the instruction book waiting.

He said

 "we're building the batcave, here's the instruction book - it's 25 pages long, and no improvizing"!

 I thought to myself, "who's in charge here?"

 Well needless to say, with three little ones under the age of three there was no batcave with any 25 pages of instructions built that day - lots of improvizing. I taught that word for a reason.

If Jake wants that built like it should be, he'll have to wait for his dad...

or hire an engineer.

BEING GRATEFUL

I am not having a good day. This is my back and my neck looks similar. I have an arthritic condition where the arthritis eats at my spine. I've had two surgeries on my back and a surgery on my neck where they fused everything together. Yet the arthritis continues to eat away whatever isn't held together by the hardware. My left leg starts dragging from numbness and pain. This keeps me from doing the things I love to do. I went to my back doctor the other day and he suggested another surgery to clean out the stuff that grows around my spine or taking prednizone, which because of previous experience with that drug I just can't bring myself to do. So my options are to have the big old cortisone shots in my back. One worked great, the other didn't. So today I go and hope for the best.

Whine, Whine, Whine.

The point of all this whining, is that I try to look at things from the bright side most of the time, but sometimes, when due to leg hurting constantly, and keeping me from doing the things I love to do, I get a bit down. So, I read things and think of blessings.

 I spent time in my upper garden last night, which needed desperate care and love, but nonetheless was quiet and peaceful. It encloses me, as if there isn't anything outside of this little world. I can think and be grateful. Titanium pins are relatively new. If I had this condition a number of years ago, they couldn't have put these strong rods in my back and neck and made me somewhat of a bionic woman! They have epideral shots that now, in some instances can relieve pain for months! Wow! If my grama had this condition, and who knows maybe she did, she would not have had any of these fixes.

If I lived in a developing country and had no doctors or medicine, there would be nothing to help me and on top of that I would have no Upper Garden! So, I say to myself,

 "stop whining", go get your shot,

and pray that it works this time."

"We think that people are grateful because they are happy.

But is this true?

 Look closely, and you will find that people are happy because they are grateful.

When we are thankful for whatever is given to us,

 no matter how difficult, no matter how uninvited it may be,

the thankfulness itself makes us happy".

~David Steindl-Rast

DON'T MISS THE MIRACLE

 I've been reading a lovely book called Conversation with a Moonflower by Christine Hall.  Not to give anything away for those who might want to read it.  There is a part where she decides to turn her garden bench toward her house, for her own reasons.  There are those who think this is a bit odd.  Although when finding out the reason it is totally reasonable and a good idea!  The answers she receives and imparts to the reader is, we can never know the reason why someone else might be doing what they are doing.  Such sound advice for me and anyone else.  We never know anyone else's total story, what they have been through, what they are going through, how it is affecting them, how it might be making them happy or unhappy.  It is their story alone.  We can only try to be understanding and loving to others and learn from them.

Who knows why a writer takes pen to paper, and must pour out their heart, or tell a story? 

Who knows why sometimes there is a wild and crazy look in a friends face as she struggles to navigate her way through unkown difficulties?

We can never know until we walk in their shoes.  And so love and compassion are the only things left.  So the next time you see a friend on a bench facing her house sit down next to her.  Maybe she is in need, or maybe she is enjoying a miracle. 

Don't just hurry by and miss the miracle!

MOST FUN WEEKEND THIS SUMMER!

We had such a fun weekend! Went to my nephew's wedding in southern CA. Beautiful weather, lots of sunshine, old friends, and family.

What could be better? The wedding ceremony in the LDS LA Temple was beautiful, as were the bride, handsome groom. Jolyn stole the show as I've never seen her look so gorgeous!!!!

The reception was at a beautiful ranch in a canyon by Malibu. The setting was perfect, and... could that be Dick Van Dyke standing behind Whitney? I think it is!!! You never know who's going to show up at these lovely affairs!!!!

Afterwards Jim, Whitney and I had a relaxing weekend in Manhattan Beach. Wished we could have stayed for a week, or two or three..

