SO MANY GREAT THINGS TO CELEBRATE THIS WEEK!

1.  TODAY is Spencer's birthday!  Spencer taught us all about being grandparents, and little did we know that it would bring more joy into our lives than we ever thought possible.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SPENCER!  WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH ❤

2.  HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to the most wonderful men in my life!

 

Your goodness as a father is reflected in the most amazing grandchildren who bless our lives.  Thank you so much for loving your wives and children. 

 

 That is one of the things I always remember about my dad - how much he loved and honored our mom.  I miss him ❤

Oops, trouble in paradise this week . . .

Dad and Adam were in the garage working on a table Adam is building for their theatre room, when Dad lost the tip of his little finger to the jointer 😩.  We spent most of the remainder of the day in the emergency room, where they soaked, cleaned, snipped a little here and there, ex-rayed, and finally bandaged up the best they could and then referred Dad to a hand surgeon. 

All of that happened on Wednesday, and Dad was able to see the hand surgeon Friday morning.  There isn't much they can do for the finger except clean it thoroughly and remove what nail is left, and hope that a new nail will grow back.  He will be going back this week to have that done. 

DON'T STOP READING YET BECAUSE WEDNESDAY ISN'T OVER . . .

 We were so tired by the time we got home from the emergency room and I told Dad I just really needed a scoop of ice cream.  Dad said he would like some also, so when I got the ice cream out and opened it up, the entire container was like soup.  We discovered that not only was our freezer not working, but the entire refrigerator had died 😢. 

Jake came over on Thursday with Adam and helped me take all of the food in the refrigerator upstairs to the one we have in the kitchen downstairs.  AND I just don't know what it is about not having a fridge close at hand. I've had the worst time feeling motivated to cook anything if I have to go downstairs to get the ingredients. (it could be that it is so full it is hard to find anything)   Dad and I went out Friday evening and bought a new one.  Thanks so much to Kim for suggesting we look at a place that sells slightly scratched or dented ones, and to Adam, who knew where such a place was in Colorado Springs .   

  It was so fun to see Jake this week.  He is always such a great helper and never slows down.  When they were ready to leave Thursday evening, this is just a little bit of what his shirt looked like. I told him to leave it with me and I would use my magic stain stick on it.  He reminds me so much of Adam when he was little - his clothes always had a little bit of dirt mixed with his lunch and dinner on the front.    To my surprise, the stain remover worked!

I think I like to do laundry almost as much as Kim does. 😁

Tomorrow I will finish up my last assignment for the Humanities course I am taking.  I didn't think I would, but actually ended up really enjoying it.  Thanks to Kate and Jonathan, who helped me with selections for the classical music part.   As part of our final project, we had to describe two books considered to be classics that we will read over the next couple of years.  I am embarrassed to say that I have never read Jane Eyre, so that was at the top of my list, as well as The Grapes of Wrath.  

  I feel we have really been watched over and blessed this week. Adam was here when Dad hurt himself and was able to get him into the house before passed out (it looked pretty gruesome).  Adam and Chris Riggs gave Dad a blessing, and I know that has helped in the healing process.  I have had a mild headache for the last 10 days (I think it is eye strain) but this morning I woke up and it was gone! Yay!  I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father and for our Savior who understands our pains and trials and blesses us with the strength to get through them.   

Have wonderful, wonderful week!

 Yay!  This week, we can finally say that it looks like Summer might be just around the corner!!   We've had a little less rain and a little more sun 😊 . . . and I think the two youngest members of our tribe would agree - 

  Angella took Ben to the park and told him not to get his hair wet 😂

 

Sayre celebrated his last day of school.

 We stayed busy this past week - I taught Primary on Sunday, and on Monday, we spent some time with Shannon.  We got a text from her nurse on Friday, and she thought Shannon had an infection; she was coughing, lethargic, and a little more confused than usual.  We stopped by after Church today to check on her, and she seemed to be feeling well, but was very quiet.  We are going to go back on Tuesday to take her some new pajamas.  I had a lot of schoolwork for my Humanities class that I wanted to get done before the weekend, so I stayed busy analyzing films, literature, and music.  I also had to watch the movie "Invictus."  I had not seen it before and I really enjoyed it - such good lessons in it about the effects of positive leadership. (it is about Nelson Mandela and stars Morgan Freeman, and Matt Damon) If you are interested, you can rent it on Prime for $3.    

