whit and jason

blushing bride

sistas

mother of the bride

kel and willie with cousin bud

ker and whit

cousins

sisters

big bro/lil sis

beautiful cousins

great friends

sweeties

family
happy couple

i've been away...it's been wonderful...we celebrated whit and jason and their big wedding day...what a fun time it was..couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day....here are a great pics of that special day....

antics

hard working sadie
princess gracie
watch dog sophie

to look at these lazy, sleepy, animals; you would never think of the terror they can inspire...eating my wood windows when the gardeners walk by...barking like crazy at the dog next door or the coyotes in the hills...yes, they sure can be a pain...but, on the other hand...they can be sweet to the babies as they crawl all over them and pull their tails...they cuddle with me on cold nights...they are devoted to me as long as the front door is not left opened...of course, then they are escaping as fast as possible.....pets can bring joy and laughter to you life, or alot of frustration....just depending on the day....
here's a dog that's determined!

congrats to nick

a kiss goodbye?
cute

elder nick

nick lived with us this summer...he wanted to be back in california for his last summer before his mission..and since his parents so rudely moved last year, he lived with us...but, that's ok, because now we have payback and kerry spends many hours at their house...but, back to nick...he worked hard this summer and got his mission papers in and a couple of weeks ago he received his call..he's going to spanish speaking pocatello idaho mission...he's very excited to go and we are very proud of him...kerry will miss her best friend...so congratulations nick...we're excited for you!!

noise

gavin
owen

it's fun to have people around the house...with russ home (and i have to say he's back to his handsome self since shaving that long beard...i love it!!!), his friends are over again...it's funny how your kids friends disappear and then reappear as they come back...always fun to see them...then, last weekend, kerry and nick(he got called to the spanish speaking pocatello idaho mission) came back for a few days...she was already on her first vacation back...she and nick had tickets to a concert..they packed alot into a few days...going to the beach, lunch, shopping, hanging out with their friends...today kelly and jeff, gavin and owen came to visit...we had a fun time...kelly was under the weather so the boys and i played...what funny kids they are...owen is learning to talk...it's so funny to hear him say things...he wants to do everything that gav does...plus, owen is a climber...i think he will climb up anything he can get his little feet on...gavin is growing up so fast...he was a very busy boy today, playing games, reading books etc...i'm lucky that they can come and visit occasionally...gav wants to be indiana jones, a transformer, a pirate, and darth vader for halloween...it's fun to have my kids around...i'm so glad they come....i just like having noise in the house!

happy anniversary to me

a long, long time ago...in a galaxy far away....i started a new life...and what a life it's been...it's had it's ups and downs...mostly ups...when i was young all i wanted to do was be married and have children...and now i can say...that was the best choice for me...i didn't want to save the world...(i'll do that now)...i just wanted cute little kids and a fun husband...well, that's what i got...and now those cute little kids are handsome, beautiful, smart, successful people...(not that i'm bragging)...maybe they will be the ones saving the world...i'll just sit and watch! so happy 31 years!!

old? who's old?

can i be getting old? i mean...when my baby is a sophmore in college....when my sister has been married for 39 years ( and i remember the day)...when i have 3 college graduates...plus 2 in law graduates...when i have 4 grandchildren...and the oldest just went off to preschool!!! does that mean i'm old? how about well preserved...or aging gracefully...what am i? i guess i'm a woman that has lived alot of life...but, and it's a BIG but...(pun not intended)...i'm planning on living a whole lot more...until i'm really, really old...so, i'm just starting on that second phase of growing up...and i'm going to enjoy every minute...

two weeks of fun

fun

party on

great dinners out

friends and more friends

daily shopping for kerry's house

celebrating my aunt marie's 80th birthday

shopping with the girls for cute dresses

the slides at park city with the kids

discussing whit's wedding plans and seeing her beautiful dress

the boys rock climbing high up in big cottonwood canyon

lots of bike rides up canyon roads and down mountain trails

moving kerry into her teeny tiny room in a cute old house

watching great movies, bad movies, funny movies, some movies over and over-gavin

me, packing up and leave this fun, beautiful, relaxing house and fly home again.

and....they're off!!

august always brings that day when the kids go back to school...in my case they drive off to college and leave me behind...it's always a sad day in my house...summers are always so fun...easy...exciting...full of fun..they go way too fast..i always have a hard time when they leave.....she's going away for her second year and moving to slc...so, today kerry and russ drove off...her car was packed...they were ready to go and WHAT? the car didn't start...the battery that was supposed to be replaced, didn't quite get there...lucky we live on a hill and lucky her car is a stick...so, after a short pause...they were off! they are driving up to zion's national park to meet up with big bro, willie...they are doing some hiking and rock climbing...a trip that russ and willie planned and then were sweet to include kerry...so, that will be a fun time for them...a last adventure before the year starts...as for me...kelly and i will have our own adventure when we drive up to utah on monday...

some happy thoughts for the day

HAPPINESS

"A good laugh is sunshine in the house." -- William Makepeace Thackeray"

Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn't stop to enjoy it." -- William Feather

"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts…take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature."

