Good Bye to April…Hello May!

April has been a long month somehow. Not my favorite month this year, although lots of great things happened. Tawna and Nathan celebrated their 15th Anniversary, and managed a cruise to mark the event. They had a great time but I have yet to hear much about it as I haven't had a good talk with Tawna since they got back. Taya and Kevin celebrated their 4th year together. They have had eventful years so I am hoping their lives will calm a bit and they can have a little more peace. We had Easter, birthdays, baptisms, ball games, spring sings and parties. Jamie and Summer have begun a new business, R.B. and his partners are starting a new subsidiary in their business and Robert is striving to do more and more with his. There were the everyday things too. The memory of Nana's last time with us. As I was over at Tracy's learning to make strawberry jam we talked a little bit about our last weeks and months with our Mom. While it is true that if we had known then, what we know now we would have made different decisions, there are no real regrets about the decisions we did make. There is some comfort in knowing we always try to do our best for our families. The time we spend with each other is precious and we need to remember that when we make those everyday choices and endeavor to keep a good balance. Making the jam was a fun day spent with Tracy. I so enjoyed the conversation, and the help to learn how to do such delicious jam. I secretly call Tracy a domestic goddess now as she has learned to do even more wonderful things in the kitchen. I think we are all domestic goddesses as we learn how to do things that will help our families live better, healthier lives. I was so inspired I made even more jam a week later. We may never run out of strawberry jam. I hope she will post her process on Nana's blog so we will have it in the eventual book. Below is one jar of many, and I can't wait to help any of my girls that want to learn. Jade made beautiful bread yesterday, so homemade bread with fresh canned strawberry jam is our treat this week.



April has been both happy and sad and I am glad to bid it farewell. Here's looking forward to May and the many things that will bring for sure. Anyone up for making some jam?

Singin' in the Truck

As I was out driving the other day, doing errands I happened to have Jaxon in the truck with me. There was a fair amount of driving as the errands were a little strung out. We talked for awhile and after we had exhausted our conversation topics I turned on my Twilight CD. Jade, Jaxon, Ryker and Aden and I have all been coming home from their school before and sung many a song from that CD together. Today though it was just us two. He knows the words to most of the songs, but our favorite one to sing is “Leave Out All The Rest” by Linkin Park. I thought I would try and sing the harmony part to see if it was confusing to him. He didn't miss a note. We blasted down the road singing at the top of our lungs and I knew it would be one of those isolated events I would always remember. I'm posting about it just in case I my mind goes to pot. I loved it and it was fun to be sharing that experience with Jaxon. Such a little thing, but so very poignant to me.

That same errand run included stopping at Smart and Final for a 4 gallon tub of vanilla ice cream (and a few other non-essential items) so we could make chocolate shakes. Three little boys will often come looking for Grumpy to get out the milkshake machine and whip them up a shake. Another one of those things carried on from Nan and Pop to us. RB and Stacie's family have a shake machine too. I love those funny little traditions that go through the years.



Waiting for shakes.

Eight Is Great…again!

Madison is now a baptized member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She made the decision to take that step and we are so very proud of her. We are also happy her dad baptized her, what a special day it was for her. Taya and Kevin planned a lunch before her baptism so relatives could come and have some angel hair with alfredo sauce, salad, garlic bread and dessert. It was fun to see everyone and so fun to see Madison in her font outfit and then her dress afterward. She is too sweet. I hope she remembers all the love in that room for her, and the wonderful feeling I know she had coming out of the water with a clean slate. I really hope she always remembers to listen to the spirit that will guide her in her life and not forget to stay worthy to hear that still, small voice. We all struggle with that from time to time, and so attending a baptism is a perfect way to remember the covenants we made and renew our efforts to live them more fully.

Everyone helped make Madison's day special for her. Aunt Tawna brought a delicious salad, I made alfredo sauce (for the first time) with Jade's coaching. Kevin cooked a ton of angel hair pasta and Grumpy and Papa K. brought dessert from Sam's Club. Kaitlin buttered the garlic bread and so it all came together for a memorable meal. (or two).




