A shout out today....

......to Evan 'cause it's his birthday and I'm sure he's celebrating in fine fashion 'cause the kid has passion for whatever he does and what a jokster....either playing practical jokes or telling a joke and making sure that you get it like..."why did the scissors cross the road?"...."they wanted to take a "short cut"....get it, grandma, short-cut, scissors".....what a cute kid and it's going to be fun to see him continue to grow and be a "cut up" like his namesake...my dad who was always telling a joke or trying to make us laugh.

It's always good to have an "Evan" around to be the life of the party. Happy Birthday, big guy. I really miss you and hope you have a great day.

(View from our patio).....I feel like every day is a celebration around here with our festive lanterns. They are solar powered and light up each night.......I got this good shot and just wanted to share. I hope we can all find something about each day to celebrate.......

Sometimes it's the simple things...

....that bring a smile to your face and make you realize it doesn't really take much to make your day. Well, my ice maker lately has been making me smile as it's the first time in my life I could just reach into the freezer and grab a bunch of ice and put it in a cup....I know, it's not like having it right in the door of your refrigerator like most of you have but for me, it's the luxury of luxuries as it's what I've always wanted....but could never have because 30 years ago we didn't plumb for it...or that was the story I've been given all my life so in the beginning, I just used ice trays....lately, I've been driving to Sonic to get a bag of their "poop ice" which I do love but for right now, it's here, in abundance and I'm grateful and lovin' it......

....and apartment life is a simple thing as well, actually, it's simply great. When the ice maker doesn't work, I just call the maintenance man and he's right on it (it wasn't actually the ice maker but the refrigerator and actually he wasn't right on it, a few days later but he was on it and we didn't have to do it).

....and speaking of apartment life, Randy created me the patio (or porch)  to die for while I was gone complete with solar ceiling lantern lighting and surrounding rope lights, Adirondack chairs, three exotic flowering plants, blue carpet and a banana plant.....and it's sprouting a new leaf. So many firsts in my life....my first automatic ice maker and my first plant that is actually flourishing....am I lucky or what!!!!!!

And to top it all off, we had our "first" company over for dinner tonight....Ambyr, Jacob, Spencer and Tiare just got back from Tahiti so we treated them to none other than Hawaiian Haystacks straight from Lauri's Kitchen Cabinet blog (Click  HERE)....her picture is better than mine. Also, Grape Salad  (Click HERE). Ambyr and Jacob brought over some official Tahitian Fish Salad which was really good......raw fish and all. It certainly was a festive evening.....and "simply" delightful.

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.
*********************
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.

It's good to be humbled....

...and that's what I've been the last couple of nights as we have watched the mini-series on John Adams. It's so amazing to realize (and see it come to life on screen) God's hand in the creation of this country and the obstacles they had to overcome for our freedom today. I don't know where I was in George Feller or Heber Jones' history classes but it's like I'm learning it all over again and Randy has to push pause to fill me in every other 5 minutes but it has been amazing. This is the time of year that we celebrate our independence and it has been a good reminder to me of how blessed we really are......

....and speaking of America, what's more American than ice cream? Coldstone Creamery has taken on a "retro" theme of offering some of the old American ice cream favorites like plain, old hot fudge sundaes, strawberry sundaes and rootbeer floats. On our date night, we went there to partake.....the manager came out and saw that we were ordering "retro" and asked us to be in a promotional video....we gave him our contact info and I got the call yesterday.

I put on the "big hair" for the night and tried to look as "retro" as possible. I'm not really sure what they are going to do with the piece but it was fun, we made some new friends, got a tour of behind the scenes at Coldstone and got a free ice cream out of it so it was a successful evening....so if you hear me complain about the weight I'm putting back on, just chalk it up to "happy pounds".....

Happy Birthday, America. 

It's a rush....

...certainly a rush of emotions, feelings, memories as we all watch what is happening to my dad's farmland and as I think back through the years there certainly is a "rush", almost a "drowning" of emotion, especially when I remember scenes like this....my mom and dad in their "golden" years, contemplating their future together, his life of work and sacrifice, his "retirement". I'm sure that's not what they are talking about here but my dad was a contented man....had a beautiful wife, took great satisfaction in his crop of hay to feed his cattle all lined up in a row....nothing made him happier....

