Perfect day for a perfect walk

The last day of my perfect fall weekend was Sunday. We got up early and went to church. Cooper wasn't feeling well, so Katie took us back to the house and I stayed with him for the rest of the meeting time. He watched Pinocchio and we read stories. It was so nice to have the one-on-one time with my Buzzy Boy. We had lunch and then Julie came to join us for a little drive up to Muller Park. I remember going there as a kid, but it is way different now. We took the path to walk through the fall leaves. I was truly in my element doing that. I love the fall and I love the leaves, the colors, the SMELL, the shuffling of feet through the leaves. It was so much fun.

Katie gave the kids each a bag so they could collect their leaves.

Savannah is such a little princess! Ryan and Cooper saving a special leaf.

The colors in this spot were just to beautiful to pass up and Savannah is always ready to pose for a picture.

Just goin' down the path...

Ryan found this fallen tree for Cooper to ride. Isn't he cute?

As we came to the end of the trail, here was this spot with the sun just shining on it and the leaves were just glowing with color!

Going to the car...

One last look. I love fall so much and this was my "fall fix."

We returned home from our little hike and Katie made a wonderful Sunday dinner. My Dad and Donna joined us, so I got to see my dear dad, too! Thanks Julie and Katie, for letting me stay with you, and for spending time with me. I love you so much! Can't wait to see you in November!

Traditions creating memories...

Last Saturday, part of the fun in Utah was a beautiful drive to Heber to visit with Ryan's parents and most of his siblings. Grandma Sue was a wonderful hostess. She had such darling activities planned for the kids. Her front porch was all decorated up with pumpkins. I enjoyed watching Sue with her family. The grandkids all got to pick out their own pumpkin and carve it. She had a plethora of carving tools they used on this project.

They all had fun cleaning and carving and each got a candle to put inside and light.

Ryan helped Cooper with his.

I helped Savannah with the cleaning out part, but couldn't do the pattern she picked out so her cute uncle helped her finish hers..

Sue and Doug made a delicious steak dinner. She then took the kids downstairs to get on their costumes for the party. They played spin the bottle and went on a witch hunt. This is an annual thing that the Robinsons do. I am so glad that my grandkids have such wonderful "other" grandparents that love them and do special things for them. I snuck outside for a few minutes to take some pictures as the sun was making its way down in the west. I love that time of day as the lighting is that glowing amber color, and the leaves in their yard were so beautiful!

I tried to catch the sun shining through the leaves. I liked this shot.

Thank you Katie and Ryan, for sharing your "Robinson" family with me so freely.

It means the world to me. I love them, and you.

Keep those special family traditions going! Your kids will always look back on this stuff and say "rememer when..."

Am I Cupid ... or What?

Here's a little love story for you. I think it was in February of 2004, I had a wonderful reunion with a "long-lost cousin" - a cousin that shared my young childhood back in Rosepark. Dale Trimble. It was sooooooo good to see him. I learned that he had been divorced. Some bells started ringing in my head (I really hate when that happens) and I told him I had someone I wanted him to meet. He was not anxious to go on a blind date, but said, "I'll go so I can have dinner with you." So I called up my sweet, dear friend Sherry (Loveridge) Broderick and told her I wanted to line her up with my cousin. She was not thrilled to get lined up - but said (get this) "I'll go so I can have dinner with you." :o) How cute. So they met Rod and me at the Lone Star in Centerville. We had a GREAT dinner, and they could not take their eyes off each other. We could tell they did not want the evening to be over, so we went to a movie. They held hands and talked through the whole movie. THEN we stood in the foyer for 45 minutes talking. Finally Rod and I said we had to call it a night and left. They stayed out until 2 AM or some ridiculous hour. Because Dale lived in Holbrook AZ and Sherry in Bountiful UT this was a long distance courtship - and it was a courtship from the beginning. She had fresh flowers all the time. He spent lots of weekends in Utah - she even went to Arizona. The went snowmibiling in Wyoming. They got together every chance they had. They ended up getting married the Friday after Thanksgiving that year. She really fought it because of her kids still living at home. She told me she went down kicking and screaming - but down she went! They are the sweetest couple and treat each other like gold. Last Saturday, they were sealed in the Bountiful Temple for time and all eternity (that's a looooong time guys!). When Sherry called to tell me the news, I said "Oh, I just can't come." As soon and we hung up the phone I was on the Internet looking for a ticket. After all, why not go see my girls and my grandkids, too? so THAT'S why I got to go have a perfect weekend in Utah and experience the fall that I miss so much in AZ! Dale and Sherry were so surprised when they saw me there that they both cried. It was great! I love you guys!