Bob was on hand to help with Emersyn, she was such a good girl for it all. It was a great day, and I hope Madison writes about her feelings on her blog so she won't forget them. Madison had lots of family there to support her and show her how much they care about her. It was nice to see the room full of people there for her. She is loved by many.




We love you Madison, now your next special white dress will be for Time and Eternity if you stay the sweet girl you are.

Taps

My heart goes out to Aunt Kay and her family as they are dealing with the loss of Eddie. As I listened at the funeral, (as is the case almost always), I wish I had known him better. Since I have known their family, he and Kay and their girls have had a special place in our hearts. We don't get together often, and it seems even less as we have all gotten older. Life is so busy, taking us all such different directions and it seems our own immediate families take up all our time. I somehow think there should be a way to make that different. For some, reading these blogs is the way we stay in touch and up to date with each other. It's nice that we have that option when geographically we are not close. It is even great for those of us who just live a few miles from each other as we strive to deal with the craziness of our lives. Midnight to morning is sometimes the time that works for us to read, and or write the things of our lives. Aunt Kay asked the girls and I to sing at the funeral, and we were honored to do that. We learned a new (to us) song and in doing that spent some time with each other preparing. I loved every minute we were together practicing. I loved that we could as a family do something for Eddie's family. They will miss him. We will too. He was a great husband, dad, uncle, brother, and grandpa. He has a wonderful family that will be forever grateful for his influence and love. There was a contingent of Naval personnel there to pay their last respects to Ed and present Kay with the American flag on behalf of a grateful Nation for his service. It was nice to see that. Their family has suffered great loss this year, but they are not broken. I hope that they know they are in our thoughts and our prayers always. I hope they know they can call us anytime if there is anything we can do for them. The nice thing about family is that even though you don't see them everyday, you know they are there for you when you need them.






To Kay, Terri, Sandy and all your children, we love you. I have learned to treasure the memories. I am trying to write them down so they won't get lost. It is a way of connecting the generations. I hope you will too. There is much to remember.

Solitaire and Such

Pirates of the Caribbean playing cards. My souvenir from Disneyland. I love to collect playing cards from the places we visit. I have tiny cards from Hawaii and Alaska, regular size cards from the Royal Caribbean Cruise line, Disneyland and Las Vegas. I love to play spider solitaire, so it takes two decks for me to play. Yes, I play with real cards - not on the computer. I don't have a laptop, and I play cards in the kitchen a lot to pass the time while I'm canning, etc. I remember playing the regular 7-Card solitaire when I was little up at Gramma and Grampa's cabin. I loved to go to that cabin with my Mom and I learned lots of things there. Gramma and Mom taught me to crochet, and I still crochet all the time. It's great therapy for the stressed out brain. I've made afagans for almost all my kids, I am now working on one for Robert. Then, I guess I'll start over as Tawna's is looking a little worn now. Still pretty, but they could use a new one sometime. Gramma taught me to play solitaire and I spent many an afternoon in the cabin or on the front porch doing just that. Those days of afternoon rain showers when I would read (with M&M's of course), play cards or crochet are pretty ingrained. Every time it rains I start looking for a good book and a bag of M&M's, the most recent afagan in progress or a deck of cards. Funny the things that stay with us for a lifetime. I loved those days of quiet, peaceful times. We had lots of fun too, but the things I learned have really stuck with me. I remember Gramma canning all kinds of stuff. She was an avid fisherman and would bottle rainbow trout. She put Catalina salad dressing in with it and I only wish I knew what else. After being pressured it tasted like salmon. So good. One of the other things I did a lot at the cabin was sew. I would bring fabric with me and make all my clothes for school while I was there. I sometimes would sew for various cousins too. If I ran out of fabric, we would go to Showlow to the T,G&Y (dime store) and buy some more. I guess this is on my mind lately as I'm finishing up a couple of weeks of sewing baptism outfits and doing dresses too for Faith and Madison. I will finish Madison's (after the font) dress tonight and I am happy I could make these things for the girls. The outfit to be dunked in was so very cute on both of them. I made the same pattern for them both, and I love the way they looked in it. So very sweet all in white. I am thankful I had a patient Mom and Gramma and that they didn't give up on me when I was frustrated in the learning process. I take great joy and comfort in being able to make things for my family.