But it wouldn't be so special if we did it all the time!

Just a big thanks to Jo and company for giving us an excuse to travel down and have such a wonderful weekend! 

We loved every minute of it.

Best wishes to Russell and Kristen!!

WEEKEND WEDDING

Going to a fun wedding this weekend!

Hope I get to stick my toes in the ocean while we're there!

Have a lovely weekend.

TO PAUSE

"Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy".

Guillaume Appollinaire

I wear a small necklace with the word "psala" engraved on it. In Hebrew it means "to pause".

I look at it often as I put it around my neck each morning. It reminds me as I water my flowers to stop and look at each one and be grateful for its different shape, color and height.

How it adds to the beauty of my garden.

The word reminds me to see the differences of my little ones as I spend my days with them.

Jake has a million things to say each day. Everything he says makes me laugh, and there might come a day when he is more interested in talking to his friends than spending time with an old grama, so I soak it up. Sam jabbers and sometimes is frustrated and cries, but his chubby little body is the best to hug when he cuddles in as he falls asleep at naptime. Dylan smiles at all the goings on and he and Sam actually played together yesterday! It was so fun to see Sam hide his face and say boo and to see Dylan laugh out loud!

This is especially gratifying as Sam is usually Dylan's tormenter!

Some days are harder than others, but it just makes the good days sweeter.

So it is nice to "pause" and be grateful for those quiet, sweeter days.

 It's been raining a lot...I so want to lay in the sun and feel its warmth on my skin, yet the rain brings a greener garden and sweet smelling grass.

 So when I spend my days in the pursuit of happiness it is good to just stop pursuing,

 pause and just be happy.

LEMONS- MAKE ANY DRINK TASTE BETTER!

I've always loved this saying! My dad didn't say it...but he lived it and he taught it. I think he even skipped the part about the lemons and went right to the lemonade. And so as his daughter it's part of my nature, although occasionally I lose my way and forget to put lemonade in my diet coke and I think - what in the world is wrong with my drink? It just doesn't taste right!

And so it goes with life.

I was reminded by a wise man last night that nothing in life turns out like we planned. I planned to marry and be a stay at home mom and I would be a perfect grandmother when the time came.

Never tending on a regular basis, just having little parties once in a while that would be grand occasions - a sleep over once a month that would be something to look forward to with wild anticipation.

Well, when my youngest child was four I went to work and except for a short hiatius when I was sick, I have worked ever since.

My four oldest grandsons live across the country and I am tending my three smallest grandsons on a fulltime basis.

Never say never.

But as I look back, this is what has happened. My first job was at the school my three youngest attended. I got to know their teachers well, was at their school, so was involved and there, (whether they liked it or not) saw them at lunch, recess and inbetween.

My next job, I was working with my dad. Became so close, working by his side- learning skills as a salesman, from the greatest salesman in the world. Was taught by him daily, laughed with him, became his friend outside of the father-daughter relationship. Learned to love and respect his work ethic and his drive. My children and nieces and nephews worked there after school and through their college years, so I formed relationships with them that I wouldn't have if I hadn't worked there. Learned skills on the computer that I probably would never have learned.

The next stage in life was the three year illness, where I learned more about people who serve and have compassion. And I learned patience and faith.

And then this last job...Tending grandchildren full time- I would never have the relationship I have with these three little ones if I wasn't spending days and hours hugging, loving and talking about the wonders of robots, planets, bugs and other "abentures".

The point is, we can all map out a plan for our lives...but if that plan doesn't exactly work out like we thought...I'll bet it's because there is something better in store - something where we learn more, where our lives are enriched, it might be a bit harder than we thought...but I'll bet it will be worth it!

Just like my diet coke - a little lemon sure adds some pizazz!!!!!

IF I HAD WINGS...

I heard this song last night..hadn't heard it in years. It was a song I loved when I was young. I still love it, so I thought I'd write down the words in this post so I'd always remember them.

