letting go

out in the middle of utah.....

so, i'm not sure if i can do this....this meaning...let go of my last child....she is off on her own...i know she can handle things...she has started college...moved into her apartment...been driving all over to here and back...but, it's those little things....like tonight driving home from park city to provo...she didn't take a turn and before she knew it she was past duchesene.....for all you non utahans....that about 70 miles....that's what makes me nervous.....how do you let your children take wrong turns or not a turn at all? it's soooo hard to let them be...i want to call her every 5 minutes....are you there yet? but, i hold off and wait about 20.....because i'm a worry wart......arrrrrrgh....this could make me crazy...but deep down, i know i have to do it...i've been doing it since i let them go outside and play without me there, walk down the street to the bus stop, go to the mall alone, drive away for the first time alone, and the feeling NEVER changes...so, i can call in about 10 more minutes!!!!

p.s. she made it back....whew!!

last trip of the summer

wish the drive looked like this....
but, it mostly looked like this...

so we're on our last trip of the summer...and it's not a trip to some of them...we drove up to salt lake to bring kerry and russ back to school or to school in kerry's case....it was an ok drive.if you like desert, hot roads, vegas, more desert, beign squished in a crowded car....kerry drove most of the way , for about 9 hours of it...then i finished up...so she did a good job...russ was on his own...then kelly and jeff drove their truck with russies new toy, his motorcycle...so i'll be up here for a couple of weeks...so that will be fun....kerry's excited to move in to her new apt...russ is still looking for a place...he didn't want to start to early...the day school starts is good enough! so now wer'e just getting kerry's stuff out of the way so we can go play! our driveway looks like a car lot...everyone has their own car up here...but, it's fun to have everyone together...salt lake in the summer is so nice...hot...blue skies...green...the mountains are beautiful..buying the fresh tomatoes, peaches, berries..maybe going on the alpine slide...boys going mountain biking...so we should have a good time....and then i'll go home and plan my next trip!!

an ode to uncle bug

my brother in law, russ died yesterday morning...after a short fight with lung cancer...no matter how prepared you think you are for it, it's always a shock...russ has been my brother for 30 years now...he lived by us for about 15...it was great...he would come down, the kids would run up...they loved their uncle russ...he spoiled them rotten..at christmas he would give them another christmas just from him....he would take them hiking, let them swim in his pool..he was so much fun..my russ was named after him...that's why he's called uncle bug...we call our russ, bug..he loved his dogs, alvin and wesley and would hike all over the mountains with them...one of my favorite things was to listen to tom and russ joking around...they were so funny...they could really get each other going..then they would really start laughing....russ got married later in life and had 2 great boys...he was a great father...it made him so happy...after he moved...we wouldn't see each other as much, but, it was a good feeling to know he was there..i'll miss his calls...just a little chat...he reminded me so much of tom....so, now they are having a great reunion...telling each other all the news of the last 8 years....having a great laugh together....so, adios russ...you're the best...

Happy Happy 18th!!!

at the grand canyon

birthday presents
riding horses

flower girl

at grandma june's house

princess kerry

cute kerry

washing cars

another birthday
million dollar babe

prom princess

grad night

senior pic

my little princess is 18 today! kerry has always been a princess...it happens when you're the youngest in a family...but, she has always loved princesses....belle was probably her favorite, but she loved cinderella, sleeping beauty, snow white..arial, pochantas...kerry has always been a real girl...none of the "tomboy" stuff for her...she could put makeup on when she was 5...and she loved it....for years, kelly would buy makeup and a week later, give it to kerry....kerry has been my buddy for long time now...she is so much fun to be with...she will tell me all about her day...i feel like i know all these people......she describes them all so well..she is a very loyal friend ..kerry likes to do alot of things...she is really talented....she is very artistic...she's crafty and creative...she's very smart...whatever she's interested in, she learns really well....hope this bodes well for college....kerry is beautiful...and she's so nice...she has great fashion sense and loves to put great outfits together...kerry has always loved her brothers and sister...even when i hear the words "RUSSELL" , i know she loves him so much...now that our family has grown, she has another brother and sister to love, plus the nephews and niece...kerry has great plans for the future and i know that she will accomplish all of them...i'm really lucky to have such a fantastic daughter...kerry, you're the greatest and i love you so much...happy birthday....

beauty and the beast

kerry, kelly ashley p. and i went to see the play beauty and the beast last night...what fun...it was re-living kerry's 5th birthday...we took kerry and ashley to it then, and it's her birthday tomorrow...i've seen the play a few times and every single time i feel the "magic"...what a fun time...it makes you believe in handsome princes and beautiful princesses...it always fun to dream.....

