Christenson Family

More Photos (I Knew You Wanted to See More)

2012-02-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

Is there anything so sweet as a sleeping baby?

Ellie is also very endearing with her sleepy eyes open.

This picture was taken right before the cute Mann family left the hospital to take Ellie home.

Caden was doing his part to help get Ellie ready to go in her car seat.

Big brother snaps her in. Don't you just love how tiny she looks in the car seat?!


Sharon didn't need the wheelchair, but that's just how it's done, so I told her to enjoy it. Sharon is so petite that there was room for two in the wheelchair!

Caden thought it was awesome to go for a ride too!

Our Little Valentine

2012-02-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

This was our best Valentine's Day ever! This little sweetheart, Ellie Nicole Mann, came into the world early this morning, and as you can see, she is beautiful! It was definitely love at first sight!

Here's her happy and excited mother waiting for her arrival. This picture was probably taken around 10 p.m. (before Ellie's arrival which was at 12:50 a.m.) Sharon called us around 9 p.m. and told us that she was in labor.

Since I was invited to come to the hospital, I left immediately, and Sharon was hooked up to this monitor. The red lines were the baby's heart rate, and the blue lines show the contractions. Since the baby was in a breech position, two doctors had to do some heavy-duty pushing on Sharon's tummy to turn the baby. Ellie cooperated, and a C-section was avoided! Hooray!

Here is Ellie Nicole Mann just minutes after being born!

She's handed to Mommy for the first time, and her parents marvel at this new little life.

It was a lot of work to be born, but she opened her eyes so she could see her new world.

She's blessed to have a beautiful, loving mother who will take good care of her.


Here's the wonderful team that made sure Ellie made it into the world safe and sound and also took excellent care of her mother. Sharon delivered Ellie at the same hospital where she works as an RN in the Intensive Care Unit.

The proud and happy parents

Our little Valentine's Day surprise

Ellie is Nancy's 11th grandchild, and her 12th should arrive next month! We agree with what she wrote on facebook: "Life doesn't get much better than welcoming another grandchild into the world."

Ellie with her adoring daddy

With another adoring grandma

Enjoy the rest of the pictures that were taken soon after Ellie's birth. The last three photos were taken this evening when Grandpa had a chance to see Ellie for the first time.

We love our growing family!

Time for a Shower!

2012-02-08T23:56:00.001-07:00

Sharon's having a girl! To help her get ready for the little one, a baby shower was thrown in her honor.

Caden got to play with his cousins during the shower, but he also wanted to help Mom tear into a few of the gifts.


This blanket is soooo soft!

The baby is going to love it! (Mommy does!)

Sharon doesn't approve of the crocheted baby dress she was blessed in since it wasn't white. I made sure that her baby will have a white one. (I still have the crocheted dress, Sharon, in case you're interested.)

Everyone loves a baby shower!

Sharon's sister-in-law, Ashley, threw the shower for Sharon. She's expecting a baby girl that should arrive a few days after Sharon's!

Ashley was a wonderful hostess and did a great job with the decorating and providing yummy refreshments!

Caden thinks he'd like to help himself to this big piece of red velvet cake that was set aside for Brandon.

He's sure Daddy wouldn't mind.

The next few pictures will feature Sharon with the shower guests. Here she is with Brandon's sister, Jenn and below with Brandon's mother, Nancy.

Sharon loves the cute things that Brandon's sister, Mindy, crocheted for the baby.

Isn't Mindy's baby, Crue, an adorable little guy?!

Sharon is here with Tahnee, Brandon's twin's wife. She just had a baby boy in November (on Thanksgiving!). There will be plenty of cousins for Sharon's little girl to play with!

Sharon and Brandon's very cute Grandma Mann

Sharon with sister-in-law, Leesa

with friend, Candi

and friend, Jenni

Caden's going to be a big brother soon!

And I will soon meet my fifth grandchild! I can hardly wait!

Yes, Grandma is 92!

2012-01-27T23:45:00.000-07:00

The "usual suspects" (Dan's family, Matt and Vicki, and Sharon, Brandon and Caden) gathered at our house to celebrate Grandma's 92 birthday. Wow...92 years old!

Caden's probably thinking that the card is nice, but what about the presents?

Ohhh...you do have some presents there!

I think you need some help, Great Grandma!

Let me give you a hand.

I'm really good at tearing into gifts!

Yay! It's a purse! Good thing you had me here to help you get into the package! Happy Birthday!

