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.

I Love Jim's Brown eyes & and whole bunch more..Happy Birthday

April 20th is Jim's birthday.
Here are a few things I love about him.

I love how he takes care of me.

I love how he cares for his children.

I love how he smiles when he's around the grandkids.

I love watching him watch the grandson's play baseball.

I love how he can fix anything.

I love how he builds what I dream.

I love watching him mow the lawn.

I love travelling with him.

I love how he serves others.

I love how he treated his mother.

I love that he is emotional.

I love that he is steady.

I love that he is loyal.

I love that he is honest. 

I love that he loves our family.

I love his grin.

I love his beautiful brown eyes.

I love you.

Have a Happy Birthday.  

Valentines Day

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

 I love you all!  

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

"Couldn't Do it Without You"

I can't let this week go by (or start) without paying tribute to Jim. 

 Another week...another back surgery..what else is new??

Jim takes it in stride.  Taking care of me. 

 Working, being in the bishopbric, keeping the house clean,
the wash done and my plants watered. 
He's had to be my nurse this week and done it with such kindness. 

 Thank you for always being there for me. 

 As Jake always says 

 "Couldn't do it without you!" 

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.

Happy Fathers Day!

I have been preparing my primary lesson today. 

 I am teaching the little kids about Superhero's. 

Well, these guys are certainly my Superhero's. 

They are the best at what they do. 

 Just like Superhero's they help us, they care for us and they always save the day! 

 

I am so grateful for these guys, for all they do, especially for their kids!

 

"Any man can be a Father,
but it takes someone special to be a
Dad!"

happy father's day.

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.

Happy Anniversary

Yesterday Jim and I celebrated our 41st wedding anniversary. 

 It is hard to put into words how I feel about our life together.  

 As I look through pictures and see what we have built together I am filled with gratitude for the life we have together. 

We have had much joy together,

 we have had many trials..yet we come through together, stronger. 

 We have built a home, a family..a wonderful life.

We've travelled and seen the world together. 

 We love seeing different places, but we always love coming home. 

 We have been blessed with a lovely home and dear friends.

We've seen our family change over the years. 

Our children have grown and had families of their own.  

 This, of course has added to our joy. 

 There is nothing better than being grandparents.

We are blessed to enjoy together the things that we love. 

 Our family, home, living in such beautiful surroundings

 where we are able to enjoy the changing seasons.

And I am especially blessed, because I get to spend my time with this handsome man. 

He only gets better with age. 

 

When I was just a young eighteen year old girl,

he came to my door to pick me up for a blind date. 

 I looked into his beautiful brown eyes and immediately feel in love

 (so did my mother, much to her dismay,

she knew she had just lost her young daughter.) 

well, he still has that effect on me to this day. 

So Happy Anniversary Jim..

 (still love looking in those eyes) 

 thank you for sticking around and loving me all these years. 

Turning 60 at the Sego Lily Spa

 

 

Yesterday I turned 60!!!! 

 I got up as I usually do

Got dressed..a little slower,

(due to my age)

 

Went out the door to take care of the grandchildren. 

When I got to my daughter's home a wonderful surprise waited for me there.

Three of my five kids were there with four of the eight grandchildren. 

They had fixed a delicious

breakfast. 

 After eating,

 they were sending me off to a spa!

FOR THE WHOLE DAY!!!

 

I have never spent the whole day in a spa.

Maybe being 60 isn't going to be that bad. 

 

 

I can't say enough about the

 Sego Lily Spa. 

The Facility is lovely and the treatments are all to die for. 

What a wonderful way to spend my day.

 

The spa day was fabulous,

 but the present I loved the most was the thought that went behind the gift, 

 I loved the notes from nieces, nephews, sisters, and my brother, kids,

 and grandkids, and my dear husband. 

Visits from my friends. 

 I love them all so much and am blessed to have these people in my life. 

 Getting older isn't bad at all when surrounded by so many blessings. 

I am Grateful for....

These people are looking entirely too comforatable!!!

So, they came and worked for me on Saturday.  Jim has been working for the past several weeks, taking down some cupboards in the kitchen.  The result looks like this...

Above the counter used to be cupboards.  Jim took those down which opened up our kitchen/dining area.  This made everything seem bigger and much lighter.  He worked hard patching the ceiling and repainting.  We are painting the dining area and putting a cupboard up over the buffet, but that will have to wait until after Christmas. 

