THANK YOU!

All these pictures bring back many good memories. Thank you so much to Grant and Mary for the great vacation. We had so much fun.

I love all of these pictures but the one that makes me laugh is the one of Lisa & Tom after their canoe tipped. Looking forward to seeing all 459.

Karlene, you only took 459 pictures??? Why did you hold back?

Funny thoughts.

About a week ago I was finally able to attend the temple since having Mayzie. Travis was at work and my mom took the kids. I didn't realize how busy a Thursday afternoon would be! I am fine to go by myself, but always feel a little more comfortable in a room full of people with someone else I know. Anyway, the session was packed. I was on the very back row and the very last person. Anyway, time for the vail came and in walked GRANDPA! I was so excited and I thought to myself, "Wow! This is what it must be like to be dead! I'm here in a room full of people I don't know, dressed in white and in walks Grandpa!" haha, ok, so maybe not all that spiritual, but Grandpa, I would be very excited if you meet me when I die.

I LOVE JULY!!

I love July! I love the b-b-q's, picnics, fireworks, parades, family get-togethers, YAY! We're having a great summer! One fun thing the girls and I did was go to the Good Things Utah taping and lunch afterward. It was a lot of fun! We're looking forward to Island Park with all of you!!! I posted just a few pictures, but I have a gazillion that I wanted to post. Fun times!! After we get home from Island Park, we leave a few days later to camp with the Mann side, then we're home a few days and leave for the Pioneer Trek! Lots of family fun!!! Hope everyone is having a great summer! We sure love all of you!!

Lehi Parade

We had fun at the Lehi Parade and Lisa and I finally got all our grandkids together.
Mayzie, Myles and Gage had a great time too!











Here is grandma in her greatest past time, holding a grandbaby.













We may be a little weird, but we were more interested in the float driver and pretty spotter than in the pretty girls in front.

Monday, July 6 at 6 PM

Well everyone, we have tickets for a show at THE PLAYMILL THEATRE (Where I spent three summers of my life...) for the Monday night of our trip to the cabin! The theatre is in West Yellowstone (about 20 minutes further from where you used to go at Macks Inn) and it's a great little place for family fun! There's a little variety show before it starts, and during intermission all the concessions come to YOU. Bring money for the amazing fudge! :-)

4th of July Picnic

Clyde & Janice have invited our entire family to their annual 4th of July picnic, held in their back yard, 4:00 p.m. They would appreciate knowing about how many will be able to attend. You may RSVP to me or Janice. I love this holiday! Fun!
Love - Grandma

SUNDAY MENU

This Sunday (6-21-09) we're having soup in bread bowls. Karlene's recipe for Creamy Potato Soup and Lisa's Taco Soup. Birthday cake chosen by Kristy this time will be Angel Food Cake, Cream & Strawberries. Yum. Hope everyone will be able to make it.
Love Grandma

Our Float won "Best of Theme"

Mayzie's Blessing

HAPPY DAY

Twelve years ago today we moved back to Utah after being away for 37 years. Still LOVE IT!
Love - Grandma

PICTURES

I love all of the pictures that have been added to this blog. I think I am especially "fetching" in the cemetery one (taken just before I was abandoned there).
Love - Grandma

P.S. When Chuck heard the story about me being left at the cemetery he said, "Grandma, you're only suppose to be left at the cemetery once."

SEGO LILIES

Yeah, our Sego Lilies are out!!! Numerous ones are in bloom. Just noticed them today. Hope everyone will take a walk in the back yard and enjoy seeing our State Flower. Joy!

Father's Day is coming up soon and Grant has requested "no gifts please". Praise, yes. Presents, no. Homemade cards are WONDERFUL!

Well, I have found one thing that is much harder to do than to break a bad habit. That's trying to create a good habit especially if it involves breaking an old habit to create the new one.

Sometime ago I suggested that we all work towards forming the habit of checking behind our cars before moving them. It is hard to remember to do this. What I've had to do is put a magnet on my car, just above the door handle to remind me. I see the magnet then check the back of the car. It only takes seconds.

I was happy to hear that Travis and Kristy have started doing this. Also they said that missionaries are instructed to do something similar. One missionary stands behind and at the side as the other missionary backs up the car. Great idea. This can't help but save lives and unimaginable heartache.

Primary Children's Hospital has been alerting the public with the slogan "Spot The Tot" (check the back of your car before moving it). Hope we all try to make this a habit. You will never regret it.

Now on to YELLOWSTONE. We will only meet together two more Sunday's before our trip. We won't be getting together on Sunday, July 5th (our regularly scheduled family dinner), because it's the day before we leave. We'll make plans this Sunday p.m.