I Report; You Decide

2012-01-20T22:18:00.001-07:00

Sharon says she's "HUGE," and Dad claims to agree. Elise says ""Puh- LEASE, Sharon. I can't even tell you're pregnant." So which is it? I provided a photo so you can decide for yourself. (Because that's what everybody wants to know.)

D&C: Section 1

2012-01-14T13:04:00.000-07:00

A business trip to Provo brought D&C together. Caden enjoyed showing off his toys, somersaults, dance moves and energy to Dean.

Even though Caden was a baby last time he saw Dean, I think he knew Dean was family and someone he needed to get to know.

It was nice to have some time to relax with Dean and his mother in the evening. The next day he had to spend most of the day doing recruiting at BYU for Goldman Sachs. (I'm so sorry I failed to get a picture of Pat!)

Caden didn't mind that he was kept up way past his bedtime.

This was the best Photoshop could do with sharpening up this picture. Considering that Caden rarely stops moving, it's amazing pictures of him are ever even somewhat in focus!

We loved seeing B, S, C & D all together...first time in two years!

A Happy Holiday Review

2012-01-06T13:00:00.003-07:00

Here's a review of our holiday fun beginning with Thanksgiving. Of course we had the usual turkey with all the trimmings, but what was really amazing is that Katie and Miranda made these five (yes FIVE!) fabulous pies! There's apple, pecan, pumpkin, chocolate peanut butter, and peppermint pie! Need I even add that they were SOOOOO GOOD?!

The feast was held at our house with Dan's family, Sharon, Brandon, Caden and Grandma as guests. The delicious meal was followed by some Wii action.

Meeshka just couldn't handle all the excitement and had to find a safe place to rest.

Caden was running around doing his own thing and didn't make it in the last pictures so I took these two pictures of him outside.

Isn't he cute?!

As usual, it seemed like no time at all before we were back together celebrating Christmas. (Why does it feel like the two holidays are just a week apart?) Hooray for having the Manns in Utah to help bring us Christmas cheer!

It's always more fun on Christmas when there are kids around, and that's especially true if that child is Caden!

Look at him tear into that gift! (Also take this opportunity to see Sharon's cute belly which is even much bigger now.)

I looked down at Meeshka and this silly cat had a tiny red ball on her nose.

Was she hoping to guide Santa's sleigh?

Thanks for coming, Caden! We love you!

Later we enjoyed a yummy Yuletide dinner at Dan's. Those included were of course Dan, Andrew, Tut (the massive cat)...

Our fabulous hostess, Leesa, and her daughters Katie and Miranda...

Grandma, who has several gifts to open here...

and William who's home for the holidays from Chicago. After our Christmas dinner, we all had a good time chatting and watching some funny videos on the internet. It was a very merry Christmas, but here's the only thing that could have made it better...

this adorable New York family! We wish you could have been with us, Elise, Dean, Dallin, Lily and Caleb!

After Christmas I went to see Sharon's Christmas tree. She and Caden are holding the cute stockings that Sharon made. Looks to me like Caden is also busy eating the goodies that Santa put in them. Enjoy a few more pictures below and may you face the new year with the same joy and contentment that you see on Caden's face below:

Occupying New York

2011-11-09T15:33:00.000-07:00

"Start spreading the news. I am leaving today. I want to be a part of it. New York, New York!"

This was the main New York attraction for us--Elise, Dean, Dallin, Lily and Caleb. They were kind to let us occupy their apartment for a few days.

It was time for Allen and David to meet Caleb for the first time and to spend time with the adorable, sweet children!

We all loved getting to know Caleb. He's such a delight!

We arrived in time to help the kids celebrate Halloween. Saturday was pumpkin carving time!
First Dallin draws the face on his pumpkin. These are special pumpkins grown by "Grandma and Grandpa on the farm."

Then Dean begins the carving while Lily watches. She's so excited!

Off comes the top of the pumpkin.

Then the innards are scooped out. Lily doesn't hesitate to reach in and get her hand all goopy although Dallin has more reservations about it.

What fun! It's great having messy pumpkin guts in your hand!

The pumpkins are getting nice and clean.

Look! Even I carved one!

Another highlight of the visit was the fun of seeing Lily at her dance class. So wonderfully adorable!

If only we could be a part of these cute activities more often!

The Spooks Come Out

2011-11-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

It was Halloween time and on Saturday the kids got dressed up for the ward Halloween party. Caleb Dragon would look more scary if he didn't have such an adorable smile.

