Changes, Changes, Fall 2018

September started out with a real bang! And a super, fun experience! We knew that Joseph Peterson (John and Julie's second son) would be returning home from his mission to Ukraine and would fly through Salt Lake City to do so. So, Jacob and Kenzie and I booked reservations on the same flight as it headed up to Portland. We were able to surprise Joe as he came out of Customs and it was a sweet reunion (with even a few tears shed). We were all on the same row in the plane. So fun! The next several days were spent in just celebrating his safe return.

Jacob, Joseph and Me at the SL Airport

Kenzie, Jake, Joseph, and me

Portland, here we come: Kenzie, Jake, Joe and Me

We arrived safely and were greeted by Petersons and Olsens.

Kenzie, Jake, Julie, Anna, Joe, Emily, John and Me

Jake, Kenzie, JaneAnne, John, Emily, Anna, Me, Julie, Joe, David, Berit, Leif

On the Sky Bridge at the Portland Airport

Home Again!

We went to a fun ward picnic followed by a trip to Canby to attend the Swan Island Dahlia Festival. Acres and acres of lovely dahlias. I would love to grow some in Provo.

Dahlias are among my favorite flowers

Acres of Dahlias

I did manage to get out for a walk and captured this lovely picture of such a blue, blue sky...and no rain almost the whole visit, so just a lovely time. I also was able to hook up with a childhood friend (almost 70 years worth), Karen McKean Springer, and we had a great time catching up.

Beautiful weather, blue, blue sky

Karen and Me on her front door step in Oak Hills, Beaverton

Joseph was able to report on his mission while I was there and my nephew and his family (Venn and Cathy and two of their girls, Melissa and Jill Peterson) were able to come down from Olympia, Washington for the day. Venn and John and Joseph provided a special musical number for the occasion. A niece and her husband, Lisa and Rick Haggerty, also came  by for a visit and some food and games..

Joseph speaking in church

Peterson family: Joseph, Anna, Emily, Julie, and John (girls in Ukrainian blouses)

Cathy, Venn, Joseph, Julie, John, Me, Melissa, Anna, Emily, and Jill

JaneAnne, Berit, David, me, Joseph, John, Rick, Lisa, Leif, Anna and Julie

I belong to a Women's group, BYU Women (no disloyalty to U of U of course), and we had a presentation at one of our meetings where I connected with someone from Salem. It was an introduction to one of the upcoming performances, Theodora, an opera by Handel. Sam Utley, sang one of the lead parts and he did so excellently.

Sam Utley and Me

Julie and Jeff Parker came to town in September, so we gathered together for a little family time. Missing my sister, Kathi and her husband, John.

Bob and Peggy, Jeff and Julie and Me

Sue sent me this picture of Kiefer and it so reminded me of Rog and his passion for fishing. Hopefully, Kiefer will find the same enjoyment his grandpa did and take advantage of all the gear we still have!

Kiefer Andelin with proper fishing form

I enjoyed a lunch with our former Stake Relief Society Presidency. Missing our Sharman who is on a mission with her husband.

I love connecting with Sheryl Clark and Kaye Wallace

I love connecting with my daughters who live in Provo. We've been playing tennis a couple of times a week, and sometimes when it's almost freezing and we have to wear hats, gloves and coats, but fun nevertheless.

Jana Maughan, Alisa Larsen, and me

We had a reunion with some of the missionaries who served in the Washington Federal Way Mission under President and Sister Eaton. We met at the temple and had fun remembering our time together.

Washington Federal Way Missionaries

Me and Sister Danielle Mecate at the Provo Temple

John and Julie came down for a wedding and brought Emily and Joseph. There wasn't much spare time but who doesn't love a game of Scrabble.

Fun to play games with Joseph

"On the Road Again" and headed to Arizona, and then California and back to Arizona. I had a wonderful time with family. I attended some sports events in Arizona and even helped with a little of the prep work on a painting project. I spent one week with Rob and Tamsen and their family at the Newport Coast. We had a great time on the beach, playing lots of games, relaxing in the hot tub, playing some tennis with the boys, eating good food, and visiting with Brian, Jen and Megan Peterson. I even went with Rob, Burke and Hewitt to the Newport Temple to do some baptisms.The children kept themselves well occupied with all the resort activities, so it was a nice time for all.

Duerk, Sue and I at Colten's football game, trying to avoid the "hot" sun

Colten and I after his game

Cross Country fan, Sue, Kiefer, August, Ivy and Colten and Me

Cross Country runners, Julie and Lindsey

Girls Night Out: Tamsen, Karlie, Julie, me, Ivy, Sue, Liv, Ashley and Lindsey
October Women's Conference in Queen Creek, Arizona

 California:

Beautiful Beach in Laguna

Burke, me, Hewitt, Truman, Tosh and Liv at the Beach

Ruby's, a fun place for dinner, especially the shakes

Another dinner at Romeo Cucino's in Laguna Beach

Back to Arizona

Colten, a rising basketball star, first year

Games and treats with Ivy, Colten, Me,  Julie, August and Kiefer

Playing a duet with August, so fun!