 Thursday, Dad and I had to see if Hollie had learned to make Blizzards yet.  She has, and they were soooo gooood!!!  I can't remember the last time I had one, and it was nice that they have a small size, so I didn't feel like I was being too naughty 😁.  I think it was a manager that we talked to, but he said they LOVE Hollie, her work ethic and maturity (plus she is just so cute!)  We'll be back, Hollie - can't analyze those Blizzards quite enough 💯.

 I PROMISE, I am not a stalker, but sometimes I do wonder where you are, so I go to Find Me, just to make sure you are not in a hospital or at the morgue, and I don't know about it.  This week, I noticed that Blythe was working at Hinkley Pool.  I had to call Kim and commiserate about the many times we took the kids to Hinkley Pool when they were little.  It brought back such fun memories.

THEN

NOW

I may or may not have done some complaining this week about our very wet first week in June 😀

 However, the rain has just turned everything from our lawns, fields, and pastures into this beautiful green.  On the way to see Hollie the other night, we saw this incredible rainbow. Yesterday, on our way home from Denver, we were enjoying the scenery, and all of a sudden, Pikes Peak was there, just standing above everything.  I think too often we don't appreciate the beauty of where we live. 

 *Eilis got a promotion and is now a shift manager at Canes

•  *Paul is at Lake Powell with his church group

 *Kate, Jonathan, and Sayre are Phoenix-bound in July for an Allen Family Reunion

 *Cory and Adam are revamping their theatre room, building risers, and laying new carpet.

*Dad gave a great talk in Sacrament Meeting today about the Temple

*I got to have lunch with Emma this week.  We invaded Kneaders and had some delicious food.  Thanks Emma!  

  HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO DAD AND I, AND TO KIM AND CHRIS

 Dad and I celebrated with a morning session at the Temple. Our good friends, the Ashs, happened to be there at the same time so we went out to lunch together.  We couldn't check into our hotel until 3:00 so we did some shoe shopping at the Park Meadows Mall (yes, Chris, the Mall). We weren't successful in finding the shoes I wanted, but had fun walking around and people watching.  Friday night, we went to dinner at Maggiano's, and I had the best steak ever!   I had been fighting a sinus headache all week, so food wasn't very appealing, but when we got there and looked at the menu, the steak sounded good, and I wasn't disappointed.  

Sammi was babysitting Sendai for us, and when she got to the house after work and tried to coax Sendai into the house, she wouldn't come.  Then Sammi said, every time she went outside, Sendai would run to the dog house (Kev's Place) and hide.  She has never stepped foot in Kev's Place before, so maybe she was rebelling because we were gone.  Poor Sammi!  It was hilarious, and of course, it could only happen to her😂. 

Also, thank you to Eilis, who stopped by and gave Sendai dinner on her way to work ❤

Yesterday, before heading back to the Springs, we went to Ikea and spent a couple of hours walking the store.  I always come home from there re-energized to declutter, organize, fix up, and finish the things around the house that we have ignored for the last 10 years 😁.

It was a great weekend and we had a wonderful time!

 Kim and Chris are celebrating their anniversary in Portugal this week.  

 

I am happy they had a chance to get away after a busy year of work for both of them.  I can't wait to hear about their adventure. 

 

  50 years ago, Dad and I were married and sealed in the Oakland Temple.  I think about how young we were and about how much we didn't know.  I think about the experiences we have had in these last 50 years, how much we have learned, and grown.  This week in my Book of Mormon class we discussed the following quote by President Oaks, "We are not judged on what we have done, but on what we have become".  I am so grateful for the Savior, and His Atonement which makes up the difference in all of my failings, and sees the good despite them.  We are so blessed!

 

We made it through graduations, last days of school, last days of work, last days of soccer, and on to new jobs, new schools, and hopefully many new summer adventures. . . 