Next, the big furniture switch! 

Tyler, Melanie and Dylan gave up their Saturday to help Jim and I move furniture throughout the house.  The livingroom has a different look as well as the family room.

Funny what moving a few pieces around can do to a room

 (not to mention the cleaning that gets done). 

Jim and Tyler both had some decorating tips for me. 

 Jim's was, "furniture should be builtin in a room, where it can't be moved." 

Tyler's advice was "modular..many small pieces make things easier to move." 

 I can't say how grateful I am for their willingness to help when asked.  To spend their time working on a project for me. 

 Now my home is ready for the holidays.

  I am blessed to have a husband and family members who are willing to serve.

Couldn't do it Without You

My heart is filled with gratitude for my husband who works so hard at his job, then comes home and works to make our home beautiful.  He is busy taking cabinets down in our kitchen, fixing the ceiling, painting, moving furniture, always without complaint.  Next week when we begin preparations for Thanksgiving dinner he will be there helping.  Peeling potatoes, preparing the turkey, setting the table, cleaning, cleaning up, generally being there to take orders from me!  As Jake says to me everyday..."Couldn't do it without you."  I couldn't do it without Jim,

 who quietly does it all. 

"In Some Other Life"

I have a board on pinterest called "In Some Other Life.." 

It's a collection of images and a way of daydreaming.

In "some other life", I would line all my shelves, bake lovely pies and have beautiful roses climbing a white picket fence.

 

 In some other life, I would...

have a garden room, hydrangeas,   and... have massages and manicures...and of course a bit of shopping !

 

I have another board entitled "The Real Me." 

 This is more about who I am, what I like and am happy with.  I am truly grateful for my home, my life, my circumstances..

(although that massage thing doesn't look so bad.) 

I'm a wife, mother, grandmother, caretaker of three of those grandkids, my home is not large, but it's mine and I love it. 

 

"The real Me" needs shaking up every few years...I feel the need to spruce things up a bit.  Since I am not a part of that "some other life dream" I must improvise, which I am an expert at!  This week I am moving all the furniture in my house from one room to the next.  This will give each room a whole new look, plus a much needed deep cleaning..without buying any furniture. 

Jim is starting on a project in our kitchen.

 It's a small one, but will give us an open feel, which I am looking forward to. 

 

In "some other life", I would go out and buy new furniture, have someone paint the kitchen,

 I would be pampered and have lovely red cupboard lining.

 

In "the real me,"  I become creative and think of ways to improve my home without spending money.  I spend my days with little ones, enjoying their hugs, their joy and their laughter.  

 I like "the real me" more than the "some other lfe"

...except for that massage part.

Going Forward

 

I've posted this particular quote before.  But, I refer to it again and again when things don't always go as planned.  This past week has been nice, having gotten away, yet not without problems. I guess Jim and I are getting old, because we are both having a few health issues.  We'll live, but not feeling totally up to ourselves the last few days.  And then this blog thing.  I feel as though I've lost a bit of myself after finding out that most of my pictures are gone.  So, slowly I will start building my memories and thoughts again.  I'll take the best of what I have..try and restore it and let the rest go.  Just like Goethe's Mother, "if it is too heavy, I go round it." 

So slowy, the black squares where pictures used to be will disappear.

The Getaway

I'm still upset about the pictures missing on my blog.  So, Jim said lets get out of here.. off we went and saw the beautiful fall colors.

 

Everywhere we drove the colors were amazing.

 

 

  We ended up in Colorado,  in a lovely little town.  And who do you think showed up?

 

 

Nick!!  It was fun to see  him and spend some time with him!

Summertime Fun

It's been a week of fun around here.  The 4th of July was spent lounging around Abby's pool, except I really wouldn't use the word lounging with this bunch.  Jake and Sam love the water and it looks like our little Wren is going to be a water baby too!

Jim and I usually try to get to Logan to see the car show held over this weekend.  It's fun to go visit our old Utah State stomping grounds.  Jim loves to wander around and see all the cars.  Even Batman was there.

I like to watch Jim have fun and take pictures.  I even got a picture of Santa in red shorts!  Who knew he visited the car show in the summer??