My First Son is 27!!

willie and his idol "Mr. T"
russ, willie and ryan
the big fisherman
the star

bermuda missionary

in spain with kerry

a handsome groom and beautiful bride

proud daddy

Willie my dear is 27 years old today! where has the time gone? it's flown by...so happy happy birthday to you...hope your day is fantastic and you have a wonderful year...tom was so excited to have willie, his little buddy..we now had a darling girl and a handsome boy....when willie was born, he had a cleft palate...it was a bit of a surprise...but, he got along great...he was so cute...he was 3 months old when they closed his lip...and i was actually sad that they were going to ruin his cute face....but, it was all for the best and he grew and grew and was darling.....willie was very independant...he was the kid that was getting his cereal in the morning...when he was not yet 2...he was climbing everywhere...i had to tape the fridge shut...he was into everything....willie was very strong, even as a little boy...he was practising, even then to be a rock climber...he had such great upper body strength....willie loved to tell jokes and be silly...i remember him wearing kelly's hula skirt at her birthday party...acting very funny about it...willie took speech therapy when he was little...and then never stopped talking...he often had to stay after school because of this problem...he started playing tennis when he was about 9...he loved it and worked hard at it...he loved to play with tom...he was the best little and big brother....he has always been my sweet, sweet willie....he is very dependable...will get the job done...he is very particular about how certain things are done...like folding his t-shirts...he had to do it himself...i think he still does...when willie was a senior, he got straight A's which really surprised me...he had a problem throughout school and had me convinced that he just couldn't do the work...turns out he just never DID the work...for about 11 years!...after that he did fantastic...did wonderful in college and got his masters of accounting...accounting no less....math was never his best subject...once again he surprised me...i'm so proud of all that he's accomplished...he served a wonderful mission to new york...and bermuda..after he returned home..he met a beautiful girl with a great name.....kelly...they have become a wonderful couple with my darling first granddaughter....kate.....so, willie is just the greatest son ever...i love you so much..you are a great inspiration to me...love you always..mom

au revoir, khairete, allaha ismarladik, good bye

tour de france finals

riding down the champs des elysses

beautiful buildings
changing of the guards
visiting louis

day out sightseeing
au revoir

in any lanuguage it's always sad to say good bye...don't you agree? especially to a very fun time in many wonderful parts of the world...today we finished up in paris...by walking alllllll over....our legs and feet HURT!! anyway...it was fun walking as we were shopping..as we were walking and shopping we ran into the presidential palace with the changing of the guards....yesterday jeff did his favorite thing in watching the tour de france...today we did ours..we also ran into some good friends at chanel, louis, h & m..and we had fun at those stores! so a great way to end a fantastic vacation...it will bring wonderful memories forever....turkey with it's mystery, very friendly people, amazing scenery, greece with it's monuments, the beautiful blues of the ocean, paris with it's beautiful buildings...and all of the history we have seen...you couldn't ask for a better trip....

where else but euro disney

outside euro disney
at pirate's of carribean
by it's a small world
cinderella's castle

after many museums and beauties of paris...we decided to go to euro disney....kerry has been trying to get there since the first time we came to paris...it's about 45 min. train ride from paris...so off we went while the rest of the family watched the end of the tour de france...euro disney is the same yet different from our disneyland...the rides are tweaked a bit..some better, some worse...the haunted house..or phantom manor as they call it, is a bit more creepy...indiana jones is a roller coaster...it has a height limit of about 5 feet! thunder mountain is set on a island...space mountain has an upside down loop...it was fun to go, but we think ours at home is better...it's bigger...more rides...cleaner and better run...but, it was fun to check it out...and another one off of kerry's list...she's wants to go to all disney parks in the world....so we're off on our last day of our trip...better get it all in!

ahhh paris!!

inside notre dame
notre dame

whit in paris
skyline
on ferris wheel
eiffel tower
biggest cotton candy

merci, oui oui..these are the words we are hearing now...today we saw paris...what a beautiful city...we went to the louvre...i think we went in circles trying to find the egyptian mummies...russ wanted to see those...everyone we asked said something different...we finally gave up...but, we saw some wonderful things..we saw alot of greek statues that were taken from greece.the guide in greece had mentioned they were taken.....then we went on the ferris wheel and saw the beautiful view of the city from above..russ got the biggest cotton candy i've ever seen...then went to notre dame, that's a beautiful cathedral...wandered along the banks of the seine, took a little boat ride home...our feet were aching...then, did a walk down the champs des elysees...lots of wonderful stores to see...tomorrow is the final of the tour de france..it's right outside our door, so hopefully we can catch some of it..we started off in istanbul which is called "paris of the east" and have ended up in paris...what a fun time and great experience!

crete

view from our room
island in front of hotel, used to be a leper colony
jeff and owen..pretty in pink
scenery of crete

we have been in crete for the last few days...it's been relaxing because it's been really really hot, they are having a heat wave, and so we didn't do much besides lay out...the hotel is really nice...the kids had the flu also, so we took it easy...today we all had spa treatments...russ had a balinese massage that was with the masseuses feet! he said it was wierd..then we went on a boat tour of the area..that was fun...it's fun to see the island from a different perspective...then we girls went back to the spa, they have this fun pool with all these different jets that relax you or whatever...first you float in this salt water pool...then there are the jets for your feet, you are standing and the jets can actually lift you off the ground...then you sit and jets hit your back legs, then there is a shower jet, that about killed whit, it's really hard on your head and shoulders...then there is this whirlpool jet, a lazy river one, then a hot tub...it was pretty fun to do...so tomorrow, off to our last stop of paris...oh, we've learned that cretan olive oil is the best and they use it for food, bodies, faces everything...