This was his "office"....a couple of old discarded chairs put to the shade side of the shed, right by the flowing canal (he loved the ambience of the rushing water) and there would usually be a cold Pepsi in his hand....but today, Mom came to visit and he loved it when someone would come join him in his office......

This is what it looked like a few weeks ago as the property has been sold and the developers have moved in. Sometimes I wish things didn't have to change......

...but someone once said..."some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge." (Eckhart Talle)....

....and something new is certainly emerging and I have to admit, it's exciting to watch. It's been sad to watch the land be ravaged and trespassed by strangers who had no clue to the hard work and sacrifice that went in to farming the land, to make a living and many a stranger used it for backdrops for expensive photo shoots with no questions asked.....I have to admit, a tinge of frustration as I see it freely used and I want to yell at the top of my lungs..."do you even know what history is there behind your smiling faces"....they don't but I will take a bit of pleasure in knowing it was enjoyed by so many.

My heart is full as I write this post with my dad as alive as ever in my mind, milking the cows, taking the milk to this "milk house", separating out the cream then bringing it home for us to share with our neighbors or sell as we did to many happy recipients. My dad got up at the crack of dawn to go out and feed and milk the cows, came home for lunch, took a nap, headed back in the mid-afternoon, back home in the evening then oftimes back in the wee hours of the morning to turn the water. I would be awake some mornings and yearn for his return, always fearful that something dreadful would happen to him as he would go out in the dark alone but he always came home. It was just what he did.... and he loved it. He had the chance to do other things but chose to keep and farm the family land as others went off to other ventures. It was a place that was "his" and he took great pride in it. As kids, we loved the hot afternoons that mom would take his lunch to him and we would all sit in the shade of the shed and have our tuna sandwiches and Pepsi....he loved the visits, I just knew it and we had our own swimming pool in the canal....a memory I loved sharing with my kids as they grew. I didn't love riding the horse...I got thrown once and was scared ever since but my kids loved it and my dad loved giving each grand kid a turn and then as they grew older, they could do it themselves. We all loved our dumper rides, feeding the cows and playing on the bales of hay. When he had chickens, we'd let the kids chase and catch them and gather the eggs....they all loved naming the cows but of course, were saddened when theirs was the hamburger in the freezer.

...but something new is emerging....a new neighborhood like the one where we were blessed to raise our kids. It won't be Morningside Park but it will be new and young and built on sacred ground.....I hope those who have homes there will feel the spirit of Hal Sullivan, beloved dad of mine, lover of the land and keeper of the crop....I pray they will raise a crop of children equal to his name and let his legacy live on in Little Valley....I love you dad and miss you terribly. So grateful for the full life you and mom gave me and the memories I have of  "the farm"........

If I don't blog for eight whole days....

.....ya gotta know I'm out having a good time, away from cell phone range and internet but just so ya know, it's been a fun-filled, action packed couple of weeks....well, some days, not so action packed but relaxing and enjoying the mountain air. So let me just start by sayin'.....I came home a couple of weeks ago for the pure pleasure of watching my friends and neighbors and long-time BFF come off a mission.

Yep, Larry and Carol Ann Gardner have been gone for three long years....and now I'm married and moving away for a time but I had to be here to welcome them home. So good to see them and I spent this evening visiting with Carol Ann in my home.....just like old times. When Randy came, we were off to Pine Valley for some "mountain time" and a little fishin'......

...caught a few, killed a couple and tried to put some goldfish in Grandma Reber's pond but they all died....gotta be a little more subtle next time as I introduce them to their new home but I'll give it another go.......

...then off to "Wake Pal"....for some awesome fun with the kiddies.

...and the fam. Lots of sun, sand and fun. Thanks, Mason and Mandy for hosting all of us (12 kids and 9 adults). Such a good time. Go here wellsweirdos.blogspot.com to read more about it.
Back to Pine Valley and a night out with Grandma Jo at the.......

