....and it's been difficult to figure out where I'm really supposed to be because there's so many choices but I'm here at my St. George home helping to take care of my mom and I'm most happy to be helping her (I do miss Randy) but being here has given me the opportunity to spend lots of time with my kiddos as yesterday I took Seth out for his birthday date and last Wednesday, I took a day trip to Pleasant Grove to join Lucy for her 4th birthday.
Traci and her boys came down and helped out and it was a total extreme birthday party with games, crafts, food, fun and lots and lots of pictures. It was a happy day for Lucy. So glad I chose to be there.
Any time I can spend with my kiddos totally puts a smile on my face as did this day a couple of months ago when I took my Wells kiddos extreme geocaching up to Silver Reef.
This all came about when Randy and I went here exploring earlier in the month......
...and found all these geocaches and had such a wonderful day that I wanted to share it with my family. I knew the adults would just laugh at me if I suggested "geocaching" as a family activity so I just invited the wee ones and it was part of my Christmas present to them. We picked a date after Christmas and met at noon. Randy took the boys in his mom's SUV and I took the girls in the car and we started out at the Frostop (courtesy of Mason's freebies)......and said goodbye to James and Lauri and family there....
....then headed up the road to Silver Reef and let the kids wander around the museum for a bit then headed out on our adventure. It's sure to be a successful trip when you know where the caches are (wink, wink)....
We visited some old cemeteries and checked out the old silver mine that had been boarded up which didn't keep the kids away. They can find a way to put danger into most anything they do but discovered that it really was quite a long way down that boarded up mine shaft and appreciated the safety net....
We all enjoyed exploring the two old cemeteries, the Catholic one and the Protestant one as back in the day, the two could never be buried in the same place so there were two separate ones.
Ya can't visit a cemetery without playing "zombies" and I think you'll agree that these are some pretty cute ones. We headed to yet another cemetery, the Leeds one where we found some relatives....
While we were at the museum, the lady there told us about the old kiln just up the road but we tried to find it and missed it by just a few yards. Randy and I decided to go back up the next day to try and find it so we grabbed McKay.....(can't remember why but it sure was some fun one on one time with him).....
....and we found it.....and a fun little place to explore on the road to Oak Grove. This is where they would burn the trees to make charcoal for the silver mining. If you haven't explored this, I strongly suggest it on one of those boring afternoons when the kids have an "early out" day. I still hadn't had enough family time so I rented the Veyo Skating Rink for an afternoon.....invited everyone along and had a great time.
I certainly hope these will be some fun new traditions as I thoroughly enjoyed everything we did together during the holidays. These new fun times were added to the usual Christmas Traditions like JoEllen's Awesome Gingerbread House Party....
...always a success and much appreciated by all of us. Then there's the Christmas Eve Hike to kill time before the family gathering at my mom's.....
Um....just for the record, I missed this but for a very good reason. Got a last minute chance for a free Colonoscopy (best Christmas present ever)....and best 2 hour nap anyone could ask for.
It was good to capture a little taste of the fun for the record books. Christmas Eve is always the same and same is good in life. There's very few things we can count on being there every year but this is truly one of them and will surely be missed as we all move on.....
On Christmas afternoon we used to have a Home run Derby but find that Kick Ball let's us all participate; however this year the weather did not cooperate so we went to Mason's Church Rec Hall and played a little Hall Ball (no pics but it was fun for those who were able to come). We also slipped in an evening of Candy Bar Bingo.....
Normally we keep this an adult activity and we discovered exactly why. Some of our little ones could not handle the concept of the game (taking candy bars from each other as you score a bingo) and we had a few tears and a near knock down drag out between McKay and Matty. We'll have to up the age limit next year or find a kid version. It made for good memories though. It was a jam-packed December and a very quiet New Year's Eve for us then we headed back to Folsom and got in a bit of Winter kayaking down by the prison......
The ducks were really glad to see us. Very friendly that day. The bottom right picture is a guy showing off his catch of the day....ya, we were jealous. We must remember to put in our fishing poles next time. One last shot of Kolob from last Fall.....such a perfect picture. So many more but I must end and consider myself caught up. I'm sure I'll come across more and add them later but for now, I must sign off and pledge to stay caught up 'cause it's dang hard when ya get 3 months behind.
Before I go though, I've got to mention that we said goodbye to Randy's mom Josephine. She passed away peacefully on February 13 and she was honored in the Pine Valley Chapel and laid to rest in the Pine Valley Cemetery, reunited with her forever companion, Spence. A chapter closes in the Reber Family. She was a good woman and I am so glad I got to know her and Spence in this life and that they were successful in helping me re-unite with Randy. After a quick over-nighter to one of our favorite spots....
...we headed down to Bakersfield and had the privilege of transporting Jo's body back to St. George. I'm so grateful for the testimony I have of Eternal Life and know that we were only transporting her earthly body and that her spirit was not there. However, we had a calm, peaceful trip and felt her with us.
These past months have been all about "family" and it reminds me of one of my favorite songs entitled "Family" by Zach Gill and Jack Johnson.
She was feeling the ol' yuletide-burn
Cause her family was wearing on her nerves
She was tired of fighting and feeling frustrated
Finding it hard to relate to those of whom she was related
You know we all sometimes, say things we don't mean
But that don't mean that we're not still family
Generation to generation it gets passed on
And then one day, those who would passing well they passed on
Pulling back the covers, her heart will start to shudder when she realizes how deep it all went
Trying to forgive what was said, but was never really meant
Well you know we all sometimes, say things we don't mean.
But that don't mean we're not still family.
Pull out of the shadows and find out that eventually
It's all bad, it's all good baby can't you see
That we all, well we all, well we all are still family
I was there from the moment that you were born
And I've loved you since I heard your first cries
And I know we won't always be getting along
But I promise you that I will always try
You know we all sometimes, say things we don't mean
But that don't mean that we're not still family
You know we all sometimes, say things we don't mean
But that don't mean that we're not still family
********************************************************************************************
Just so ya know.....I sure do love my family.
No comments:
Post a Comment