I'd probably get a lot more done if I lived in a really rainy place! (not).

Faith is Eight!

She is eight, she is great and she is now baptized. What a wonderful day we had with Faith at her Stake baptism and then at Sweet Tomatoes. Her Aunt Stephanie sang for her, and did it well. There was a talk on what it means to be baptized and then one on the Holy Ghost. I made her a cute bubble top she wore with white leggings so she could have a little memento of her ordinance in the font. She had a sweet white eyelet dress to put on after she was dry to be confirmed in. Her daddy confirmed her and gave her a thoughtful and heartfelt blessing that I hope she will remember from time to time. Her mommy worked very hard to insure she had a memorable, pleasant day. The Mower family came from California to be with her here, and it was so very nice to see them and spend a little time with them. (That includes the Morales' too).

Faith was long awaited by her parents. She was prayed here by the faith of her Mom and Dad as well as our entire extended family. Her name is appropriate for the faith that was demonstrated for her to come to us. The Lord blessed us with her sweet nature, laid back personality, and yes, even her drama once in a while. She loves her family and we are forever thankful for her. She was born in the morning without too much ado. A good baby and easy to take care of. I remember Tawna was doing medical transcription at the time, and Faith would watch T.V. for a couple of hours even when she was so little and let Tawna do her job. She loves to play, dress and imagine with her dolls. This makes me so happy. I loved my dolls when I was her age and would dress them, and pretend all sorts of scenarios with them. I was the oldest in my family too and was used to playing on my own. I still treasure those dolls and hope she will love hers for a while to come. She is a source of joy and happiness to her family and I hope she knows how much we all love her.






Lots of family came to be a part of Faith's special day. Friends came as well and it was a very nice program.



Off to Sweet Tomatoes for lunch with all those who wanted to come. It was quite a group. Thanks Faith, you chose a good place to eat! We all love you so very much. You will be eight and great all year!

Happy Birthday Jamie!

Jamie. He just had a birthday and hopefully a good one. We've known Jamie about a year now. He and Summer started dating last May, but we didn't meet him for a couple of weeks. When you meet someone for the first time and he is there helping you move, he must be a pretty okay guy. Jamie was there to help us cart, carry, lift, and hang all the stuff that came from our house to Pop's. He has been so fun to get to know. He has done many kind and thoughtful things for all of us, and demonstrates the patience of Job. Seriously. (You know Rylee, right?) He and Summer exchanged their vows atop South Mountain in November. It was cold, and a little breezy, the boys were handsome in the tuxedos, the girls beautiful in their fancy dresses. Not unlike the Brady Bunch, they are blending their family now, and doing a great job. He and Summer just returned from a cruise to the Mexican Riviera and had a wonderful time. He has been with us to the dunes, and enjoyed the sand along with the craziest of us. He cooks, and even helps clean up! All the cousins love it when they can be around Jamie. Most of them think he is their best friend. So cute. Even though we have only known him for a year, he has become a great addition to our family. We have seen a real difference not only in Summer, but in Taylor, Jordyn and Rylee. We are still trying to get to know J.T. and Jake better, and I hope they know how lucky they are to have such a great Dad.

Thanks for being part of our family Jamie. It is a real pleasure to enjoy your company and hope you will feel the love we have for you and your family.