 NEWS FROM CHICAGO

  Kim and Blythe celebrated their last day of school/work!  Max surprised them by coming into town for a visit.  Chris is busy with work and still traveling often to Houston. Next week they are planning for a nice vacation - destination not known (as of today).

Kim promises a trip to Colorado this summer and she is planning to spend time with Kate and hopes to complete the last two classes she needs to graduate! YOU GO GIRL!

ADVENTURES IN IOWA 

Jonathan finished up his classes and played for several graduation ceremonies before starting his summer break.  He and Kate have a family reunion in Phoenix during July, and maybe, just maybe, we might get to see Kate and Sayre sometime (if they can't come here, we might have to figure out how to make a midwest visit 😁) Sayre has been playing soccer this spring- He had his last game yesterday and Kate said he scored his 1st goal in the last 10 minutes of the game and was so excited!  Kate signed him up for another season of soccer that begins in the Fall

 ALSO, you also know it's really Summer in Iowa when Dane's Dairy opens their doors (or I should say window). 

I might need to have some ice cream tonight 😀

ON THE FRONT PAGE IN COLORADO SPRINGS

 Angella has been busy this week traveling to Denver several days for work.  Eilis is working at Canes, and looking forward to a promotion in the next few weeks, and Hollie started work on Monday at Dairy Queen.  You know I am going to have to have to check out the blizzards and make sure they are up to the same standards as in the past.  You know, every year I tell myslef that I am going to treat myself to a blizzard for my birthday - but then I never do 😐

 It was fun this week to see the girls - I love how they always look out for each other❤

 I also go to watch Ben for a couple of hours one afternoon.  He check on the "boys" putting up the pergola and made sure they were doing ok.  He also ordered bacon and eggs for dinner - three eggs to be exact - and he scrambled them by himself, and then ate every speck.  We also played a round of Rummikub - which has become a new favorite and he is very good at it.

 Cory is done with school for the Summer and Adam is working through this week.  THANK YOU Adam, for helping to put the final touches on the pergola/gazebo (I can't decide what it really is). 

 We still have some landscaping to do - a lot of weeds to pull, and flowers to plant.  Our neighbor just brought us a beautiful Hydrangea that I would love to plant out there.  All hands and ideas are welcome! 🌸🌺

 Sammi is still working at Lifetime Fitness and will start UCCS in the Fall.  Paul is working at Great Wolf Lodge and spent a couple of days last week conquering two more 14ers, Mt Quandary, and Mt. Sherman.  I am so happy that he bought a GPS tracker so Adam can always tell where he is. 

Adam and Cory have stayed so busy this year taking the kids to all of their activities, and soccer practices - and even took a recent day to go bowling - 

  AND - Both Jake and Lily had soccer tryouts last week.  Lily was selected to play on the highest level team for her age group, and Jake was selected to join a competitive team for next season and has decided he want to play goalie.

 Lily had playoffs last weekend  - 

 They came in 2nd place.

 So, I had lots of things go through my mind this week that I wanted to add to the blog, but when Adam was over on Friday he shared a "Jake" story that I loved so much, I decided (with his permission) that I would share it with you.  

 Adam said after work one afternoon he asked Jake to do his chores - one of which included taking Milo for a walk.  Adam was working in garage when Jake got back to the house and Adam said he could hear Jake talking to himself as he was walking up the driveway.  Jake was not aware that Adam was in the garage, but Adam said that as Jake got closer to the house, he could tell that Jake was praying.  "Please Heavenly Father, help me to do good at soccer", etc.  He knew that soccer tryouts were coming up soon, and he really, really wanted to be moved to a competitive team and be a goalie.  Adam said when he got to the back door,  he said "in the name of Jesus Christ, amen". in double time😊). I think I love this story so much because whenever Jake spends the night and we say prayers, his are just the best! He remembers everyone - even people he might not know too well - if he knows they need help he always includes them in his prayers.  I am so happy that his prayers were answered!

LOVE YOU MORE THAN I LOVE THE SUN (and that is a ton!)