4 generations - Dale, his mom (my dear Aunt Rouvoe), and his children and grandchildren.

What a handsome couple (is that what you say about people our age?)

I don't know about this, Dale doesn't look too thrilled in this one.

Okay, this is better. He looks pretty happy here.

Aren't the fall colors at the temple just beautiful?

Breakfast Anyone?

I got to go to Utah last weekend and see my kids and grandkids. It was such a perfect weekend. I will just start from the beginning and then go on with the whole weekend. There was so much to remember! I took over 150 pictures. Don'tcha just love digital photos? Becca and I flew in to SLC on Friday night. We were supposed to arrive around 8:20, but our flight was delayed enough that we did not arrive until after 11:00. Nice way to start out a vacation, huh? I stayed with Julie and Ava on Friday night. I woke up to the sounds and smells of breakfast being prepared by Julie. She said she wanted us all to get together, so she though breakfast was a good way to do it. She made orange rolls, chocolate chip muffins, scrambled eggs, hash browns and sausage. What a feast. Here are some photos. I think you will see that we are not all really bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning...

Julie is a great little breakfast maker!

Now here are some happy faces!

My forgotten talent . . .

A couple of weeks ago, I took Becca and went to JoAnn's Fabric store. I decided I wanted to make some receiving blankets for baby Luka, who will make his appearance the day after Thanksgiving. (I bought my tickets to be there for the event in July. Can't wait!) Last night I pulled out my sewing machine, dusted it off (YUCK!), and set it up on the kitchen table. I got the fabric out and started trimming the selvages and making the pieces square for the little blankets. As I was trimming away, I remembered that I had a cutting board and a rolling cutter I could use, so I dug around and found that stuff.

It was much faster and easier and did a much better job at trimming the edges! I had forgotten I even had that stuff. It was so much fun to indulge in this project. As I sat there and started sewing, I was flooded with memories of sewing projects in the past and how much I loved to sew. I remembered how my mom sat at that machine for hours each summer, making us beautiful school dresses. I thought of my first sewing experiences using my mom's old black Singer sewing machine. I made Barbie clothes and doll clothes. She told me that if I could make those tiny patterns, I could surely make my own clothes, so she took me to the fabric store and I got the material for my first dress made by me! I was in the 5th grade. By the time I was in high school, she told me I was a better seamstress than she, and that I should be doing my own sewing from then on, so I did! I even ended up sewing for hire. Through out my life, I have made many articles of clothing and lots of baby blankets and quilts. I remember making Katie and Julie their school clothes, matching Easter dresses, swim suits, knit t-shirts, jeans, night gowns, and even their undies. It is something I have always loved doing. I taught Katie when she was a girl, and she made some shorts and shirts for herself and Julie. Julie learned during high school in her Home Ec class. Becca wants to make some PJ bottoms, so I bought her the material. She picked out the cow pattern - she wanted Luka to have that for one of his blankets.

I think I will pull out the machine tomorrow night and get her started. Wish me luck...

I thought the cow pattern would look cute with a special edge, so I used the machine embroidery feature on it. I did a design on the blue soccer fabric as well. The others are just a plain stitch, but each stitch is sewn with Grammy's love for baby Luka.