Love – Grandma & Grandpa

P.S. Karlene I would love it if you can find a picture of a Sego Lilly. Love the pictures you've added, Thanks!

Summer is here!

Brinley is now in Young Women and loves it! She's officially in Jr. High now! It's kinda weird that I won't be helping at the elementary school anymore. (sigh) Baylee is at EFY this week and is having a blast! woot! Trek's Lone Peak sophmore soccer team went to the championship undefeated, but lost last night. Trek played awesome though! It was probably his best all season! We're really proud of him! Way to go big T!! Whitney is in full swing at the school everyday this week planning with the other SBOs. She's having a lot of fun already! Whitney and Trek are earning some money doing yards. It's hard work. We're excited for all the family fun planned for the summer with the cousins! We love you all!
P.S. I can't believe I forgot to mention this!! Whitney and I ran/walked (she ran, I walked) the Syracuse 5K on Memorial Day! Here's proof! And no, Whitney did not come in behind me, they finished long before Kayla and me, then ran to the finish line with us. It was fun!

We are so proud of Steve! He is working so hard, he is even converting MONKEY'S! Keep up the hard work Steve!!

We are looking forward to seeing all of you (that can come) on Sunday for dinner. We'll be celebrating Chuck & Darci's birthdays. Craig & Lori had planned to be at an Olsen outing this weekend but are staying home to lay tile on there basement apartment floor. Sounds like too much work! Anyway, they will be here on Sunday. Also the Morgan's will stop here on their way home from St. George. We should have a pretty good turn out. Since Chuck hasn't been here for his birthday for a very long time, I asked him to choose what kind of Birthday Cake he wanted - he choose the Skor bar cake. Darci said she loves my Taco Salad so we'll be having that also. Hope all this good food tempts you to come.Love - Grandma

Ben's basic training address

Here is Ben's basic training address. If you get a chance, write him a note of encouragement. I'm sure he will appreciate it.

Mayzie's blessing

We are blessing Mayzie on June 7th at 9 AM. It is in the same building we had when we blessed Myles. (It's actually closer to Chuck and Amy's house than it is to our house :) Let me know if you need directions. Just a heads up at the moment there is only one other blessing that day besides Mayzie, but there could possibly be up to five and we can't save seats for anyone. Don't worry if you can't make it, I know it is a long drive for some of you. We are going to try and get the club house so we can have a brunch after, but details to come. Hope to see you all there.

Float building time

In case you haven't heard, Lisa and I are building a float again. Thankfully we have a lot of help. Chuck designed it. I'm really excited about the design. I think it will be a real crowd pleaser. Travis has been working hard to help with the construction. Needless to say, most evening and all Saturdays will be tied up on this project until it's finished. You're all welcome to come help or just hang out.

Utah Highway Patrol

Just thought we would let you all know that because Travis took the very first entry test last September that means we are down to the last FOUR months of the year-long hiring process!!! We are asking everyone to keep your fingers crossed for Trav, hopefully by the end of summer (September 21, 2009) He will be a trooper to watch out for while you are speeding down I-15! Ok, actually hopefully he will be in the academy at that point so he won't be one pulling anyone over for another 6 months or so. We will let you know as soon as we hear anything, but it may not be until end of July/early August. Unfortunatly the hiring process only moves forward when the UHP has spare time and because they are under-staffed :) it is taking FOREVER! I know many of you were concerned that there was a hiring freeze, but that was for people who had not yet started the process. We know for a fact that they ARE hiring. Thanks for everyone's interest in this whole thing. Hopefully it will be sooner than later. We are very excited.

Also had to add some cute pictures of the munchkins! (notice the cute shirt Mayzie has on Karlene?!) Look at how her little arms are getting rolls. You should see her legs! I love it

It's like pulling teeth to get this kid to smile AND look at me at the same time! But I thought this picture was pretty cute of him. Love this kid (even though sometimes I want to say "quit acting like a two-year-old" and then I remember that it's exactly what he is) He does look older than two in this picture.

All Dogs Go To Heaven

BUCK
Aug. 21,1996-April 25, 2009
The best dog in the whole world is now in heaven doing what he loves. He's running and jumping and playing fetch! He went with his tail wagging. Buck brought us so much joy and happiness and we're going to miss him terribly. We'll miss him jumping up to meet us as he sees the car driving up the road, knowing he'll get a treat as soon as we got out the car. We'll miss having to hold him back because he wanted to follow whoever was walking to church or a friends house. We'll miss that big 'ol bark when someone passed by the house. Our friends will miss Buck greeting them on the porch wagging his tail like crazy. Buck had gentle spirit and instantly captured the heart of all those who made contact with him. We're thankful we got to have Buck in our lives. We love you Buck-a-roo! Forever in our hearts, Ron, Karlene, Whitney, Trek, Baylee and Brinley

THANKS TO KARLENE

Karlene, this Family Blog has been a great idea!!! It's wonderful to see current pictures and comments that each family contributes and I also love the "Pictures of the Week". And I must confess it's much easier to add a tidbit from time to time than to work-up something for the newsletters. We all owe you, big time.
Love - Grandma
P.S. Thanks for adding pictures to my blogs!!!