Of course Tinkerbell wears a bindi. Just ask Lily.

Tinkerbell looks very cute from the back too.

Dallin Shark was very busy running around, and it was hard to get a good picture of him, but we'll see more of D. Shark in photos below. I was envious of the boots behind him since it was a very wet and snowy day. (Fortunately it was the only wet day we had while we were there.)

A trio of cuteness.

Say "cheese," Lily!

Lovely Tinkerbell, sweet mommy, and a cute side-view of Caleb Dragon

This was obviously a fun party.

We were there too enjoying the sweet grandchildren.

Lucky Caleb!

Dallin Shark isn't too thrilled that he has to finish his soup before he gets a cupcake.

The reward at last!

I was thrilled to be there with these kids that I love, love, love!

On Halloween morning we waited for Dallin to come by in his school's parade. No need to explain the following pictures. The cuteness of them is self explanatory:

And here he comes!.......

I've never seen a neighborhood get into Halloween like the residents of 69th Street. The kids and their friends went out together to experience the creepy sites on this street:

Look, David! It's like your basement bedroom!

Ha ha! In profile, it looks like the shark is eating Dallin! I still think Tinkerbell looks adorable from behind too.

Dallin with girl friend, Talulah

Exploring the Big Apple

2011-11-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

On Sunday evening we went to the 911 Memorial that features two waterfalls. They were beautiful with the shimmering, sparkling water creating a very lovely effect.

At the former sight of the Twin Towers

The tallest building in the photo is one of the new World Trade Centers. The building to the left is the Goldman Sachs building where Dean works.

Dean took us inside and we had a great view of the city. This picture is taken from the 41st floor.

Everyone will recognize this as Times Square.

David and Allen had a celebrity siting when they happened to run into Matthew Perry. He actually offered to have his picture taken with David. Wow, now they must be friends!

A famous New York landmark--the Empire State Building

Up high on the observation deck of the Empire State Building

Wow! Look at the view from up there!

This was the first time I was able to take a close up of the Statue of Liberty. A ferry took us out to Liberty Island.

We each documented our presence there with a picture.

Here's one of the current big tourist attractions in NYC --the Wall Street occupiers. (So glad we had Elise's apartment to occupy rather than one of these tents!)

David visits the Lego Store....

and the diner (Tom's Restaurant or "Monks Diner") where the Seinfeld gang hung out.

I enjoyed some clam chowder inside--Manhattan style, of course.
Please click on "Older Posts" because there's one more post of our Manhattan trip....

Cutest Family in NYC

2011-11-09T14:30:00.000-07:00

The morning of our last day in New York City with Dean ready to go to work.

Elise will soon be leaving to read to Dallin's kindergarten class.

Happy kids!

Lily in action....one last twirl for us!

This final picture was taken in haste before we left. It didn't occur to me that the mirror in the background would be capturing a view of our backs and of David shooting the picture. It turns out that that's probably the best part about it! Thanks, Elise and Dean, for having us! It was a great trip! We love you!

Happy Birthday, Sharon!

2011-09-28T12:29:00.009-06:00

Happy birthday to this happy girl that has brought our family many years of joy!

Look, Brandon! I think she might be a cat lover!

She was more than ready for her first day of first grade and has always been at the very top of her class. (You can blame her mom for that over-sized bow on the top of her head.)

as a young teen with braces

and a sophomore in high school with a beautiful smile

I thought her high school years flew by way too fast! Here's a senior photo.

What?! She and her high school friends were thinking of marriage already and trying on wedding dresses?!

I knew she wouldn't stay single long once she found the love of her life!

Sharon has accomplished so much in her life already! She is very loved as a competent, caring nurse.
Her family loves her too for all she does for them and for the happy times they spend together! Happy birthday, Sharon! We love you!

A 71-Year Anniversary

2011-09-04T14:48:00.010-06:00

September 4 is a special anniversary because it was on Sept. 4, 1940 that my parents were married in the Salt Lake Temple. (Wow--that was 71 years ago!) Since then all of their children and all of their married grandchildren have been married for eternity in the temple. What a great example my parents have always been for their posterity! The first comment that Nephi wrote in the Book of Mormon was that he was born of "goodly parents." Like Nephi, I count that as one of my greatest blessings in life.

My parents also set the example of missionary work. Both of them served missions while they were young, and as a married couple, they served together in Jamaica. This picture was taken while they were on their mission in Jamaica in 1983. All of their children have since served missions and each of their grandsons are returned missionaries or are preparing for a mission.

