Thanksgiving Point, Pictures and grandkids

Had a lovely Friday with Abby, Jake and Sam at Thanksgiving Point.

 They went down for some pictures and I decided to take a few of my own.  

The flowers are beautiful down there right now!

So were the kids!!!

I couldn't get enough of their cute smiles. 

 They cooperated for just about an hour.

  And when they were finished there was....

GREAT JOY!!!!

"Grandchildren, Sunshine to my Soul"

I was blessed with a heritage that continues to guide even as I grow older. 

 I am a grandmother now, and each day I think of my grandparents and the influence they had on me.  I loved being around them. 

 They taught me by their example.  

They were hard workers, they were funny, they were gardeners, they loved their families.  

They loved the gospel and taught me to love it too.

Nothing made my grandparents happier than when their grandchildren were around. 

We played in the orchard and among their flowers. 

 We sang and we were loved.  

We were taught values and what was right and wrong and why our pioneer ancestors came across the plains.

  We knew were we came from.

My parents continued that tradition. 

Showering great amounts of love onto their grandchildren. 

 They loved being with them.

 Showed them how to work how to play and enjoy life. 

 They too had strong testimonies that carried them through happy and sad times. 

 They would be proud of their posterity.

These are my darlings. 

 I try to be the grandmother like those who preceded me.  

It's a different world.  

Things happen so quickly. 

 I love these grandchildren so much and am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of their lives. 

 I hope I can influence them for good as my grandparents did. 

 The most important thing is to love them.  

That part I have down!!

"Grandchildren..Sunshine to my soul"

Easter Egg Hunt, Darling Grandchildren..Family..I am a Blessed Woman

What a wonderful Easter!  And so fun to celebrate Jim's birthday on this special day.  Nothing better than to have these cute kids over for the annual Easter Egg hunt.  Just wish we could have the other half..Well later on in the summer.

We watched the kids hunt for eggs, play and have fun.  We can't get enough of our new little addition.  We are so grateful for all of these precious grandchildren.

And of course it wouldn't be a summer gathering without a little baseball.  Hey, PA Gang, we need a little coaching here.  

What a lovely Day.

Happy Birthday Hogan

This good looking young man is my grandson, Hogan. 

 He turned 13 yesterday! 

 He loves all sports, but baseball is the one he loves the most. 

We love to go back east and watch him play along with his brothers each spring. 

He's got what I like to call his Grandma DeSpain's

 "twinkling brown eyes." 

 Whenever she smiled her face lit up and her eyes twinkled.  

There are a few of her kids, grandkids and greatgrandkids who have that same look. 

 Hogan has it! 

Happy belated birthday Hogan. 

love you.. grama polly

Valentines Day

Happy Valentines to the people who make my world a happy place to be in. 

 I love you all!  

Comings and Goings in February..Sunbeams, Grandkids, Birthdays, Arnold Friberg

It's almost the middle of February and the days never seem to slow down.  

I teach the Sunbeams in Primary. 

 Last year's class was a mix of two boys and three quiet little girls. 

 This year there are six little boys.  Such cute little boys, but full of it as all boys that age are!

I am constantly trying to think of new and creative ways to get their attention.

  Am so grateful for the internet and all the great ideas people are willing to share. 

I am also grateful for a team teacher who helps as we try to teach these little boys.

This last week the lesson was how Heavenly Father and Jesus love us. 

 What could be a more perfect lesson the week before valentines?  

I based a lot of the lesson on the song "My Heavenly Father loves Me." 

 They went on a hunt trying to find the pictures that went along and then they were able to put them in their heart envelope. 

 Hopefully they will remember they are loved.

Days are never dull when spent with Jake, Sam and Dylan. 

They keep me moving!

I love getting up to see Whitney and Wren for a little shopping at City Creek.  

We celebrated Melanie's birthday last week with Whitney's coming up!

Am missing this family, and hoping the snow stops back east soon.  

Otherwise we may not see them this summer as they will be in school til August with all the snow days they've taken. 

 Hopefully

 "The Sun will Come out Tomorrow!"

The perks of retirement!  At 3:00 pm today,

 Jim came downstairs and said "lets go see the Arnold Friberg exhibit!" 

 We jumped in the car and went to Gateway and totally enjoyed his beautiful paintings. 

 He painted in watercolor, oils, pencil sketches..everything.  There were paintings of his I had never seen before.  Loved to see the ones he did as young as seven!

  I loved reading the history behind his work.  

What a gifted artist.  

So there's our mid winter wrap up!  Have a Happy Week.

DeSpain Family 2013 What a Wonderful World

To my family. Thanks for a wonderful year.  You have Blessed my life.
Love, your mom and grama

Winter Days, Grandkids, Fun

Had an extra fun day with these kids. 

They went sleigh riding in our backyard...

then inside to decorate a gingerbread house,

run around and be crazy and have hot chocolate and toast.

