I don't think there is anything more rejuvenating than the sun. Even if it is cold outside, the sunshine makes me feel better - it clears my mind, it gives me energy, and warms my heart.  We have had lots of sun these past few days, and I am loving it so very much! 🌞

 We got back Thursday morning from our 8-day, three-state trip. healthy, but tired.  Sammy and Paul did a great job taking care of Sendai and the house while we were gone. Thank You! ❤

Francie's funeral was lovely. Ruthie and Mike both gave beautiful talks and shared funny stories and spiritual insights that were so heartwarming.  Francie was an amazing "big" sister whom I idolized when I was little and came to appreciate more and more as I got older.  I will miss her and her sweet, humble ways, but at the same time, I am so thankful she was spared the significant limitations that can occur with Alzheimer's. After her burial in Marysville, we were able to meet Mike at the Feather River Temple, where he took Ruthie, Adam, Kim, Kevin, and I on a tour.  I think Mike knew everyone working in the Temple that evening.  Each person he introduced us to was his "favorite" person 😄.  While we were sitting in one of the sealing rooms, the Temple Matron came in, and she stayed and visited with us for a few minutes. It was the perfect ending to a bittersweet day. 

 

We got to Francie's house about the same time as Mike and Barbi on Wednesday, and fixed a quick dinner we enjoyed with Jenny.  We spent time on Thursday going through some old photos and letters that Mom had sent to Francie while she was in college, and some letters that Francie had sent home.  It was also so nice to visit with Ruthie and Ken, Matt and his family, Steven, Hollyanne, Heather, Jenny's friend, Lance, Ryan, and Amy, AND Sugar (Steven's dog) - you can tell she misses Francie 😥

We left Sacramento Saturday morning, with a layover in Chicago, and then on to Cedar Rapids.  Kate picked us up at the airport, and we got back to their home just in time to sing Happy Birthday to Sayre. 

 Sadly, he wasn't feeling his best (Jonathan took him to urgent care, and he came home with a flu diagnosis).  He perked up enough on Sunday that we were able to get to Church and afterwards, his baptism.  

 

Kate and Jonathan have the nicest Bishop, and he tailored the meeting to help Sayre feel comfortable. It was also so nice to have Jonathan's Dad and his wife there.  

So happy we could be there, Sayre!😊

We enjoyed our quiet time in Iowa.  Jonathan also came down with the flu/pneumonia, and Kate wasn't feeling her best either, so we spent a lot of time reading, doing homework, napping(Dad), eating, discussing the government, and walking Clementine.  We did make it to Costco a couple of times, the mall once, and the day before we left, I talked Kate into taking me to Aldi. (I do love Aldi) 😋  It was way too short of a visit, but we hope to go back later in the Spring.  Kate said when she got back to the house after dropping us off at the airport, Clementine was a little droopy 😢 (love that girl!)

Wednesday afternoon, we were able to get on a flight from Cedar Rapids to Chicago. Kim and Chris picked us up from the airport, and we went directly to Portillo's. Dad was in a little bit of Heaven with his Chicago Dog.

 I was so sad we didn't get to see Spencer, but thankful for the time we got to visit with Blythe and Grant. 

We are looking forward to going back for a longer visit - to see Spencer's new apartment, meet Grant's girlfriend, Jordan, and hit the Outlet stores with Chris!😁

What can I say?  Families are the BEST, and I love ours❤

Other news to pass on - 

Paul's mission paperwork has been turned in, and now he is just waiting for that Tuesday email  - not sure which Tuesday it will be, but he'll let us all know so we can join in the excitement.

 I just know that wherever he goes, he will be an amazing missionary and a blessing to so many people.

 

Rumor has it that Max might bring Amelia out for a visit next weekend. 

 

Adam is putting his "coach" hat on again and will be coaching girls' soccer for Palmer Ridge High School. I think Lily just might have talked him into that.  He is so great with the kids and Palmer Ridge is lucky to have him! ⚽

Chris joined Blythe and her friend for Yoga last week!  He said it hurt 😂😂😂

What a great Dad!!!

And thank you, Kim and Chris, for my Sunday Selfie!

I have a lot more I would like to share tonight, but it is getting late, and my Sunday scoop of ice cream is calling me.

 I love you all so much! You bring me so much joy (and sometimes, worry) but I know that Heavenly Father hears my prayers for you, and I also know that he loves you all so much, and is cheering you on to become the best of who you are.❤  

Have a very wonderful week!