Happy anniversary to a wonderful couple! Thank you for your love and examples! I love you, Mom and Dad!

Happy Birthday, Elise!

2011-08-30T14:33:00.016-06:00

Here's another special August birthday to celebrate...Elise's birthday! Doesn't this picture just make you hope there will be more photos?!

Here's Elise soon after she turned 3 years old--close to the age that her daughter Lily is now.

It was so fun to start our family with this spunky daughter!

She is also a deep thinker. (She's undoubtedly wondering how this picture got on here. It's partly because I'm sure many wanted to see Cassie again.)

Was there ever such a drama queen?!

Elise has always done everything with flair....

and spirit!

She's a teacher extraordinaire....

and an unselfish, incredible mother who will do it all for her children....even when it's not easy!

Happy birthday, Elise! We love you and are so glad you are a part of our family!

Birthday Boys

2011-08-28T23:42:00.013-06:00

We recently had a birthday dinner to celebrate Allen's and Dan's birthdays. Sadly, I didn't think to pull out my camera until after Dan and his family had left. But here we are with a few of the gifts Allen received. Isn't that melting clock perfect for an art historian's office?! (Thanks Elise and Dean!) Allen also had fun playing with his new remote-controlled helicopter. (Thanks Sharon and Brandon!) He's excited to watch the DVD of one of his favorite movies, Goodbye, Mr. Chips. (Thanks David!)

Even if I had taken pictures while Dan's family were here, there's probably no way I could have topped this picture of the birthday boys taken a couple of years ago:

Caden Turns Two!

2011-08-28T21:56:00.017-06:00

Caden turned two years old this month, and Sharon and Brandon held a fun birthday party for him at the Mann's house. There was a barbecue and other delicious food, lots of Mann cousins, and many gifts! What more could Caden have asked for?! Enjoy these pictures of Caden's happy, special day:

Sharon made Caden one of the cutest cakes ever:

I just had to post this family picture. (Apparently very-happy Brandon enjoyed Caden's birthday as much as his son did!)

Enjoy a couple of videos from Caden's party. I love how he's beaming in the bottom one as we begin singing to him. Then he suddenly gets a very concerned look on his face. We think it's because a camera flashed right before the concerned look and he's also unsure about all those annoying cameras suddenly facing him. (Oh, the papparazi!)

Road Trip! Part 1

2011-08-02T20:12:00.020-06:00

At the end of May, Allen and I headed out on the Mustang's first cross-country road trip. (It was mine too.) We had two goals on this trip: to see our church's historical sites and to visit art museums. Here's our first stop at a historical site:

Winter Quarters at Omaha, Nebraska was an encampment where the saints that had left Nauvoo waited for better conditions for their trek westward.

These words at the base of a memorial statue to the saints very simply express their faith.

The Omaha temple is located next to the Winter Quarters visitor center. The temple has some very beautiful stained glass windows, especially on the other sides.

Here I'm inside the tabernacle where Brigham Young was sustained as president of the Church. I was asked if I would like to play the old organ that was inside, and of course I was delighted to do it.

Downtown Omaha has many, many blocks with monuments such as this to honor the pioneers.

Nothing makes me smile like seeing a buffalo storming through town!

Did I mention that we also visited art museums? Isn't this a fun Chihuly?

Our next stop was Nauvoo, where the saints built a beautiful city and temple. Experiencing this lovely place was certainly a highlight of our trip!

We had reserved this old cabin that belonged to the Ferrin Family so that our experience would feel more authentic. (I guess it wasn't totally authentic since it had electricity and air conditioning, for which I was grateful. We didn't get wi-fi for my ipad, so we were sort of roughing it, right?)

Don't you love the incongruity of the Mustang in front of the log cabins?

Here's the interior of our cabin. Look what was carved on the headboard of our bed:

Very nice!

A horse-drawn wagon ride was a fun wide to start our day! A nice thing about visiting Nauvoo is that all of the places, rides, and events that are linked to the LDS Church are free of charge! (How many tourist sites offer that?!)

Then we began touring the shops and homes of historic Nauvoo. Our first stop was the bakery. Shall we go inside?

Oooh! Look what we have here! A loaf of yummy bread! We didn't get to eat the bread, but they did give each of us a cookie.

