Celebrating firsts.....

.....is always a good thing and I'm looking forward to tomorrow when we will celebrate and commemorate the "first" Wells family tradition....BLT day remembering that December 1st (or 2nd, there seems to be a discrepancy so we celebrate both days) in 1972, a sunny, cold, Logan afternoon when we just happened to be having BLTs and eating them outside at the top of the stairs in the sun and happened to be talking about establishing family traditions and just happened to say..."let's have this be our first one, BLTs on December 1st (or 2nd, not real sure and it was not documented so learn from me people, document, document document or it is as if it never happened but this did happen and we have kept it as a tradition through the years).

We are heading into "tradition full" times and anticipating those "yearly" things we do as families and establishing new ones. I, for one look forward to a few simple things we do this time of year....getting my "real" tree and getting it put up in my family room, home run derby, Christmas Eve chaos at Mom's....appreciating ever so much as we all know some of these don't last forever and will be replaced with new ones...but that's o.k. too. So....welcome to December. Simplify...and try to enjoy the "reason for the season" (I'm talking to myself here). Be kind and be happy. That's what He wants from us as we celebrate His birth. My love to my friends and my family....this may be the only Christmas card I send.

It's maddening....

....when technology doesn't work and my Internet Explorer has been down for the last two days and hasn't been letting me blog and I have so much to say....don't all of us bloggers? Anyway, let me start out by wishing JoEllen a great big Happy Birthday today and tell her how much I have appreciated her taking Kyle off my hands.....she has done a super job with him and she is an amazing mom to their four little kids, George, Emily, Evan and Matty. I hope you've let them pamper you today, JoEllen....

Also, I just got back from a little trip to Northern California where I was able to re-connect with some old friends from our Vet School days. Julie and Raul Rodriguez lived by us at East (or North, can't remember) Fairway in Pullman, Washington. When we first met them, they were newlyweds and we really enjoyed them as neighbors but didn't really ask them to join our church. We talked a bit about it and answered their questions and when we returned from Spring Break, they told us they were going to be baptized. Some other neighbors are the ones that asked the question....but they have always reassured us that we were a good example to them. That should have been a reason for me to be more bold and ask "the question" more....but I'm grateful for those bold neighbors that did ask. Time faded away as we met last Thursday and spent a few minutes together to get caught up on life......

One of my favorite things in this life is to meet and associate with good, positive people....and to know they are never really out of my life and that I will meet them again some day. When I actually do, it's amazing.

Every now and then...

....as I'm enjoying my grand kids, I think of how much Scott would have loved being a grandpa and how fun it would be to have him here enjoying them with me...and it's pretty normal I guess just to wonder what would be different....what would be the same. All I know is that there would be a whole lot of laughing and a whole lot of love but I hope tomorrow, we can all pause for a moment and miss him as it is his birthday. He would have been 62 and would have been lovin' life. He taught me a lot about "lovin' life"....and appreciating the blessings we have been given.

Laynee and George are the only grandchildren he got to hold in this life....I'm sure he's loved and sent the others on their way.....but I know he would have loved watching these little ones play and I had to take this opportunity to once again pay tribute to my wonderful basement that gets transformed into many creative dwellings.....here's the latest from last Sunday.
Several little huts with specific purposes...... ....and of course, a menu. No basement play is ever complete without food. I love it....always a surprise to go down the next day (or week) and see what they have been doing but that's how I raised the kids.....never wanted to intrude on their territory and interrupt any creative play if ya know what I mean.











I'm sure he's somewhere (wherever Heaven is) watching me enjoy these cute kids and enjoying them with me. Happy Birthday, Grandpa.....you are missed.

I just don't understand...

....why everyone doesn't want to live in Southern Utah....and why they don't, but I'm glad they don't 'cause it would be pretty dang crowded, but I'm mighty glad that I get to and I'm especially glad that some of my family are feeling it too....and I'm especially grateful I was invited along on this day.....a beautiful fall day to be exact...in Zion National Park where all of us attempted and some of us completed the hike to the top of Angel's Landing.

I was in charge of the "Wus Patrol" (Me, Jack and Seth) today...and o.k. with it. I could have made it to the top (ya, right) going at my own pace (like, probably 2 days) but chose to head on back down the trail and enjoy a nice, leisurely lunch at the lodge while we waited for the others to finish. It was a great day for interesting sights from the Ostrichs just as we headed out of Rockville.............

....... to a couple of beautiful bucks and a goat or two to the side of the road after we got out of the Mile-Long Tunnel and then a squirrel and the weirdest bug I've ever seen on the trail. Oh, what nature has to offer....it was awesome.
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Drew is enjoying the victory and the view from the top of the world. Way to go, buddy.

Jeremy made it too but he must have been taking the pics....way to go you guys.

Back at the lodge just remembering the good times when we'd bring the kids up and let them romp on the big lawn while we listened to conference.

....and just so ya know....I'm going to get me one of these shirts in about a month.

....as I will be hiking Angel's Landing at my own pace after a little more training. Hope you had a great Saturday; we sure did.

The only thing better...

....than fresh pomegranate jelly is homemade bread and pomegranate jelly....yum...
We have another convert....Joyce has a small pom bush and she was able to get a couple of batches from that crop....it has been a good year for the poms....extra prolific and amazingly juicy.

.....and speaking of yarn.....here's a wonderful little wreath that Lauri made for me....I love it.

Just a reminder that I haven't had time to knit for goin' on EIGHT MONTHS NOW....argghhhh.