Sharing the Season

When I was little I was always afraid something horrible would happen (like a war, or death, or something equally as ghastly), before Christmas. I was so excited, and always afraid the BIG day wouldn't come! I have learned that Christmas comes every year, no matter what. You are always ready and the day comes and goes! I appreciate Christmas a lot more now that I am a grown up! Doesn't matter what's going on in the family the decorations and the trees and the lights come out, and the house seems all magical, especially in the night. Our Ward Choir was again beautiful, funny to be in the audience (it's more fun to participate). Christmas Eve was fun, with our friends, the Winchester's stopping by and the Bagley's almost all were there to eat Grama Bagley's chicken noodle soup and Julie's pretzel jello. I'm not a game lover myself...but love watching my kids and the Bagley's cousins play games..Christmas was great, with Abby, Mike and Jake coming over to open presents and then eating Jim's delicious omelets. Yesterday was another special day. Abby and Mike wanted to have Jim bless Jake in our ward. He only cried a little, (Jim) but gave Jake a beautiful blessing and the right name. (What if he had just pulled something out of the air and named him something different)? Well, he didn't.. We went to party at Abby's after and of course she does a great job entertaining. Soon, when I get all my equipment out of the boxes, I will show pictures. The best part of Christmas for me is seeing friends and family. I'm actually pretty calm now days and so the BIG day doesn't scare me anymore. Have a great 2008!

Month of December

Haven't done any writing since Nick's birthday...We had a really nice holiday...missing the PA DeSpain's, but loving to see pictures and hearing their excited voices on the phone. Our little Jake is the star of course..we get to see him every couple of days, and what is the most fun is to watch Abby and Mike having so much fun with this little guy. He will bring them lots of joy! I received a whole bunch of equipment....scanner, printer, copier, etc. so I will have to learn to make my blog more fun to look at. I just want to tell all of you that I didn't send cards to that I hope you had a Merry Christmas and a fun holiday season. It is so fun to see everyone. Our nativity at Marty's party was especially sweet. My neighbors, again are the best in the world...I am somewhat on the mend, hoping to mend totally by February or March. The blessing of health is not to be taken lightly. I love the days I feel good. I've got to get out there and live or Pollysfollies will be a bust. Congratulations to Marty for being the blogger of the year! We have all been inspired by her great entries...Soon she will be famous, as she gets ready to explain it all in the Women's Conference in May. I hope you remember all us little people..

Professor DeSpain

I am a day late writing about this unbelieveable person, which isn't very nice, because he did me the courtesy of being born a week early. But if you can believe it Nicholas John DeSpain turned 29 yesterday...December 9th. He has been an interesting and fun child since birth.. When he was in kindergarten we were told by the principal that he was a genius...which of course we all ready knew..First grade was his glory year and then for some reason grades 2-5 were rather challenging..(something to do with geniusus) although he won regional Reflection prizes for his writing. He started young with his love of writing. Around 6th grade he came around and turned into the funny, sensitive, helpful young man that he has been ever since. When he was in High School he was in charge of the school literary magazine, with a bunch of crazy girls and maybe one other boy. He pulled that off with great patience and fortitude and they created a truly great magazine. He also won first place in some writing contest where we went up to the University of Utah and his story was read to the whole audience. Very proud parents! He has had some health problems, that sometime have held him back from the things he has wanted to do most...travel, learn and write...but he has overcome problems and continued on his path, writing 3 books...travelling to Europe by himself for a month...graduating from the UofU, doing a semester abroad in France...and then researched for the best writing school and finding it in Norwich , England where he lived for a year and received his masters degree in Creative Writing. While there he was chosen to go to a writing seminar in Barcelona Spain...and I think it was around this time that he met up with Whitney and friends in Paris.. When he finished school he came home where a publisher wanted him to make some changes in his book before they were willing to publish...which he is working on right now...He worked for a while at this crazy place called ACS (where most of the family is employed) but you do have to be a certain kind of person to enjoy working there. Of course Nick made many friends, but had a hard time getting paid nothing when high school dropouts were his bosses. Why on earth had he gone through all that schooling to end up here! Actually it was just a time out...because he soon found work being an adjunct prof at Salt Lake Community College and Westminster College. He had to start at the bottom ( He taught at the prison first) but remains committed to helping the lovely people in prison learn, and expand their minds ( without the use of drugs or guns or whatever got them there in the first place)...then on to regular classes at SLCC and Westminster. He has loved teaching and I am sure his students love him..But now of course he has found another opportunity. He applied for and went through an interview process which is taking him on another adventure...to Turkey.....the country. Nick has friends all over the world that he keeps in contact with and I am sure he will continue to make many more all of different nationalities. He in very tolerant and easy to talk to and people seem drawn to him. He will be a great ambassador for our state and family to the world.. (My first thought when he told me he got the job, was the it was election year) Who would I talk politics with...Marty, you'll have to put up with me calling you even more. So everybody start packing bags and planning trips to Greece and surrounding areas so you can stop in and see Nick. He is a joy to have around and I guess I will just have to share him with the world. I am grateful to be the mom of such an amazing young man!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. This one was particularly special because our whole family was together for the first time in about 10 years. And the family has grown a bit since then. We have 5 new boys since then. Abby has a beautiful home where we gathered to consume a months worth of food in about 10 minutes. It was delicous! Abby is a wonder offiering her home to us when her little Jake is only 1 month old. It has been fun having the PA DeSpain's here..they've been shooting real guns with their dad and grampa jim also to the U basketball game. We had a fun sleepover on Wednesday night. Yesterday I got to snuggle up with Jake, the newest member of our family and that is about as good as it gets. Food was eaten, Pictures were taken and games were played! It was great. Abby does a Thanksgiving dinner, with the help of Whit as good as both their gramas. June and Maude would be proud. I am thankful for you all. Happy Thanksgiving!