Here's the cultural hall where we saw a musical production (Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo) put on by the senior missionaries. I didn't have high expectations for a very polished musical considering that it was put on by volunteer missionaries that aren't necessarily experienced actors or musicians, but they did very well! Every missionary that serves in Nauvoo performs in the musicals.

The Nauvoo Brass Band made the day feel cheery and festive. (Be sure to click on the video at the end for a little sample of it.)

This house in Nauvoo had some examples of pioneer quilts, sewing, and crafts.

This is inside the printing shop. We're getting an interesting explanation of how they set up a newspaper to go to press. Ever wonder why letters are sometimes referred to as "upper case" or "lower case?" See how the picture shows an upper case of letters and a lower case below it. That's where the name comes from:

Here's another one: Your mother or grandmother might have told you to "mind your "p's and q's." Letters appeared to be backwards as they were being set to go to press. The p's and q's could easily be selected incorrectly if one weren't paying a lot of attention to the task.

I thought the sister missionaries were so lovely. This friendly lady, one of my favorites, was tending the drug store.

The center item is a pill maker.

Isn't Nauvoo cute?

Here are some things that you might have found at the mercantile. The spinning weasel in the back is used to measure yarn.

Once the desired length of the skein was reached, a mechanism inside the box made a "pop" sound, and thus "Pop goes the weasel."

"Hauling this water is such a chore!" Poor me. (I don't think I would have made a very good pioneer.) What a great trip we had! It made me appreciate my pioneer ancestors even more. Now check out the Nauvoo Brass Band for a good ol' fashioned sound:

Blessed, Honored Pioneers!

2011-08-01T00:15:00.008-06:00

I love my pioneer ancestors! They struggled, sacrificed, and paid such a high price for the Gospel to go forth, and I'm in awe of their testimonies and faith. We don't mean to take away from the true meaning of Pioneer Day, which is to honor those who came before us. However, we have had fun each year celebrating with our pie 'n beer (root beer, of course) to help celebrate the occasion.

Thank you, pioneers for ". . .Building new and firm foundations, Pushing on the wild frontier, Forging onward, ever onward, Blessed, honored Pioneer!" (from They the Builders of the Nation, Hymn #36)

Road Trip! Part 2

2011-07-17T21:23:00.031-06:00

Allen and I took a road trip in June, visiting LDS Church history sites. Since we started in Utah, we did things in reverse order of how Church history progressed historically. It was a fantastic trip, and it often felt like we were stepping back in time. At this point we're in beautiful Nauvoo, Illinois. This is how the temple looked in 1846 before the saints were driven from the state and the temple was set on fire.

And here's the new Nauvoo Temple today (completed in 2002) with our 'stang (the transportation for our road trip) in front of it.

We visited many homes and shops (such as the drug store, shoemaker shop, printing office, bakery, tinsmith, etc.) which have been restored. This house was the home of Brigham Young.

Some of the original dinner plates were found at the site and repaired. (Most items in the homes and shops were period pieces, not necessarily the actual ones that had been there. However, some like these were.)

A typical friendly senior missionary is teaching us about the preparations the saints made to leave Nauvoo.

We had fun watching three performances while we were there. This one was "High Hopes and River Boats" put on by the young performing missionaries. They had great voices and talent! Winning the category for cutest name for a musical was the second one we saw--"Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo."

"Come along, children. . . it's time to begin our lessons." (Inside the school house)

Ever wonder where the phrase "Sleep tight" comes from? Here's the answer: To keep the beds comfortable, they would have to tighten the ropes on the beds. The ropes held up the mattresses and kept them from sagging.

Allen making an important point inside the Seventies Hall.

Joseph Smith and Emma took in many people during the short time that they lived in the
Mansion House in Nauvoo.

Heber C. Kimball's home was another one of the finer homes in Nauvoo. The next two photos show a couple of rooms of its interior.

Now a little bit about the women of Nauvoo....early feminists! Don't mess with them.

This home with a lovely garden belonged to Sarah Granger Kimball. Her idea of enlisting women to help care for the needy led to the organization of the Relief Society.

Since I do so much gardening, I couldn't help but admire this beautiful garden.

The actual organizing of the Relief Society took place in the upper level of Joseph Smith's Red Brick Store. You can see the Mississippi River behind it.

Besides a horse-drawn wagon ride, we took a carriage ride, and a ride in this wagon pulled by oxen.

We enjoyed the evening production of "Sunset on the Mississippi" put on by young performing missionaries....

and the senior missionaries. Here they're singing about the mosquitoes in Nauvoo. (We were lucky because they weren't a problem when we were there in June.)