Before we left Logan, we visited our old Trailer Court.  Sad to say, there is nothing left of our old home other than the field in the upper right hand corner.  Nothing left but lots of good memories of our first two children when they were tiny, the many friends we went through school with and all that goes with those years.  We decided to go the round about way home and visit Montpelier.  On the way we saw the lovely old Paris Idaho Tabernacle.  We then wandered the streets of Montpelier looking for John A. Bagley's home, (He was the attorney general of Idaho and entertained Teddy Roosevelt in this home.)  It is also where my Grandfather was born.  This was the only house that looked like the pictures.  We then went into a gas station and asked a lady if there was a historic district where we could find a large victorian home.  She said " oh, the Bagley mansion is the only one in town."  She also turned out to be a relative!  So we found the home.  All of Grampa's stories came to life.  Nice way to spend a Saturday.

To the Father's in My Life

It all started years ago, with the example of Leo and Jiggs.  They were the best fathers ever. They taught by how they lived. 

I was fortunate enough to marry a man who is not only good looking, but to him, family is everything.  He would do anything for his children and his grandkids.  They have him tied around their tiny little fingers.  Or in some cases not so tiny anymore.  He taught his children to be hard workers, honest, to have integrity and to love their families. (along with hunting, fishing, golfing and a little baseball.)

Our oldest, James, is the father of four sons.  He spends every spare minute coaching, teaching and loving these boys.  They are growing into great young men. 

I love watching Mike with his boys.  He loves to play with them, teach them their ipad games, take them to Disneyland and the beach.  Jake is a miniature Mike.  They love to be with him all the time.  I admire the way he takes over when Abby leaves town or is busy with work.  He doesn't miss a beat.

Same with Tyler.  These are modern day dads.  Their wives work, and when they're gone, the dad's take over.  Ty is an expert at taking care of Dylan when Melanie is out of town.  I love to see him smile when he's with his little boy. 

Jason's been preparing himself for his role as a dad by being the best uncle ever.  He's known as "Uncle Fun" to our little ones.  I have never seen bigger smiles than when Jason is around.  Little Wren is a lucky little girl.

How grateful I am that Jim leads by his example. He quietly goes about doing things for all of us. He makes our home beautiful, as well as my garden.  He can fix anything and is always willing to do so. He serves his neighbors as well as his family.  Who else would carry my fifty pound suitcase all over England for two weeks and never complain? 
As we get older and the grandchildren come, it is so much fun to watch Jim's love multiply for each new addition. 

How blessed I am for these beautiful five children, for the families they are bringing up.
 For their Father.
 He is a blessing in my life.

Williamsburg VA

We've arrived in Williamsburg.  So absolutely beautiful here.  Before we came down we were able to see the PA gang and watch a little baseball.  So good to see them all.  Our home here is lovely.  Couldn't ask for a nicer place to stay while visiting this part of our country.  Thanks to Abby and Mike.  Jim and I have driven around getting the lay of the land.  Will pick up the Winchester's in a few hours.  Then we'll start exploring everything! I've already taken fabulous pictures of our surroundings.  Can't wait to post them. 

A lovely Week

A lovely week.  Last Saturday Abby and Marta hosted a shower for Whitney.  Their talent for throwing parties goes unmatched.  Abby's home was decorated to perfection and the food was delicious.  I'll have to get the recipe for the creme brulee french toast.  To die for!!!

Whitney was showered with gifts from family and dear friends, and was brought to tears by their generosity and love.  She is special to all of us.  We can't wait to meet our little girl.

Last night, Abby hosted yet again another lovely party.  Our children decided to honor Jim and I as we are celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary today.  Another delicious meal, lots of together time, gifts and fun.  How blessed we are to have such great kids. 
And now Jim and I are off for a fun vacation to celebrate. 
Will post from the East Coast when we arrive!

A week in February

It's been a fun week around here.  Last Thursday we had another fun Cousins party at Jolyn's.  I think these parties are going to become regular traditions with our family.  The girls love to get together.  We visit and eat and just have fun.  This time the little one's were invited.  They ran, screamed, played, ate and also had a great time!  We got to celebrate Kerry's engagement and meet her fiance!  Thanks Jo for hosting.

Jason, Marta and Abby hosted a 30th birthday party for Whitney.  So we had another party on Saturday.  Delicious pizza, Abby's ceasar salad and her new to die for dip for apples.  Could eat the whole bowl (without the apples)  Love to get together with the fam!

And... remember the picture in January of our book cases.  Well, Jim is happy to announce they are finished.  I love the way they turned out.  Thanks to Jim for all his hard work.  It's nice to have the house put back together again.