I have wondered more recently, when Sunday rolls around, and I haven't started writing in the blog, if it is something I really want to keep doing.  I can't tell you how many times I started a little family blog in the past - actually, I can - I was looking to day, and I have some that go all the way back to 2008 - but they are mostly just one paragraph drafts that didn't go anywhere and my motivation fizzled out and I didn't do any more until the next year - and you guessed it again - another draft that didn't get published. However, I have loved writing these, and if you can believe it, we are starting our 4th year.  What I like best is being able to look back and see our progress - where we have been, our adventures and travels, our hurts and disappointments, and I love that each week I can share my testimony with you.  This morning, I was listening to a podcast, and the following story was shared - 

President Eyring tells a story about a class he taught while serving as president of Ricks College. He taught religion and the Doctrine and Covenants. He would always tell the students that one of the requirements for this class was to write. 

A girl in the class proceeded to ask why it was so important to write. She said, "Why is it so important that I refine my writing skills?"The only thing I'm going to write are letters to my children, probably. Why do I need to do this?" President Eyring hesitated just long enough for a young man in the back of the room to stand and ask if he could answer the question. He was older than the other students and shy. He asked if he could speak and then continued with his story. "He had been a soldier in Vietnam. One day, in what he thought would be a lull, he had left his rifle and walked across his compound to mail call to pick up the mail. Just as he got a letter in his hand, he heard a bugle blowing and shouts and mortar and rifle fire coming ahead of the swarming enemy.  He fought his way back to his rifle, using his hands as weapons. With the men who survived, he drove the enemy out. The wounded were evacuated. Then, he sat down among the living and some of the dead and opened his letter. It was from his mother." 

"She wrote that she had had a spiritual experience that assured her he would live to come home if he were righteous. "In my class," the boy said, quietly, this phrase that I cherish - that letter, was scripture to me. I kept it to help me through the hard times."

I don't think I'm writing scripture, but I do love to look back at some of our family history, even if it's just 3 years ago.   AND I have to admit that my curiosity got the best of me this afternoon, and I did take a peek at one of those drafts from 2008 - These are some of the treasures I found - 

  Some of these photos I don't know if I've ever seen. But I love them and love remembering these grandchildren as "littles".  So, thank you for indulging me and contributing to our family history - it is amazing to witness the Lord's hand in our lives as these wonderful children have grown into awesome adults!  

 I do have to add that I am forever grateful that we still have Lily, Jake, Sayre, and Ben  - not babies, but not yet adults.  It is bittersweet watching them grow from little ones to toddlers, from strollers to dirt bikes, soccer, and beyond. I love you all so much❤

FUN NOTES FROM THIS WEEK ~

Sammi stopped by on Friday to check on Sendai, and a few minutes later, Eilis showed up.  Sendai thought she was in Heaven!  Two beautiful granddaughters who paid attention to her 😄

 Max and Amelia went to the Temple on Saturday and then out to eat - So fun that they ran into Zach's kids when they went to get something to eat - Owen and his wife, Sidney and her husband, and Jaime.

 I love when cousins can get together!

 (probably only happen in Utah 😃)

Sayre helped Kate paint his "book nook" - I love the colors!

  Today, they got just a dusting of snow, so when they took Clementine on a walk today, Sayre walked ahead of Kate and Jonathan and left pictures in the snow - sort of like leaving a crust of bread for someone to follow  My favorite was when they got to a corner he had left a picture with an arrow - so they would know which direction to go 😁

This past week has been a busy one for Dad and I  - I had a lot of school work to do, we made dinner for a family we minister to, and Dad fixed our porch lights, which had not been working for a while. We helped Angella get to her doctor appointment - she is doing great by the way - and we took a couple of hours and went to Kneaders for lunch.  

Tomorrow, I will be trying to get a week's worth of school assignments done in two days 😳

(I CAN DO IT!!!) and catching up on some housework before we leave for California on Wednesday morning.  

THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS THIS WEEK, AND FOR THE TIMES YOU REACHED OUT TO LET US KNOW YOU WERE THINKING OF US  - 

Have a wonderful week !