Here are the finished receiving blankets. I think they will be so cute for our new little guy! I picked out the soccer fabric special just for him. I think I will not wait so long for my next sewing project. I had forgotten how much I love to sew!

Mary posing at the Mesa Temple Visitors' Center .

Isn't the Mesa Temple beautiful?

This is truly one of my favorite visuals.

We have a friend in our ward that Rod home teaches and she does not drive. Every Sunday I take my kids to church and drop them off early so Nick can help with the Sacrament, and then go back and pick up Mary and her son, Robert. Mary is an amazing woman, who has a really great testimony of the gospel. We found out she had never been to the Mesa Temple, so for her birthday in September, we took her to the temple grounds and out to dinner. We also saw the Joseph Smith movie. She loved it. As we came out, the sky was really beautiful. I love the silhouette of the palm trees against the sunset - one of my favorite things about AZ.

I am thankful for the special friendship we have with Mary. Her unwavering faith is such a strength to me and I feel privileged to serve as her "church chauffeur."

Happy Birthday, Katie!

Katie has a birthday on September 25th! One of the things I have always loved about Katie is that she has wanted and loved her sisters so much! She was so excited when Julie was born. She was never jealous of the attention and gifts received by her baby sister. She would just stand there by the cradle and smile. She could not wait until her sister was big enough to sleep with her! She was 17 when Becca was born, and was even more excited to have another sister! Between Katie and Julie, I hardly ever got to hold my new baby. Katie didn't want to go away to college because she was afraid Becca wouldn't know her. And even when she and Julie had their own rooms, the usually ended up sleeping in the same room (and bed) anyway. There is something special about that eldest child, and Katie is no exception to that! She is self-motivated in everything she does, and has natural leadership abilities. She has high expectations (sometimes too high!) and strives for excellence. She is responsible, intelligent, spiritual, talented, kind, charitable, lovable, fun (no one can make me laugh like Katie - except maybe Julie and Becca!) and she is a wonderful hostess. Katie is a devoted friend, wife and mother. All who know her are greatly blessed by her valiant spirit and her kindness to all she meets. Katie has always had such a beautiful smile, and is so photogenic. I am so proud of her and all she has accomplished in her life. She is a marvelous example to her younger sisters, and takes great pains to make sure their lives are happy and comfortable. I could never ask for a more wonderful daughter, EVER! I love reading her blog and keeping up with the happenings of my grand kids. I am so thankful that she takes the time to do this. It is a great record of her life. And best of all, she is my dearest friend! Truly my cup runneth over!

Labor Day Hike

Getting ready for the trail with lots of sunscreen.

He looks like a happy camper. (hiker)

As promised, here is a report on our Labor Day Hike. The kids were sooooooo good on this outing. They did not murmur or complain the whole day. It was really fun! I think they actually ENJOYED the whole outing. Rebecca even said the ruins were "cool." Becca took along her friend, Mckaela. They had lots of fun goofing around.

The indian ruins were, once again, very interesting and inspiring. We all commented on how they could still be there and be so perfect. We wonder what the people ate, and how they raised their children up in the cliffs (and how they went to the bathroom at night without falling off the cliff!)

I like this silhouette of Nick as he is looking out from under the ledge.

Becca and Kaela found a stray hiker and he actually let them kiss his cheeks as they shared his rock seat!

These two were quite the ladies in the cliffs. Just look at that pose and the serious and thoughtful faces.

This Little Piggy Went Wii, Wii, Wii...

Do these two look excited or what!?