The Magic Kingdom

Forever one of my favorite things to do. My first trip there was with my Mom and Dad when the park first opened. I was about 3 years old and remember nothing about it. I remember going in high school with Tracy, Mom and Dad, then again my senior year with the Mesa High School ACapella Choir (and Grumpy, since he was a member of the choir too). I went once or twice while in college and then once when en route back to Okinawa, Japan with Tawna, Taya (4 yrs old), Summer (3 yrs old) and RB (a newborn). Papa and Nana were there with me for that trip. I remember how Nana loved the gardens of flowers, the bushes at It's a Small World that were trimmed into animal shapes, and the wonderful detail Disney goes to in their rides and their park overall. We went many times during our years of residence in sunny California and have wonderful memories of those trips. I have been back with Tracy's family since then, as well as Tawna and Taya for Maddie and Faith's birthday a couple of years ago. Our most recent trip was with RB and Stacies' family, and we had so much fun. I had never been to California Adventure's, so that was a totally new experience. Grumpy was having as much fun on all the rides as the kids were. Me too. We had 3 day, Park Hopper tickets, and oh my. Shin splints, the sorest feet I have ever experienced, sunburned and a tired that only Disneyland can produce. The walking wasn't as bad as all the standing, standing, standing. The fast passes worked great, I wish we could have gotten them for everything. I wouldn't trade this excursion for anything. I can say that now since my feet have recovered and the sunburn is gone. I have a lot of pics to post, more that I am not posting to help us remember all the fun things we did, saw and experienced. Thanks Crazy Harmons for the invitation to go and have a great time at one of our most favorite places ever.




Main Street, Disneyland, USA. I love this place.



Sleeping Beauty's Castle. My all time favorite Princess.



Our first ride was Star Tours. Carson's favorite. We then went on to Space Mountain, one of my favorites. I am a roller coaster junkie. My new all time favorite is California Screamin in the CA Adventure park. So far my Ultimate!



I kept seeing different characters during the one afternoon RB and Stacie had the kids up in Toon Town. I snapped pics anyway, but not as fun as if the kids had been there to see them.






We did get a pic with Woody and Jess on our way to ride Pirates of the Caribbean. The kids loved it. They did get some pics with Mickey and few others in Toon Town that day.




The Jungle Cruise ride, The Matterhorn, and the Mad Tea Party.







One of the many gardens - this one in the Main Street area. The Unicorn of "It's a Small World”. I couldn't help but think of Nana and her love for pansies and the unique animal bushes in this beautiful park. I tried to remember all the rides we went on in Disneyland: Star Tours (twice), Space Mountain, The Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Disneyland Railroad, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Indiana Jones Adventure, Jungle Cruise, Tarzan's Treehouse, Autopia, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage (not one of the kids favs), It's a Small World, Mad Tea Party, Matterhorn, and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. We tried to ride the Monorail, twice, but both times it was down. Same with Splash Mountain. Technical difficulties I guess.

On to California Adventures. As this park is supposed to represent a little piece of the California beach, etc, some of the ambiance is lost as the “harbor/beach area is drained of water. Disney is adding a water/light show that I'm sure will be spectacular, but in the meantime leaves a little to be desired. I hope we can go back and visit again when the water is back with it's new attraction.



Bear Peak. It crowns the park and is by the river/rapid ride that we went on first and got totally soaked. We did that ride twice since we like getting wet so much. Below, we are waiting in line to get wet.





Here we are on a street in “Hollywood”. Can you tell where the street stops and the paint starts?



The Maliboomer. Straight up and then drops you. Waaaaay fun.



California Screamin. The most fun ever. Wow. I love this ride. We went twice, some of us four times.



California Soaring. We all had to do this one twice. It was a great experience. This is one of the pics from the walls going in. It is a shot of an F86 like Papa flew in the Thunderbirds. I loved this ride and the history displayed in the building. An era of time that is gone now, and I hope we don't forget.

Now for the Toy Parade. If you go, especially with small children, a must. It was fun to see the imagination at work with the characters from the pixar movies. The kids loved it. Me too. I also love the detail in everything and am amazed at the costumes, etc. that we saw. Below, the kids are waiting as the parade starts.




A little side note about our clean up man here. He was about mid fifties, and really was cleaning up. Along the way he was dancing and had some great moves. Fun to watch.










Hope the kids had as much fun as we did. We loved every minute. Even when Carson and Rylan were sick. They were troopers and did really well for being little and living on Motrin and Triaminic Thin Strips. Grumpy got it after we got home and needed a Z-pac to start his recovery. He is still fighting off the tail-end of it.

All in all, a treasured memory. Can't wait to go again.