This is Kate being smothered by 75lbs of dog 😂

 I am so sad to have lost my sweet, sweet sister this past Wednesday, as she succumbed to the effects of Alzheimer's. 
 Over the last few days, I have pondered my many memories of her, the fun times we spent together, and as an older sister, she was always such a wonderful example to me. About one month after she and Ray adopted Matt, she found out she was pregnant. I always remember her chasing two boys, just 9 months apart, and how she managed it all with grace and patience.  She and Ray began dating when she was in high school, and Ray's old blue convertible (sorry, I am not a car person, so I don't know what kind of car it was)became a staple in our driveway. The first semester that Francie was away at BYU, Ray was baptized.  A year later, they were married and sealed in the Los Angeles Temple. Some of my favorite more recent memories of Francie are the days we spent at Napa -  eating, playing cards, sitting around the fire pit listening to Ken's friend, Gordon, who sounds just like James Taylor (just for fun, click on the link below), and exploring some of the local antique markets.  https://youtu.be/g4ITQRiVg04?si=D7SAv_zNJtLgejcb

Francie and Ray came to Colorado for a conference several years ago, and they wanted to see Pikes Peak - I mean, really see it - so Kevin drove us up, and Francie was terrified the whole way that the car was going to go over the edge. However, since that time, when we would go to California for a visit or talk on the phone,  she would always ask about "her" mountain.  

  It was surprising how quickly her health declined over the last three weeks.  But I know it is a blessing for her to be reunited with Ray, and with our Mom and Dad.  She will be so missed!  I am thankful I have Pikes Peak to remind me of her every day ❤.  

 And thank you so much to each one of our wonderful children who took the time to call us and share their love and concern. 

 You are the Best!

 

HAPPY NEWS THIS WEEK ~

 We get to celebrate Cory's birthday on Tuesday, Jan 27th ❤🎉🎈❤🎂🍨❤

 I can't imagine our family without her - she is a wonderful wife, mother, daughter, and friend - and she has taught me so many things.  One of my favorite memories of Cory was when we lived in Tucson, and Adam and Cory came down from Provo, and we drove down to Nogales to do some shopping across the border.  I can't remember exactly what it was that we were looking at (I think maybe rugs) but Cory was the Queen of bargaining, so much so, that the little Mexican shopkeeper ran out of the shop still trying to talk her into purchasing his goods (at his price, of course). I can still hear him yelling "20 dollar, 20 dollar" down the street.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CORY - HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!

Angella is doing well, recovering from her knee replacement surgery.  She is able to get around (carefully) and when she is off her feet, Hollie, Ben, and Eilis are around to give her a hand.  She has decided to take some extra time off of work, so she can start physical therapy, and hopefully that will help with the healing process.

Samantha has recovered from gallbladder surgery, and on Wednesday, she took Jake to an Avalanche Hockey game in Denver.  She is such a great sister - it was her gift to Jake for his birthday.  Apparently, they sat next to a "grandma and grandpa" who were quite taken with Jake, and during an intermission, they wanted to buy him something from the gift shop.  

 So he picked out this huge chain 😂

 Really, can anyone look at this picture and just not smile????

Adam, not wanting to be left out, took Paul Friday night to an Avalanche game -

They had a great time, though the Avalanche lost.  I don't think I could ever be too much of a hockey fan because it is just as cold inside the arena as it is outside (well, maybe not this week).   

  Has everyone survived the arctic cold weather?  Kim and Kate had bitter,  subzero temperatures last week, and the problem is that it is so humid in the Midwest that the cold feels even colder.  Colorado hasn't been too bad - in the high teens and low 20's, just cold enough that Sendai's walks are not as far or as long, and they normally are.  

  

 Kim sent me this photo of Blythe bundled up with her blanket scarf, trying to get warm ⛄

 

These cute boys will both be turning 8 in the next couple of months.  Sayre's birthday is February 7th, and he will be baptized the following day after Church.   Ben's birthday is March 24th. I can't believe how quickly they have grown up 😥

Kate sent me a photo today of the book nook they made out of Sayre's closet - What a great idea! 

Today, in my Primary class, we were talking about agency and the blessings we receive from being able to choose the path we want to follow.  I love the idea that we will all make mistakes and make wrong choices sometimes during our lives - I know I still do.  But without my mistakes, I would never learn. And sometimes I have to repeat the mistake until I finally get it right.  To me this is just another example of how much our Savior loves us.  That he allows us to keep trying until finally we get it right.

I love you all so much!  Send me photos this week.  Let me know what great adventures you are having, or if there is anything I can do for you ❤