As time passes....

...each year becomes a series of milestones or anniversaries, hopefully filled with good ones and in this family, we have lots to celebrate. On this day, we celebrate the life of a good man, the patriarch of this family. Eleven years ago on this day, it was even a Sunday at 2:00 p.m. that he left this world and we continue to miss him in our daily lives. We would vacation this week each year as he would take the 24th of July off work and take the family somewhere, be it Disneyland, a cruise, or to Pine Valley....

This particular vacation is where Mason and Mandy got engaged and we rented two large vans to transport us, communicating with walkie-talkies (amazing, it doesn't seem that long ago, where were our cell phones?)...but we had a wonderful time. This was our last, real family vacation with him as the next year was spent in and out of the hospital, once again though, bringing the family together during this week.

I've spent the last two days with my girls....and we celebrated his life by having lunch at Little America, another favorite family vacation spot. This was his "home away from home" as he had to travel north so much through the years for doctor appointments and each Christmas we would take the family north to see Temple Square and do Christmas shopping. Lots of good memories at this place.

It was a treat to be at the parade in Bountiful and experience the Stripling Warriors entry. I can't even describe the feeling that came over me when I first saw them marching down the street....at a  parade, the feeling is normally a racous applause but for this entry, I felt humbled and in awe as I saw the 2060 young men coming toward me.....so glad Scotty got to see it from the front row. I asked him how he liked it and he said..."I loved it"....his mom and dad have been preparing him for this experience. Click this link to learn more about how this came about. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865556198/Two-thousand-stripling-warriors-to-march-in-Bountiful-parade.html?pg=all.... it was pretty awesome.

Thanks, John and Diana for saving us a place. I loved just being there. I love parade atmospheres and being with family and friends. Diana provided us all with wonderful popsicles from Pace's Dairy. It was a fun evening....topped off with some fireworks.
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It was a treat to go and watch Scott get his yellow belt....

....reminding me of just a few years earlier when Spencer made that giant milestone....that's as far as he went so we'll see if Scott can progress a little further in the martial arts. He's really pretty good at it and I got to see him break a board. It's been a fun week-end; we packed a lot in. Loved being with my girls and their families.