Playing some Twister and glad I was the spinner and not the twisted

One last picture as fall seems to be leafing, and winter approaching. God is good and life is good and I'm looking forward to what lies ahead in the months to come.

A carpet of leaves, so beautiful!

Summertime Busyness, 2018

I think that June, July and August have just flown by...so much that I forgot to picture, but probably just as well. It was really a summer of family. While we didn't have a formal family reunion scheduled, all of the families who live in Arizona and Oregon, did come for a visit and sometimes we had a couple of families at the same time, so it was wall to wall bodies when it was sleep time. But, I loved the busyness of it all.

No summer is complete without at least one baseball game.

Davis had a great game

I always love visiting with friends whether it's to celebrate a birthday or just to celebrate a long standing friendship.

Mona, Marian, Me and Maxine celebrating Joyce's birthday

Joyce successfully blew out all candles!

Judy Christensen and me, friends since college

I took a quick trip to Portland to celebrate Anders' graduation from Lincoln High School. We enjoyed a final choir concert for him, too. We even found time to make some strawberry jam. Delicious!

Anders final concert, Me, David, Anders, Leif, JaneAnne, Berit, Jody and Bob

Berit and her project

Lunch with the grandparents and David and JaneAnne

JaneAnne and I making strawberry jam

Anders is right in the middle of his class for graduation

Anders looking very serious, but probably relieved

Anders getting the diploma

Attendees at graduation: Leif, JaneAnne, Me, Anders, David, Jody, Bruce, Bob, John, Berit and Julie

Anders with his siblings

The David Olsen family group at graduation

I got back from Portland just in time to attend the wedding of my nieces daughter, Liza Smith, to Salmon Gee. I thought it was interesting how Alisa and Jana were color coordinated for the event.

Mike and Jana Maughan, Brett and Alisa Larsen 

My good friend and neighbor went with me to the opening of at Art Show in Springville.

Maxine and me at the Springville Art Museum.

One of the things on my bucket list was to go to the Manti Pageant and I finally made it, thanks to Brett and Alisa. I think she got tired of me saying, "I've always wanted to do that".

Can you tell it was sunny from the "squinty" eyes of Me, Brett and Alisa

Ashley and Lindsay Brewer were in town for a track/cross country sports camp at BYU so we took a moment to go to the temple.

Me with Lindsay and Ashley

A bunch of the family was able to help Jana celebrate her birthday with a picnic up at the South Fork.

Some Brewers, Andelins, Maughans and Petersons celebrate Jana's birthday

I had a fun visit from the Clark Lake Ward Mission Leader whom I served with on my mission to Washington Federal Way. Alisa, Jana and I started playing more tennis so we took a selfie and I just loved the beautiful clouds observed when out walking in the early morning.

Me with Sue and Mike Smith

Tennis players, Jana, Alisa and Me

A beautiful morning view from Cherokee Lane and Bannock Drive

It's always fun to run into friends and Alisa and I managed this while attending a Utah Symphony performance up in Deer Valley.  The Simmons are friends from Salem, Oregon. Lahn was one of my Blazer Scouts

Kristi, Lahn, Laurel Simmons, Me and Alisa

My walking friends and I decided it would be fun to do the 5K Temple to Temple run on July 24th. We decided we didn't want to wait for the official start as it was going to be a hot day, so we started about 6:30 a.m. and were the first finishers of the race. The longest part of the whole event was waiting for the shuttle to take us back to get our car.

The start: Me, Shirley, Maxine and Larue (Shirley's sister)

The finish

The Waiting in Line for the Shuttle

Leif was driving to Provo from Oregon on his birthday, so I served him a piece of cake early the next morning complete with one candle? He was celebrating his 13th birthday.

Leif having his birthday cake for breakfast, somewhat belatedly

Next up on my calendar was a trip to Park City with the Maughan family and later the Olsen Family. We always enjoy the water, playing games, hiking, tennis and just relaxing.

If you want to get schooled by grandchildren, play the game "Set", Stuart and Delaney and me

Trying our hands at ping pong

Enjoying the sunshine

Having fun in the water with the Maughan family

Hiking

Delaney with "duck" lips

The Olsens and Maughans in front of the hotel enjoying beautiful weather

Trying our hand at tennis

It's another "lap stack" in front of hotel

I started playing tennis with a group of women and they invited me to their summer party.

The lovely ladies that I play tennis with on occasion, a fun new thing!

What a great way to end the summer...with a 76 trombone celebration. Shirley played a recording from the Music Man of that song as we began a celebration with balloons, food, friends and fun. The day ended with a family dinner and I had to blow out the candles. I was down to puffs of air at the end and one grandson thought I had spit on the cake, and he declined to eat any.

Tried some avocado toast for a birthday breakfast

Shirley, Maxine, Me, Mona and Susan celebrate with me

The Cake and only 12 candles? 76 would have been a conflagration

Getting ready to give it a go

Sputtering at the end

So many fun things, busyness galore, but what a wonderful summer! Hope you all enjoyed the wonderful days of summer. Love to all!