" If I had wings no one would ask me should I fly

The bird sings, no one asks why.

I can see in myself wings as I feel them

If you see something else, keep your thoughts to yourself,

I'll fly free then.

Yesterday's eyes see their colors fading away

They see their sun turning to grey

You can't share in a dream, that you don't believe in

If you say that you see and pretend to be me

You won't be then.

How can you ask if I'm happy goin' my way?

You might as well ask a child at play!

There's no need to discuss or understand me

I won't ask of myself to become something else

I'll just be me!

If I had wings no one would ask me should I fly

The bird sings, and no one asks her why.

I can see in myself wings as I feel them

If you see something else, keep your thoughts to yourself,

I'll fly free then."

If you want a treat find an old Peter, Paul and Mary recording and listen to this song.

 It's the best!

GRATITUDE - FOR WHAT I HAVE

I have been a little down lately, so I read.

I can always find someone who has it worse than me and

finds ways to look at the brighter side.

It has always been in my nature to find the positive and

so I am drawn to those that do the same.

I have a sore back and things aren't going so well,

so I get strength from those writing like this.

"But, as you know, my heart is usually brimful of happiness.  The thought that my dear Heavenly Father is always near, giving me abundantly of all those things which truly enrich my life and make it sweet and beautiful, makes every deprivation seem of little moment compared with the countless blessings I enjoy."

Helen Keller

How can I with all that I have, ever be less than joyful every day when I read words like this from

a person like Helen Keller.  She could not see the beauty of a flower or a gorgeous sunset.  She was not

able to see or hear children playing on a summer evening.  She had so much taken from her, yet she was grateful for those things which enriched her life.  She didn't dwell on her deprivations, but on her blessings. I admire this woman.

SMALL PLEASURES

"It isn't the big pleasures that count the most;

it's making a great deal out of the little ones."

Jean Webster

4TH OF JULY

For 32 Years our neighbors have hosted a fourth of July breakfast.

Every year it gets bigger and better!

No one misses the breakfast.

Children come back with their kids. 

It's fun to see everybody together celebrating our Independence.

 About 20 years ago we started a children's parade, which became a children's race. 

 Who could get from point A to point B the fastest. 

Well this year, my friend Pat and I decided to take the parade up a notch. 

Pat made banners.  I got some music, and we elected royalty. 

Got a convertable.  With the help of our friends we even came up with a name.
" The Lone Peak Liberty Days."
 Told the kids

it was no longer a race, it was a parade and off we went. 

 Bigger and better than ever!

 Royalty in place.  Of course the "Liberty Lovelies" weren't recognizable...

(we heard one little boy say "that sure doesn't look like your mom!"

 Of course, Carol, one of our "Lovelies" was fashionably late! 

 but it all worked out....

 She got on board and they were off.  Leading the grand parade!

And as you can see if was grand!  (notice all the spectators - upper right corner). 

Popcycles for all at the end of the route. 

People were enthused by the new additions,

A committee is all ready forming. 

It will be bigger and better next year. 

There will be a band! 

 I can see it now! 

 76 Trombones led the big parade! 

 Several cars of royalty! 
(everyone will want to be a Liberty Lovely)

We will start the elections in May! 

We might even get more than 6 people watching!!!

ALL I NEED

Dylan is napping and I have finished watering the garden. It is very quiet in my house. I am a little tired this week. My back is a bit soar. But I came in and read this passage and thought I'd share.

"The weary Mole also was glad to turn in without delay, and soon had his head on his pillow, in great joy and contentment. He saw clearly how plain and simple...it all meant to him, and the special value of some such anchorage in one's existence... it was good to think he had this to come back to, this place which was all his own, these things which were so glad to see him again and could always be counted upon for the same simple welcome".

~ Kenneth Grahame

The Wind in the Willows

Some days a quiet house, with comforatable yet simple surroundings, dead-heading a rose or two, watering flower pots,

 a sleeping baby.

It is all I need.