-- Marcus Aurelius

"Will and I could hardly wait for the morning to come to get at something that interested us. That's happiness." -- Orville Wright

Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open.

--John Barrymore

"Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life."
--Burton Hills

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."
--Helen Keller

"People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be."
--Abraham Lincoln

"Good humor is one of the best articles of dress one can wear in society."
--William Makepeace Thackeray

"The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up."
--Mark Twain

congrats

did you hear the news?

this darling girl is engaged to a sweet, handsome guy, named jason! i'm so happy for both of you...what a great couple you make...enjoy this time...love you...

it's birthday time

august is the end of my summer birthdays...they start in june with russ and kelly, then there is jeff, then we have willie and kerry in august...the rest of the family is scattered during the year...but for 6 weeks, we seem to have birthdays galore!

willie celebrated at our house with a little help from kate

so lucky me...this year willie and kelly and their 2 darling babies were here to celebrate his 28th birthday!! what fun...it's sad as your kids get older and you're not always with them for that special day...willie has always been a sweetheart...he is kind, generous, loving, fun, just an outstanding person...i so admire what he has grown up to be...what a lucky person i am to have him as my son.....

kerry had a barbecue and swim party with alot of her friends


yesterday, it was my baby's birthday...kerry turned 19!! how can that be? it seems like yesterday she was 5...we had a fun party with her friends, she went to the beach on a gorgeous day...it was a very nice day for her...and she deserves it...kerry is my buddy...she's been here, alone with me for many years...i love to be with kerry, she can make me laugh, i love to hear what she's thinking...she is so talented...she is artistic, crafty, fun to be around, a great friend, loyal, loving...i love to see how she has grown and changed...just this last year, being away in college, she has turned into a beautiful person....


russ was celebrating at machu picchu

in june we celebrated russ' 23rd birthday, it was a special birthday spent at machu picchu...the hotel even made him a cake...russ is the big strong silent type...but he can be very funny when he wants to be...he is so very kind...he doesn't like to hurt others...he is athletic, smart and very loving...he is hardworking, just graduated from the u of u...he is a good artist, loves fishing and many, many sports...

kel went to disneyland with her family

kelly turned the BIG 30 in june also....so, what does that make me? old! but, she's a very beautiful, classy 30 year old...she has accomplished so much in her life...she has always been a go getter...she has a million things going at once...she is also very talented with sewing, making quilts, art work, jewelry making...plus she is chasing her 2 darling boys...i'm amazed at all that she does...she gets more done in one day than i do in a month! she's a great entrepreneur and i know she will make her mark in the world...

jeff, kelly and kerry went to see coldplay for his day


jeff turned 33 in july..he is a great son in law...he is working hard at making his law firm a success...he is always learning new things..he loves sports, any and all...biking, snowboarding, surfing, whatever...he never stops moving, it seems...he loves music, plays different instruments, he is smart and fun to be around....plus, he shares those 2 cute boys...

so, as you see...i'm a very lucky mom, with a fantastic family! and that's only half of us!

A Grad!!!!

Guess what happened to this




guy today????

yup, he graduated from the university of utah!!!
i'm so proud of him...he's accomplished alot in the last 4 years!!!
way to go russ...i know that he will go on and have a great and wonderful life, because he is a hard worker and i know that he will do amazing things in the years to come.......love you....

pioneer children

pioneer children sang as they walked and walked and walked....do you think they really did? if so, they just went up in my estimation...i'm proud to say on this pioneer day...that i'm from pioneer stock...i can't imagine walking across the country like they did, pulling handcarts, having babies, just having little children along with them...it's an amazing thing what they did....i'm not sure that i could have made it...hopefully i would have...but, i'm proud of their persistence in getting to a place where they could live in peace...in my family we have other pioneers....tom was a pioneer, he was the first in his family to join the church...then we have jeff who is also a convert, being a pioneer in his family...moving to california with a month old baby made me feel like a pioneer....that was really hard for me...but, i lived through it and came to love where i live...pioneers come in all shapes and sizes...in all times...i am so grateful for the pioneers in my family...my sister wrote about one in this post....i'm grateful that they were strong enough to join the church and move away from their countries to be able to live the way they wanted to...pioneers in my family have made it easier for me to live my life...so on this day, i give thanks for all that you've done....

watch out indie!

there are alot of heroes out there this summer....batman, ironman, indiana jones...

well, i have someone that wants to take indiana's place...indiana gavin.....

he loves the movies and was playing 'indiana' tonight...

he found his great-great-grandpa's binoculars, compass and magnifying glass from

world war 1....he was carrying those around...

using his 'indiana noculars'...

checking everything out....

so watch out everyone...a new indie's around....

lemonade

here in the u.s. when we order lemonade...we get a drink made of lemons...it's usually a little bitter...made out of lemons and water and sugar...while on my travels of the last few weeks...i learned that lemonade everywhere else is made with.....LIMES! and it's delicious...alot of limes, water and sugar...it's not quite as bitter as our lemonade..and it's soooo good....sooo refreshing...a nice little change...so try it...you'll love it...