Monday Memories -- Bumper Stickers

We're not bumper sticker people . . . well, we weren't bumper sticker people.  Then West Point sent Abe a decal when he was accepted and before I could even say yay or nay it was in our back window.  Slowly but surely as the kids went to college the car window filled up with alma maters . . .

Recently we gave our car away, but before we did we got one last picture . . .

Sbe was a very, very good car.  She looked like a hundred others (do you know how many "desert sand" Toyota Camry's are in the average Walmart parking lot?  Even more than in the church parking lot), but those back window stickers were her birthmark and I didn't lose her once.

Here's what we drive now.

It's Cali and Ray's old car and it's identifying characteristic is that it's clean.  Real clean.  It's just a matter of time until I can't find her and have to buy a bumper sticker.

. . . more than 14 pictures for the 14th of August of 2014 . . .

I graduated from BYU with a Bachelor's degree and it just so happened that graduation fell on the 14th of August 2014.  Serendipity.  Because of that, this event is well-documented.   

Jane:  Picking up my cap and gown and wearing a bracelet my good friend
Melanie gave me. The bracelet says "1980 -  ngu-nngu  - 2014."
That stands for the year I began college,
"she never gave up, she never, never gave up"
and the year I finally graduated.

Calvin

Ande

Ty and Eliza

Michelle

Grace

Abe

Cali

Ray

Nephew Ryan

Niece Haley

Brother-in-law Bruce

Niece Charlie

my sister Chris

Nephew Justin

Niece Jesse

My very own cheering section:  L-R
niece Jesse, Abe, Grace, Henry,
niece Haley, nephew Ryan, great-nephew Cooper,
My sister Chris, niece Charlie, brother-in-law Bruce,
me and Calvin,
 Afton, Michelle, Ty, Eliza,
nephew Justin holding Atlas, Levin, Ray, Ande, Zeph, Cali

The Grandkids.
I just needed a few more laps and legs and one more arm and we'd have had a postcard picture.
I'm sure of it.

Ringing the victory bell with Levin, Afton, and Atlas

With the exception of Joe, who wasn't able to come, everyone came to cheer and support.  It was such a generous outpouring of love.  Victory.  Happy 14 on 14 indeed.

52 Blessings - A Month of Family

I've been looking forward to the end of July and all of August for some time.  I knew we'd get to go see Joe, Ande, and Zeph at the end of July and then all of August we get to be with family.

The first round of visiting came last weekend when I went to Seattle to spend a couple of days with Ray, Cali, Levin, and Atlas.  Sunday after church, Levin, Ray, and I drove to a hilltop near Lake Washington and watched the Blue Angels perform.  I love the AF Thunderbirds and have always wanted to see the Blue Angels.  It was really fun watching them with Ray and Levin; Ray is a pilot and I swear you could feel his heartbeat thumping five feet away.  

We picked Ande and Zeph up from the Seattle airport Monday morning and spent the day and evening with the Folletts before coming to Moses Lake.

Zeph likes the chickens and cows, but especially the pigs.

To Grandpa's chagrin, he also enjoys pulling up the stakes in the garden that support the pepper plants.

Then again, he loves to ride on the lawnmower and be his buddy, too.

He loves the trampoline . . .

But mostly he loves balls.  Anything his hand can hold is something to be thrown and anything that is round is a ball.

Last night he was mesmerized with the full moon, he kept saying, "A ball.  It's a ball," over and over and over.

For Young Women's on Wednesday night, the girls wanted to learn how to shoot guns.  Calvin has taught hunter safety courses, so he set up a mini-range and helped the girls shoot.

They started with rubber band guns and graduated to big bullets by the end.  They were pretty pleased with their aim by the end of the night.

Ande's childhood friend, Kelsey, came out to spend an afternoon and evening with us.  It's no small feat to maintain a friendship through life's phases and it was fun to hear these two laughing like they did years ago and talking about the opportunities and challenges ahead of them.  Instead of talking about boys they talked about raising boys and girls, instead of clothes they talked about kids.  It was pretty funny to watch Zeph try and get Cozi's attention.  She was completely dignified and grown up and effectively ignored him the several hours that they were together.  He did everything to try to engage her in play.

I now better understand where teasing got its roots.  Our grandkids have been good about teaching me all kinds of lessons that I missed when we raised our own children.  

This next week everyone, except Joe (who is working), will meet in Utah and the month of family continues. What a blessing.  What a great blessing a family is.