Babysitting

Today is my first babysitting job in about 5 years, since Luke was born. Abby is being brave and going to get a massage (she deserves it) and I, as the grama get to tend little Jake. He will be well taken care of. I think that anyone who has had a baby has that swaying thing built in the minute a baby is put in your arms. I have many things planned for our day together. First we will watch "All my Children" together, then I am sure he will need to be fed and changed.. we will probably walk around in the yard together if it is warm and then come in and watch "Hardball, with Chris Matthews" I feel that children should learn early all about politics and Chris is the best teacher. By then Abby will probably be home, and I will lay down in my bed for a much needed rest after all the energy spent watching this little boy. (by the way, did you know that he is walking, pottytrained, and can read) He is a genius. Have a nice day, I'm sure I will.

Letter to our mom, grama

To all my sister, nieces, daughters, nephew, son and anyone else interested I thought it would be kind of interesting to write a letter to mom and tell her what's been happening in the last 10 years. Mom died November 6, 1997.
Dear Mom, When you died Dad had a struggle. We rose to the occasion, but mostly Tyler rose. He stayed with Gramps til he died. I'm sure he will get a big hug from you when you see him. I had 5 children, 1 daughterinlaw and 1 grandson (the first great grandchild, but who's counting) Dad got to see our Jack when he was just a few hours old. He was amazed to hold a two hour old baby. Abby got married ,so now we have another soninlaw, Mike Latimer..they just added to our family with little Jake and I am sure that Mike will win the hands on dad award. Abby moved to a new house. Tyler moved several times and has now bought a condo. He finished at the University of Utah with a degree in Sociology, but found he didn't have the calling for social work, so he works for some big computer company. You would be proud! Both Tyler and Whitney had the fun of living with Jolyn for a year. Whitney has travelled the world with Jolyn and family and is at the University of Utah. Jamey and Becky have lived various places since you left us. They've lived in Mexico, back to SLC, then back to Pennsylvania where they live now and get to see Gabi and Brad who don't live too far from them. Jamey has his boys involved in all sports. The kids you never got to see were Jack, Hogan, and Luke. Luke is kind of little, but tough..he plays a mean game of soccer. Jack and Taylor and Hogan play basketball, baseball and golf. We think Hogan might be the athlete in that family..he does everything so naturally. I got sick blah blah blah....am getting better now. I have fun visits with Aunt Ginny, since she lives so close, we see her more and I took her to the hospital to meet Jake..She is doing fine and is honored to fill in for you. We've done some improvements to our house. I think you would love my bedroom! ( Your lovely furniture has added some class to our home.) I teach Sunday School and Jim is the YM President. We are waiting (somewhat anxiously) to hear if he has a new job or no job...so if you have any pull, it would be appreciated. OH, I forgot Jim and I got to go to England and that summer both Whitney and Nick went on School abroad programs. Nick decided he loved England so much that he went back and got his Masters Degree in creative writing at a University there. He has written a novel which an agent liked, but he has to make some changes, which he is working on. I'm sure you will get lots of news from all the others, but I want you to tell Dad that Jacoby Ellsbury is a member of the Boston Red Sox and they just won the world series, he's not even a rookie yet and he played the whole time. Dad finally got the athelete you always dreamed of.....Love, Polly

Pilates and Babies

On yesterday's visit, Mike was doing pilates with Jake. They had heard that if you put their legs up and down it helped their tummies. It was working..so they will be doing alot of pilates for the next few months. This is just a short little report on the new parents and baby. Mike had put together a swing, baby holder thing that runs on D batteries...he said everything they had for the baby ran on D batteries, so he was going to have to stock up. (I don't remember any batteries involved with kids until they got their starwars stuff for Christmas) but it is a different world. Just had to put in a little about my short fun hour at the Latimer house. Then I went home and went right to sleep..Lovely day.