Dreams of having a little nap! 

 Not happening with this bunch. 

 (I'll have one later..the minute they leave). 

 

Happy Birthday Taylor

Can you believe that this handsome young man is my oldest grandson?!?

  He turns 17 tomorrow. 

 He's  smart, he's athletic, he's good, just the right kind of kid to head up all the boys that follow him in our family. 

 (A grama  could brag, but I'm just telling the truth, of course!)  

 What a great day that was all those years ago when Taylor arrived. 

 It's been nothing but fun ever since. 

 Happy Birthday Taylor. 

 Love you tons, 

 Grama Polly

"Why God Made Little Boys" And Adding Another to Our Gang

"Why God Made Little Boys"

 

God made the world out of His dreams

Of magic mountains, oceans and streams,

Prairies and plans and wooded land,

Then paused and thought "I need someone to stand

On top of mountains, to conquer the seas,

Explore the plains and climb the trees.

Someone to start out small and to grow,

Sturdy, strong as a tree.."  And so,

He created boys, full of spirit and fun,

To explore and conquer, to romp and run.

With dirty faces and banged up chins,

With courageous hearts and boyish grins.

When He had completed the task He'd begun

He surely said "A job well done."

 

~Author Unknown

 

 

We've got a houseful of boys in our family. 

They love to climb, explore..they are full of spirit and fun.

They do stand tall, are courageous and I love their boyish grins.

 

We are about to add another boy to this group.  Tyler and Melanie told us this week that Dylan is having a little brother.  He will be well loved by this group.

 

And so.. our beautiful Wren..

remains our little princess.

loved and taken care of by her army of cousins.

 

 

 

God made the world with towering trees,

Majestic mountains and restless seas.

Then paused and said, "it needs one more thing..

Someone to laugh and dance and sing.

To walk in the wood and gather flowers..

To commune with nature in quiet hours."

So God made little girls

With laughing eyes and bouncing curls,

With joyful hearts and infectious smiles,

Enchanting ways and feminine wiles.

And when He'd completed the task He'd begun.

He was pleased and proud of the job He'd done.

For the world, when seen through little girl's eyes

Greatly resembled Paradise.

 

~Author Unknown

Being a Grandmother, Autumn Days, Grandkids

"I loved their home.  Everything smelled older, worn but safe; the food aroma had baked itself into the furniture." 

 

~Susan Strasberg

 

This is how I felt about my grandparents and their homes. 

 Both sets of grandparents lived close by and I visited them often. 

 I loved the feeling I had as I entered their home.  The homes were old and worn,

 but I felt safe and secure there. 

There were delicious smells and certain objects that stand out in my mind. 

 My Grandma Lundgren's old stove and her black phone in the hallway. 

I loved her big front yard with the roses that ran along the sides.

  Grandma Bagley's home had an old hand washing machine in the basement and a laundry shoot.  They had a huge garden and a fish pond. 

 

I am a different kind of grandmother.  I tend three of my grandchildren on a regular basis. 

 I sometimes worry that they will think of me as a babysitter rather than a grama,

 so I try hard to have fun, rather than discipline. 

 Plenty of hugs and loves, but I want them to learn from me as well. 

When we pick up Jake from school, Sam always points out the Temple, so whenever he sees it we start singing

"I love to see the Temple" 

 when he can't see it we stop..then when he sees it again, we start up again. 

 

Yesterday it was Veterans Day. 

 There were lots of flags waving as we drove along.  I explained to my young audience that their great grandfather had fought in a war to keep them free.

 Sam's reaction to this was

 "You've got to be kidding me!!!" 

 I said

"NO, I am not kidding!!!"  

 I told them, " That's why the flags were waving"

so, they started counting the flags. 

 

When we got home Mike had raked up a lovely pile of leaves..

he should have put them in bags and carted them away, because we had a lesson on how the leaves fall during the autumn..

 

Jake said, as he usually does 

"It's a beautiful fall day!"

 

And then the leaves got spread all over the yard!

 

Sam and Dylan love jumping in the leaves!!!

Wren came over..she wasn't so sure.

Jake likes the leaves,

 but would rather climb a tree.

 

 

So whatever kind of grandmother I am, my relationship with all of them is simple. 

 I don't know what they will remember about me, but I will remember days like these. 

The beauty of an autumn day.  Their smiling faces as they play and ask questions, and learn, their arms around my neck,

 and that I love them. 

Happy Birthday Dylan

Dylan turns three years old today! 

What a fun little boy he is. 

He loves Cars and trucks, he loves to climb, run, ride horses,

and play with his cousins. 

He's got the best smile and laugh. 

Had the best time today watching him drive his new tractor around down at the farm! 

 Sure love you Dylan. 

Have a Happy Day. 

love, grama

The DeSpain Gang's Halloween Party

We invited some kids over for a Halloween Party. 