 

Click on the logo to go to Facebook and "like".....cause we liked it a lot. Should have snapped a picture or two but I'll just let you know the meal was great. I'm glad Pine Valley has a "destination" restaurant once again. Way to go Jeff and Sara....keep up the good work.

Thinkin' back over the past couple of weeks just makes me want to curl up and take a nap....Evan has it down to an art.....he could sleep anywhere, and he did.

Nothing like a good surprise....

......especially when you can pull one off and Spencer was able to make this one happen because he threatened us all that if we let it out, we'd have to pay for the Hydrotube and so we were all very, very careful and Laynee did not have a clue.....if she did, she was a pretty good actress.

This old Hydrotube at the City Pool has been around a long time and simple as it is, compared to the "big time" water parks, it's close and the kids came here as kids so they've all let their kids come here at least once a year even though they have their own pools.....nothing quite like the Hydrotube. It's been a part of their school swim parties, hot summer afternoons, and recently, it's fun to go in the evening when you can rent it and it's "all yours"....Laynee especially loves this and so we celebrated her 13th birthday here last Tuesday night with lots of family and friends for an hour and a half of pure, wet fun.....with no rules. I'm sure the lifeguards had to cringe a little at some of the diving board antics but they just turned their heads and let it happen. The picture below is early 80's I'm thinkin'...and I think it's Kyle in the midst of an awesome dive.

Speaking of the 80's.....baseball camps have always been a part of the life of our "boys of summer". Here's the boys with their cousin Jeff (and others) at a camp in Cedar City.

The cousins are enjoying a night camp at Dixie State College this week-end. Fill up their summer with baseball, swimming and Snow Shack and it's soon over and done and they are back in school before ya know it. 

Brilliant idea to hold a camp from 6 to midnight....avoiding the intense daytime heat. They are lovin' it and so am I.

It goes against my nature....

....to leave anyone out but last night I had to have a "Boys Only" night as I had a "Girls Only" one a few months ago and frankly, it's getting more and more difficult to have them all at once (I do think the boys prefer the girls there 'cause they are a lot more creative in the "to do list" part of the evening)....we got along fine.

After the usual pizza and rootbeer, a trip to Snow Shack...

...a visit to Town Square.....

...and my love ran out about 10 but they were all pretty much bedded down by then. It was good. Why do I do it? Well.....mostly I guess I want them to remember me when I'm gone. Hopefully they will be good memories. I loved my grandparents and especially remember "sleep overs" at my grandma's house. I think we have to "try" if we want that....and I do (want that) so I try. They are all so adorable and very good boys.

It's a blink...

....from diapers to Depends (a quote from the movie "One Week"). This is ringing so true to me today, not that I'm needing depends right now but time is certainly passing quickly as my oldest grand child is a teenager today. Happy Birthday, Laynee.

I love all my grand kids but I dearly love any "one on one" time I have with each one of them to visit and get to know them on a personal level. Laynee is one really cool girl that everyone wants to hang with. A smooth, calming personality, all accepting and non-judging. So glad I've had 13 years with you, Laynee Jane, the first year getting to see you most every day while your mom worked and then the many visits to Kentucky. Keep being the good girl you are and you will go far......

....and speaking of wings, I don't know what it is about this family and wings but we all love 'em and especially at "B-Dubs"....and now that Lauri lives in Henderson, we're all over that when we are in the vicinity. No exception yesterday as I flew in and Kyle and Jo came to get me....we had to make a trip for the sampling of the wings.....Parmesan Garlic being my particular favorite but they were actually all very delectable.

Lucy enjoyed her mac and cheese but nibbled a bit on a wing or two as well......

....and BTW...it's been a month of wedded bliss for Randy and me.....yep, just 4 weeks ago yesterday we said our "I do's"......I am lovin' life. So glad we have each other to "depend" on in these golden years. I may be old but I'm feelin' young...what could be better than that I say.......

"Diners, Drive-ins and Dives"....

...has nothing on us today as we dined at Sandra Dee's.....soul food at its finest in Sacramento.