My Friend Teri

Two years ago I wrote a small tribute to our neighborhood, from time to time I have posted exerts from this little book. It is how we are all tied together with thread making a beautiful patchwork quilt. This is the part about my friend Teri.

Teri and I have probably walked hundreds of miles together. If you walk for exercise for twenty eight years it has to be many miles. Of course in those walks we have solved many problems and many still remain unsolved. We probably have gained a pound or two around the middle during all that walking which seems strange, and yet I think our jaws are thinner, because of all the talking! (written b/illness) I would like to state right here for the record that we do not gossip on these walks. We solve world problems and mysteries and the many strange goings on in the neighborhood. Never gossiping, but only trying to understand and solve problems and in some helpful way figure out why everyone is so strange. We come up with lots of answers, but of course not much changes, and so I sometimes wonder....what was all that walking for???? If we don't loose weight and don't solve the problems our neighbors are having or our own problems or the world's problems, and our jaws are tired from all that talking and our heads ache from all the thinking, what does it all mean? Maybe Teri and I have our own patch in the quilt. It has two women walking, talking and laughing and the stitches are very uneven and sometimes wonder on to another patch. But maybe that patch with all it's stitches kept us a little sane as we raised nine children and 2 husbands between the two of us.....friends are priceless.

Baby Jake

I am sorry, but for a while there will have to be a little blogging of nothing more than this new bundle of joy. Actually it is 3 bundles of joy, because Abby and Mike are as fun to watch as the baby. Abby went home yesterday, so I went over about 4:00 pm, got to hold and feed and snuggle and kiss this sweet little boy. Mike had run a few errands and was texting to see if Abby and Jake were ok, while he was gone for 15 minutes. He gets home and both of them are telling Jake how lucky he was to have chosen them to be their mom and dad...there is a lot of love going on in that home. And I get to watch and enjoy every minute (if I want) of it.

Amazing Daughter

I have this daughter who's name is Abigail. She is the most amazing woman I know. She can and does anything she sets her mind on. She is 30 years old and works at a worldwide company as an SBU Manager (a boss) she quilts, she has a zillion friends, she has a beautiful home, she has a great husband, who together with Abby created their beautiful home through hard work, being smart and creative. She entertains people...And again I have to say she is bossy and gets whatever she wants (not because people just hand it to her), but because she sets her mind to the task at hand, makes a goal, and then goes for it. She has been working the last few months on a boutique that she held in her home. Several cousins and friends helped work and set up a beautiful display of handcrafted items. Abby, along with the rest of them has worked really hard, and oh did I say that Abby was pregnant during this whole big project. She is due on November 11, but has been saying all along that she was having the boutique on Saturday and the baby on Sunday. And of course, because Abby gets what she wants....she ran a very successful boutique Saturday and of course on Sunday morning at 4:00am her water broke. I called her about noon to see if she had survived and she was at the hospital!!!!! We communicated by phone throughout the day and at one point she was working her ACS job from her computer while in labor, there was trouble in Mexico and the office had to open on Monday and Abby of course was bossing them around down in Mexico , but had to excuse herself because she was crowning! Mike took a picture of her and sent it to her boss with the caption ACS best hustler. She never stops. We got the best present from her at the end of that long day. At around 9:20 she delivered Jacob Michael Latimer.....6lbs. 8 oz. 19 inches long..with Abby's cute chubby little cheeks....He is beautiful...We've got a basketball team now..although this little guy will have some catching up to do since the youngest member of the team is 5...But, I'm sure Mike will have a basketball in one hand and a golfclub in the other hand as soon as possible. Abby was born to be a mom to some little boys...she loves to watch them play sports, she will probably be coaching him soon. Abby, I don't care what they say ( a little quote from Grampa Jiggs) you are amazing...I love you, I respect you, and when I grow up I want to be just like you.... See you in a minute ( oh did I mention that they live here in SLC Yay!!!!!) I get to see the newest little golfer any time I want!