Nick has been saving his money for a specific goal. He asked everyone to give him money for his birthday. He has been saving allowances too, and he got Becca to go in with him to buy a Nintendo Wii. (I keep a special savings account for her money just for things like this.) When we were at WalMart yesterday, the kids went to the electronics department. They reported there was one Wii left. They convinced me they just had to have it. Actually I have been wanting them to have one, too. It is really an amazing and fun game system. So we went home, got Nick's money, transferred Becca's money to the debit account and went back to make the big purchase. They also got another set of controls so they could play the games together. They literally danced back to the car and when we got home, they got it unpackaged. I don't think it has been off since (except for a brief rest during sleep time and church today). I think this has been as exciting as Christmas!

Nick is bowling. He actually is the best at the Baseball and Tennis.

Now Becca is bowling. She owns the bowling game.

They are boxing here. Becca is pretty darned good at throwing those punches. It is so much fun to watch these two play. They actually got me to do the bowling and tennis with them. It is really a fun activity, and I am so glad we are able to enjoy things like this together.

I truly could not ask for two better teenagers. They are so much fun. There was just one catch to the whole Wii thing, though. If I took them back to the store and helped them get the Wii, I made them promise to go on a hike tomorrow for a family activity with no complaining. They both agreed instantly. I will report back on how this goes. Becca wants me to include that they are now saving their money to get Metroid Prime III Corruption, whatever that is! (It sounds questionable to me!)

My Birthday Girl

26 years ago today, I received an unprecedented gift of joy in my life - my second beautiful daughter, Julie. She was without a doubt the most cheerful baby ever. And she was so darling, people would stop me in the store and say "What a beautiful baby! She looks just like a doll you would buy at Pennies." Her golden curls, blue eyes, and infectious smile won over every one that was lucky enough to see her. How can I ever express proper gratitude for the privilege of being her mother? Her first birthday cake had her nickname "Boogee" written on the side. (pronounced boo-GEE) She was such a barrel of laughs and had such exuberance! She would be smiling even though she couldn't keep her eyes open when I would get her up in the mornings. When Julie turned 6, she had a Barbie theme birthday. She received 6 or 7 Barbies as gifts. She was certainly the queen of Barbies that year. I also made her a big cake that had a frosting Barbie face on it. I used to get quite a buzz out of doing fancy cakes for the girls' birthdays. This birthday we had a house with a pool, and her 7th birthday party was a big SPLASH! One of my most memorable experiences with Julie was when she allowed me to be present at Ava's birth. It is a treasured memory. It reminded me of her birth and how happy I was to have a precious baby girl to teach and love. Julie lived in California and I lived in Utah. I flew out to Long Beach before she was to go to the hospital. She picked me up at the airport and we spent the day making those last minute preparations before Ava was born. Julie and Ava were in Utah when Ava was blessed. Here is a picture of Julie taken when she, Katie and their darling children came to Phoenix to visit. She is a beautiful woman, of whom I am very proud. She works very hard to provide a living for herself and her daughter. She is a wonderful example of doing what is right, even though it may not always be the easy way. I love you so much, Julie! Happy, Happy Birthday!

Thoughts on the eyes getting old . . .

Last month, I got it in my head that I was really tired of wearing glasses all the time and wanted to try the contacts. There is a new kind that holds more moisture in the eye and is supposed to be a bifocal, which I must have. I really gave it a fighting try for three weeks! I couldn't see to my satisfaction with the first pair - the power for distance was too strong so it was all blurry. The second week I had another pair that was a little better, but everything in the distance was still fuzzy. The third pair was okay, but words all had a shadow or a "ghost". I had one really good day with the third pair - even wore those suckers for like 13 hours. When I got home and took them out, my eyes were so red! and the right eye had these huge red blood veins running from the inner corner to the iris - it was really gross. Besides, I have "dry eye." So I quit wearing them until my appointment on Saturday. The Dr. said the redness came from the cornea not getting enough oxygen and that I just wasn't a good candidate for contacts. "It is harder for someone your age..." I was so disappointed! Getting old really sucks! Guess I just have to keep wearing the bifocals - but I am going to get new frames and try the "rimless" kind if you get that in a BIFOCAL!!! Ugh!