Scandinavian Festival 2011

Memorial weekend is also the Scanadinavian Festival in Ephraim...which means swedish meatballs!!  TaNeal and Amy suggested I go down to the festival to pick up lunch for the family while they worked on the garden.  So I took the kids and we headed for Ephraim.  While we were walking up the street with the craft booths, we noticed this viking cutout so we stopped by and snapped this picture...then we headed home to enjoy swedish meatballs with the family.

They told us we were their biggest purchase of the day!!

11 dinners to go

I think Kenzie speaks for us all...YUMMMMMMM!!

In God We Trust

As I was walking out of the school after Wyatt's graduation, I noticed this plaque in a display case.  It seems to have become a statement that people are afraid to make in this country...a country that was founded upon this principle.  Then as I drove past the cemetery to see all the flags flying in memory of those who have served this country, it caused me to stop and reflect on the sacrifices so many men and women have made in my behalf.  This truly is the land of the free because of the brave! Thank you for laying your lives on the line so I can enjoy the freedom I have.  God bless America!!!

6th Grade Graduation

Tis the season for graduations and today was Wyatt's graduation from 6th grade.  It's seems like yesterday he was in kindergarten and now he will be going to the middle school.  Congratulations Wyatt!

Wyatt with his teachers Mr Syme and Mrs. Petersen.

I remember when Lucille use to come and stay at our house when

she was in high school!

It's not everyone 6th grader that will let his mom and sister

plant a kiss on their cheek and let someone take a picture of it!!



Our Baby Boy

It's hard to believe that our baby turns 28 tomorrow!!  I guess that makes me officially OLD!!!  Since we didn't want to intrude on any plans Jason and Krysten had planned for his birthday, we met them tonight to celebrate the big occasion.  Happy Birthday my sweet son...we love you!

Open For Business

This weekend I finally committed to making the trip up to Bear Lake to help open the cabins up for the season.  It just always seemed like a long drive...8 hours round trip...to clean for a couple of hours.  But since I was going to be up in Salt Lake to watch the boys on Thursday and Friday, I decided now would be a good time to pitch in and help.  So after I left Bea and the boys, I headed out to stay with my mom. The morning started out early...up at 5 am to make sure I was ready to leave at 6:30.  Then mom and I piled in with Aunt Lynn and headed for Garden City. 

There has always been something very soothing about the water and just Bear Lake in general.  I've been going up there since I was a little girl...so you could say it's been a long, long, long time.  The calm of the lake, the waves brushing against the shore, the sound of children playing in the water, the midnight dive off the dock in the cold water, throwing tin foil balls up in the air while out in the water in the evenings just to watch the bats dive after them, Coffins corner where you could see the clouds roll in when a storm was coming...all fond memories of not only my childhood but my adulthood as well.  Being able to take my children and grandchildren there each summer and spend time with them...thanks to the wonderful gift left for a short time to the family after my Aunt Dode passed away.  It's sad to think it will all come to an end in 2016.  But we must not think of the distant future, we must concentrate on the joy we will have for the next couple of years and treasure those memories.

Every time I go up to Bear Lake I take these same pictures of the cabins and the boat house.  At first I didn't think things had really changed that much over the years.  But as I looked around this year there are a few things that look different.  The old tree in the back of the main house is only half there and the bushes that separated us from our neighbors are almost gone...just little things.  I guess there is one sure thing about life...there will always be change.  But I can't wait until August when we will once again gather at the cabin with family and create more memories.

Granny Nanny Returns

Brandi and Morgan are getting in the habit of heading to Wendover about every other month, which gives me the opportunity of going up and spending a couple of days with Ian, Damon and Jonas.  Being in Salt Lake gives us lots of opportunities for new adventures, but we always seems to start the time with a trip to Sizzler...which is Damon and Jonas' favorite place to eat.  Then we headed home for some Uno...Damon and Jonas that is...Ian had homework to do, friends to Skype with and WOW to play...sure hope he got his home work done :-)

Now I'm not going to say these two little cuties are "card sharks", but they do know how to play cards!!  As I mentioned the last time I stayed with the boys, when we play cards it's pretty competitive.  I don't have to let them win...they KICK MY BUTT all by themselves!!  We were recapping how many games we had each won.  Damon proudly let us know that he had won 5 and Jonas and I had each won 1...for an added total of 2 games for me and Jonas.  Jonas had this funny look on his face and then he says..."actually it's 11!  1 and 1 are 11!"  I like his thinking!!

Friday was our "adventure" day.  The morning started early with belgian waffles for Ian before we took him to school.  Then we came home and got dressed and headed out to explore.  Our first stop was the Oreck store to pick up bags for Brandi and my mom.  Our next stop was Lambert's green house on Redwood Road.  I remember years ago going there to pick up jet star tomato plants for our garden.  No one in Utah county had any so I thought I would give it a shot...and to my surprise...they were still in business!!  And can you say JACKPOT!!!!  They had tons of them.  We looked around and gathered several other kinds of cherry tomatoes, squash and cucumber plants.

When I asked them where they wanted to go for lunch they both said Subway, so we drove up Redwood until we found one.  I did make a "note to self" that I need to talk to Bea next time to find out what she usually orders them.  Jonas was happy with his turkey on white I ordered for him, while Damon got a little creative with his bacon and pepperoni sammy...but he did eat every bit of it.

Next we traveled to the Draper outlet where Damon informed me that "shopping isn't fun!"  So we made it short and then headed for our main destination...The Living Planet Aquarium.  What awesome stuff!  Damon really liked the stingray pool where you could touch the fish - Jonas on the other hand didn't want anything to do with the fish...he just wanted to play in the water.

Then it was time to head back to Bea's for some sad goodbyes.  Can I just say...AGAIN...how much I love spending time with my grandkids.  They are truely my gift for not killing their mothers when they were little!!  Thanks again Bea for letting my spend time with these three special spirits.

And Thanks Ian for all your help!!

Our Little Dancer

Haylee has been so excited about her dance review.  She loves to dance and perform!!  And she was excited about having another cameo on the family blog.  She did GREAT!!!  The other thing she was really excited about was that she was one of about three students that was able to pass off doing the splits.  Months ago as she was working on it, she asked TaNeal "Do you think Granny will put it on her blog?"  So Haylee...for all you do...this ones for you!!  You look AWESOME!!!