Before we knew it there was a Ninja, Superman, Dash and a little Indian in our pumpkin Patch! 

 They were all looking for just the right pumpkin to carve!

It was the perfect evening to sit around a fire and roast hotdogs.

Then onto carving our pumpkins! 

What a great evening...

wish the eastern gang could have found some brooms to fly out and be with us! 

 Missed you all.

Happy Birthday Jake!

Happy Birthday to Jake!  

 Jake is my helper as I spend my days tending three busy boys. 

We have a saying.  " couldn't do it without you."  I say it to him constantly throughout the day. 

He says it to me with a wink!

 I love his beautiful smile, his thoughtful ways as he plays with his younger brother and cousins. 

 He loves to figure things out, loves to build, play minecraft, and swims like a fish. 

He has a great imagination.

  Can't believe you're six years old! 

Have a happy day. 

 love you tons. 

Grama Polly

Happy Birthday Luke!

Eleven years ago, Jim and Jamey had just taken off elk hunting. 

They kept coming down to Kamas to call and see if Becky had gone into Labor. 

Well, she had

So not too long into the hunt, James was down off the mountain into the Valley to be with Becky.  Soon after, Luke was born. 

He's the best kid, so determined, funny, the best smile,

 and of course those beautiful DeSpain brown eyes

He loves soccer, baseball and basketball and
he plays them all very well. 
I love it when we visit and I get
to watch him play.
The next time we're out there can't come soon enough.

 

Have a great birthday

love you, grama polly

Reflections on Summer

I love summer. 

Warm nights, blue skies, beautiful flowers

And most of all, the family gets together. 

 Nick comes home for a few weeks,  the  DeSpain Gang flies out from the East to spend time with us.

  I love when the cousins all get together to play and have fun.

  They've been swimming at the Latimer's, played in our back yard. 

We've been to a Bee's game, a Real game, Draper Days, to Pinedale and back, we've ridden horses, fed a pig. 

 We've been together.

I've seen my flowers grow, sung with my cousins once more,

seen a beautiful rainbow, watched the sunset. 

 Held my little Wren, watched Jim take walks with Dylan,

 see the big boys fish with their Dad. 

 Spent days with Jake, Sam and Dylan, hugging, playing and laughing. 

I've spent time with my family in my lovely home. 

I love summer.

Summer Fun

I love Summer! 

 I love when you can run out of your house without coats or shoes. 

 I love playing in the water with the kids. 

I love it because I get to see all the grandkids together. 

We've had a lot of fun the last few days with Taylor and Jack. 

 They've been great playing and having fun with their little cousins. 

 And the little cousins love them!

Can't wait to add Hogan and Luke to complete the group. 

 They arrive on Tuesday.

  It's going to be a great couple of weeks!

Happy Birthday Jack

 

It 's my grandson Jack's birthday today!

 

The best birthday present ever (for me) is that he and Taylor are arriving here tomorrow!

Can't wait to see them and spend time with these two guys.

 

Jack is the most pleasant kid.  Loves to play baseball and golf.  He's always helpful, kind, hardworking and determine. 

I'm excited to see him, cause he's been growing those curls out again.  Wonder what he'll look like???

Happy Birthday Jack! 

 

A Day with Dylan and Grama June

Yesterday, June 14th was Flag Day. 

 As I drove through the neighborhood with my grandson Dylan

he said..  "See all the Flags" 

Then he started singing "Happy Birthday to You."  I joined in. 

Then he said to me "clap for Dylan Grama."   which I did! 

I told him it was nice that he sang Happy Birthday, because it was his great grama's birthday. 

 So we sang again..this time we sang to Grama June. 

 When we got home, I held this dear little boy in my lap. 

 I told him how much Grama June would have loved him. 

 How she would have loved his beautiful brown eyes. 

 I told him how much she loved his daddy. 

Then he ran off  to hit the golf ball. 

 How she would have cherished this little boy as she would all the "darlings" that she sent down after she left us. 

Happy Birthday Mom.

  I miss you every day, but for some reason I missed you more yesterday. 

 Thank you for your unconditional love and for being such a great mom.
but mostly for being my friend.

Summer Is Here!!!!

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Sam, Dylan and I jump in the car and go pick up Jake at school. 

 Friday was the last time...

because it was the last day of school. 

 After a tearful goodbye to Jake's wonderful teacher,

 Miss Jenny.

( we were walking away from her,

 and suddenly he turned around, ran back and wrapped his little arms around her knees)

...so sweet.  

 Jake saying

" I don't know if I will ever feel like this ever again."

  (he has a dramatic side). 

 

 We were off!!!

It is now officially summer.

To celebrate we came home,

 Grampa Jim joined us for a swimming party! 

 Nothing but fun with these guys. 

After a day with the three boys..

I relax at home in my beautiful garden. 

The roses are blooming,

almost everything is planted.. it is peaceful. 

 I know that summer is really here.