I joined Ambyr, (Randy's daughter) Jacob and Tiare for some fried chicken, catfish and tasty sides at this little diner....

 .....and it so reminded me of Mason and his dental school buddies that would find the "dives" of Louisville every Friday. I'll be lookin' for more of these unique places in the months to come for another "taste of California".....yum!!!! Speaking of good food....be sure to check out Lauri's Cooking Blog at
http://lauriskitchencabinet.blogspot.com/ for some great food ideas. She's back at it and I'm glad. Everything on there is tried and tested and very delicious. Thanks Lauri Bea....keep up the good work.

Let me just take this moment....

...to pay tribute to the three fine fathers that I helped raise.....and express my gratitude for the father that raised me and to the father of the three fine sons that I raised; also to the fathers that are married to my daughters and the wonderful father that I am now married to. Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there in blog land. You are loved...hopefully not just today but always.

May your sunsets be plentiful and as beautiful as this one last night from our deck......

Shoot....

.......it is your birthday today, isn't it? Just remember....

....there's scarier things than growing old.

 Not sure what but have a good one. Glad you're the mother of my grandchildren. They are in good hands.
Happy Birthday.....

If you are looking for it....

....you can usually find a little magic (enchantment) in every day. Mine came yesterday when I watched a man at the mall show off his bird to some little kids so I became a little kid too and started watching and laughing and thinking how much fun this guy has every day bringing Maya (the bird) to the mall and seeing the joy on the faces of children (and adults) as she performs her little tricks. Here's a link to the YouTube video that someone posted: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS7OILeu2W8.

I asked him if I could take a picture then he said..."Here, let's take your picture"....and he put her on my shoulder then told her to climb on my head but she wouldn't because my sunglasses were there but once I removed them, up she jumped. I stood still and got the shot.

Then I went outside (still with a big smile on my face) and saw a little gardenia bush and picked me one. I just love these and they are everywhere, like magic, these little flowers that smell just like the big ones that ya pay big bucks for at the florist.

Then, I got home and because I have been missing my satin pillowcase, I whipped me up a new one with my little "piece of magic" sewing machine. I know it's not fancy but it  made me smile watching it make the fancy little stitch on the hem.....you can see it doesn't take much to amuse me. It really was a magical day....just wondering what today will bring. Hope we can all find a little enchantment in every day.

I cannot tell a lie....

....I miss my family and friends immensely but I'm loving my new adventure. Randy gets me out and about exploring nature and yesterday was no exception and I'll call it a Sunday stroll but it pretty much was a bit of a hike....and it was really fun. Folsom Lake is really close and this little trail that lead us down to the lake where we watched a lot of boaters, skipped a few rocks and snapped a few pics.

I cannot lie about how I feel about pets, especially indoor pets. Mostly I'm afraid of dogs and a bit intolerant of cats but Minx was left behind here and I've gotten used to her, actually, I really quite like her and I've petted her a few times. Anyone that knows me will really wonder if I'm lying but I'm not. I'm liking having her around......

I cannot lie about my love of coconut and I'm wondering if I've been coconut deprived but here's my item of the week for my "Jillynterest" list....these yummy Coconut Frozen Fruit Bars that Amber has introduced me to from Whole Foods. She took me there Saturday and showed me around and picked out a few of her favorites. They are a wonderful coconutty treat, loaded and making you wonder if you just ate a fresh-picked coconut.

I've been accused of being "brutally honest"....and I hope the emphasis there isn't on the "brutally" but I never did lie very well so know that I'm telling the truth when I say life is good....bad things come but it's always for a reason 'cause what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. It's always better to tell the truth then ya don't have to remember as much. I'm not lying when I say that I hope y'all have a good day.

Birthday wishes...

...to James today. James Stewart joined the family 2 years ago when he married Lauri; it was a happy day and I hope today is also a happy day as the two of them (I should say 3 1/2) of them are settling into their new life in Henderson. James is such an awesome husband to Lauri and father to Lucy....

 Happy Birthday, James.....make sure you eat some cake today. Have a good one!!!!!