denver and salt lake

                                                             kelly and willie's new house
i flew to denver a week ago to celebrate kate's 9th birthday!! woo hoo!  i also got to see their new house!  it was a short but,  busy weekend....starting early saturday morning when kate opened all of her gifts...we then had breakfast...and got ready for her party...it was a very fun time...kerry had painted a picture of a mermaid at the beach a few weeks ago...the girls copied this picture, painting their own....they seemed to love it....

they then played a fun mummy game where you wrap 3 girls back to back with a roll of toilet paper...they have to move together and the winner is the one with toilet paper still attached at the end...then, gifts and cake!  

that night was a family dinner with the aunts, uncle, grandparents and great grandparents....a fun time....

kelly and willies house is lovely...they have a huge lot...you feel like you're out in the country....they have a lot of space and i know they will love this house!

on sunday night i left the zero degree weather and flew to salt lake....it was cold but not as cold as denver....

i had a busy week....on monday i went to lunch with my sisters and 2 of our aunts....my aunt neicey and aunt ruthie...they are 91 and 94 respectively!  what fun ladies...they are so sharp and with it! i loved visiting with them....

i had dinner with kathy that night....we have a great time together...

on tuesday i was able to spend the day with danece...we just have a fun time together....talk, talk talk....along with eating, a little shopping...and we drove around looking at all the gorgeous areas in salt lake....then went to dinner with jason and whit and wren....so much fun!

on wednesday i spent the day with kathy fryer.....she taught me how to crochet...i've been wanting to learn for a long time...let's hope i finish the project!  

that night i went to dinner with my brother tom and julie...it's always great to get together

thursday, more crocheting and lunch with taryn, kathy and whit....plus all the babies...

it was a fun and busy week....

sweet sadie

two weeks ago, my sweet sadie passed away...she was 15 years old!  i was so sad...sadie moved into our lives 6 months after tom died...so, she's been with me for along time....she was the sweetest, yet naughtiest dog!  what dog can eat bags of chocolate and have no problems at all?  but, she was always there to give me a love...she loved to swim in our pool...at one point she could dive to the bottom of the pool and retrieve a ball or toy that was down there....she loved the pool....she was the sweetest of dogs....i never worried about the grandchildren crawling all over her or pulling her tail...she'd just let them....she struggled on until the very end and then just died in her sleep....we we're blessed to have her in our lives.....

halloween week

it was a busy week right before halloween....kerry, austin and cedar arrived late saturday night or early sunday..whichever you prefer....they we're here for their last week in the u.s.!
we played hard!

sunday evening we had dinner with terry and sharon.  it was a really nice time..all the kids were on their best behavior.   it was fun to see terry and sharon...he's 93 so we need to see him as much as possible!

                           we also celebrated owners 8th birthday! i can't believe he's that old!!

monday, austin had to go pick up the visas for spain...we hung out, went to lunch etc...we did that quite a bit during the week...kerry saw her friends before she left....


we went to disneyland on wednesday evening.  meeting up with kelly and her family.  it was a fun night.... the rides we're empty! everyone else was waiting to trick or treat....fun to see all the costumes etc.

                                                                           the toy story gang!

friday was halloween...we had a fun party at the pollock's house...they took the babies out trick or treating...it was a great time...

                                                                        russie and lily

                                                                     final lunch at lupe's
 and then saturday i took austin, kerry and cedar to the airport...and the big good bye!!! a few tears later...and they were off!!!

                                                                               adios!

getty villa

last week i flew home from utah with some special passengers....niels and danece were coming down to surprise his sister that was visiting from denmark....they had planned to surprise her at the getty villa!  they invited me along....it's in malibu and it's a gorgeous setting.  overlooks the beach....it was a gorgeous day....so here's a few pics....

a few days of fall in utah!

On the 3rd weekend in September, our whole family met together for a last hurrah with kerry, austin and cedar!
we got together in park city, utah....we stayed at a hugemongous house up there....it had 10 bedrooms, 10 baths, big living area....the grandkids were so excited....and the best of it...there was an elevator....so they were pumped!  although, i had to put in a rule, immediately that the little kids good only go in the elevator with an adult...that kept them from constantly using it!

kids at the house

 

we did a lot of activities that i've never done....friday was the first day....everyone arrived (after russ and kris missed their flight and had to stay overnight in a hotel), we took off walking for the park city resort.....once there, the kids did the alpine slide....they loved it...we ate burgers at the little shack right there at the bottom...(before we left, i had everyone take a meal, to either cook or just decide where to go eat),

                                                                                                                   park city resort

then, we hoofed it down the road, hopped in our cars and drove to midway to the homestead.  once there, we swam in the hot mineral crater that is there....it was really fun....the kids loved it....that night we finished off with dinner at maxwell's pizza....

                                                                                                   owen and tommy climbing the crater

saturday after a breakfast of thinnies, we went to the olympic park...that was really fun...they have alpine slides, zip lines and a ropes course....the kids loved it...and they could do things over and over again....kristen faced her fears and went down the zip line....fun time!

saturday night we had a party of friends and family to say good bye to the davis family!  it was crazy, loud, but really fun to see all those who could come...the kids had a blast with some new friends....
after a 2am bedtime...we got up, had breakfast, then we did the 'circle of love',' where everyone said one thing about kerry, austin and cedar...why they loved them, why they would miss them etc....it was really sweet...i love hearing my grandkids thoughts...we took 1 family picture ,finally! (my kids have an aversion to these)

and i'm glad we did because we were going to take one in the canyon and it poured!  then, we ended off the day by eating at bandits in park city....that was fun...once again, i love seeing the older grandkids having such a fun time together....that's what it's all about....

we drove home by way of guardsman's pass and down big cottonwood canyon...said our goodbyes to willie and kelly's family at the bottom, then, kelly lewis' family left a bit later...russ, kristen and i stayed until monday...we hung out and then picked up new iPhones!  woohoo!!!

fast forward a week.....i went back to utah for my niece, katie bagley's wedding...flew up early on monday morning...that night kerry and i went to a wedding dinner for katie and dave...it was really nice...at the joseph smith memorial building

                                                                                                               my brother tom and julie

polly and jim

marty and dee

...tuesday morning i drove down to the sl temple, the wedding was was beautiful....afterwards, polly and i went to visit my aunt ruth....she just lost her son howard to cancer. she is so strong...i decided i want to be like her when i grow up!!! she's almost 95 and so with it!! i'm amazed...

                                                                                        stole this picture from sarah and megan...gorgeous!
that night we went to the reception which was at the tuscany...they were so lucky, it poured for about an hour in the afternoon, but, turned out to be a lovely night....it was a really nice party for them....

                                                                                           stole these pictures from sarah and megan...gorgeous!

the rest of the week i just hung out with kerry and austin and cedar...
we went to the zoo with whitney and wren...went to a lot of great restaurants....

it was a really fun time in utah, seeing the fall foliage was lovely....it gave me a hint of fall....i came home to 100 degree weather!!