Latter day prophets

I found this quote and thought it would be appropriate to share, especially as we will be getting our confrence ensign soon.

The Prophet Living in Our Day
Posted: 22 Apr 2009 12:00 AM PDT
"President Wilford Woodruff tells of an interesting incident that occurred in the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith: . . . " 'Brother Joseph turned to Brother Brigham Young and said, "Brother Brigham I want you to go to the podium and tell us your views with regard to the living oracles and the written word of God." Brother Brigham took the stand, and he took the Bible, and laid it down; he took the Book of Mormon, and laid it down; and he took the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and laid it down before him, and he said: "There is the written word of God to us, concerning the work of God from the beginning of the world, almost, to our day. And now," said he, "when compared with the living oracles those books are nothing to me; those books do not convey the word of God direct to us now, as do the words of a Prophet or a man bearing the Holy Priesthood in our day and generation. I would rather have the living oracles than all the writing in the books." That was the course he pursued. When he was through, Brother Joseph said to the congregation; "Brother Brigham has told you the word of the Lord, and he has told you the truth." ' (Conference Report, October 1897, pp. 18–19.) ". . . Therefore the most important prophet so far as you and I are concerned is the one living in our day and age to whom the Lord is currently revealing His will for us. Therefore the most important reading we can do is any of the words of the prophet contained each month in our Church Magazines. Our instructions about what we should do for each six months are found in the General Conference addresses which are printed in the Church magazine."Topic:
Ezra Taft Benson, "Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet," Tambuli, June 1981, 2–3

Cancun, MX

Cancun was a blast! This is Chichen Itza. They won't let you climb it anymore, but Ron & I did last time we were there. eeek!This is Coba. The kids climbed it. Can you see them at the top?:D If you click on the picture, you can see 'em.
Ocean fun and pool fun!We also did some flea market shopping and ate at some authentic places. It was a nice, relaxing break.

Family of Four

As you all know, we had Mayzie! Trav choose her middle name, Elise, after my middle name! I love it, and hopefully she will as well. We are all doing really great, only Travis is a little sleep-deprived! Labor and Delivery went well, and I am already looking forward to the next one :), good thing I have Trav to keep me in line! Myles is doing pretty good. He LOVES his "baby sister, princess, sweetie, and Mayzie" Every time he wakes up the first thing he says is "Where's Mayzie?" Mayzie is doing really well. She eats great and sleeps great (so far). We are so happy it's finally Spring and we can spend much more time at the park. Love you all. See you Sunday.

donotcontact.utah.gov

Hi everyone! This is just for your information, but I wanted to pass it along in case you aren't aware. Companies are now targeting mobile phones with advertisements of alcohol, tobacco, pornography and gambling. Utah has a website now that you can go to and register your e-mail, mobile phone, fax etc. so that you CANNOT be contacted or sent advertisements. It is donotcontact.utah.gov . I strongly suggest you register, especially your kids phone numbers, so that these buggers cannot send any of this scum to our kids! (or us!) I just did it. It is super easy and gave me peace of mind knowing I can try to protect my kids from this crap! Sorry, this scummy world just ticks me off sometimes! But life IS good and I will post about our Mexico trip soon. We had a blast! I love you all and our kids and want them protected as much as possible! Hugs, Karlene

SUNDAY GET TOGETHER 4-26-09

This Sunday will be the last Sunday that Ben will be with us for SIX MONTHS!!! I know he likes Fajitas so that is what I'm fixing for dinner.
We will also be celebrating a few birthdays; Mandi, Ben, Austin & Michael. Next April we will be adding Mayzie to the list. Already celebrated Trek's birthday earlier in the month.
We will also be tying Chuck and Amy's quilt. Should be an enjoyable time together.
Love - Grandma
P.S. Lori had Carpal Tunnel surgery today. Everything went fine. She'll have the other wrist fixed next week.

MOTHER'S DAY

Mother's Day is coming up soon and I would like to request NO presents please. Like the original founder of the day, I think it is wonderful to give praise but no presents.
Love - Mom

Two more days

Two more days Karleen, don't forget, or the beautiful blue skys might be a thing of the past.

Baby Mayzie

I'm sure Travis and Kristy will have lots of details but here are a few pictures until then.