It was sobering to be in this upstairs room of Carthage Jail where Joseph Smith was killed. He was shot, and then he subsequently fell from this window.

The jail still has this door with a bullet hole that occurred as a mob stormed the jail.

This is the exterior of Carthage Jail with the view of the upper room window.

With a statue of Joseph and Hyrum Smith

We stopped in Springfield, Illinois to visit Abraham Lincoln's home. Unfortunately it was afflicted with what Allen calls "scaffolding disease." (There's an epidemic of that in Europe.)

Inside Lincoln's home there are a lot of busy wallpaper and carpet patterns.

This is the masterpiece of architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. His famous Fallingwater house is in Pennsylvania and is built over a waterfall. He incorporates the nature around it into the design of the house. Even some of the natural stone runs into the interior of the house. It's amazing!

Falling Water has a gorgeous forest setting.

Our next stop was Kirtland, Ohio, where we saw the first temple built by the latter-day saints.

I loved the rhododendron bushes that you see behind me.

Aren't they gorgeous?!

The temple grounds were beautiful.

This is inside the Newell K. Whitney store. It was a popular gathering place of the community and a place where Joseph Smith spent a lot of time talking to the people of Kirtland.

This is the Joseph Smith home in Kirtland.

We visited many different homes of Joseph Smith (he had many!) He once lived in the left side of this home in Kirtland.

Our final destination was upstate New York. Rulon had a photography display of his pictures of New Mexico's Bisti Wilderness in downtown Rochester which we visited.

Rulon and his beautiful photos

We enjoyed the peace and beauty of the place of Joseph Smith's first vision, the Sacred Grove, with Rulon and Rebecca. We happened to run into a member of our ward in Provo while we were there, and he took this picture.

This log house was one of the early homes of Joseph Smith when he was growing up.

It was in this upstairs bedroom of the home that the Angel Moroni made several appearances to Joseph Smith.

Moroni directed Joseph Smith to the gold plates which were buried here at the Hill Cumorah. We're on top of the hill with the Moroni statue in the background.

This is the site in Palmyra, New York, where the first Book of Mormon was printed.

The Book of Mormon has been translated into over 100 languages, and here Allen is pointing to the one in Quiche, which he translated.

The Church has gone such a long way since its beginnings in upstate New York. What a wonderful trip we had to relive some of its history and see the early part of how it progressed from its original six members in 1830 to now over 14 million world wide!

Happy Birthday, America!

2011-07-04T17:09:00.021-06:00

Hooray for the 4th of July! I LOVE it! It means patriotism, family, and fun! You don't have to spend weeks getting ready for it....just prepare some picnic food and show up and have fun! Here's Sharon and Caden waiting for the Grand Parade to start.

I can tell Caden loves the 4th of July just like I do. He loved waving the flag I gave him.

I love a parade! We had a great up-close place to sit thanks to Brandon's sister, Jenn, who saved us a spot by camping out there overnight!

It's cute how Caden is so fond of his Grandpa. When Allen was gone, he kept asking, "Grandpa? Grandpa?" Here he chose to go over and sit on Grandpa's lap.

The flags are coming now. The parade begins! (That's Brandon's beautiful mom, Nancy, right behind them on the right.)

Caden is VERY excited about what he sees!

The Provo parade has it all....pretty floats with beauty queens....

bands and flag twirlers....

floats, and more floats (in any other words, not just cars and trucks with ads or politicians)....

visitors from a galaxy far, far away....

cougars from Planet Earth...

cheerleaders from BYU (and UVU, Provo High, Timpview, Orem, Springville, etc.)....

missionaries (Is that just a Provo thing?)....

llamas (Maybe that's just a Provo thing too, but they show up every year!)

After the parade we ate our traditional food at Grandma's! (We were going to picnic outside, but it just got too hot!)

4th of JULY EVE....

Caden loved the sparklers at Grandma's house! Don't miss him in the last video below!

JULY 2nd (because Independence Day is a multi-day celebration here!)....

Could it be?! Yes it is?! Stadium of Fire with David Archuleta!!!

We KNEW you wanted to see our excited David Archuleta faces!

Here's another grandma that adores that nice young man, David Archuleta! (Brad Paisley was the headline act, but I was there for D.A.)

You just can't have Stadium of Fire without the Stadium of Fire dancers! This time we also got dozens of beach balls bouncing all around the audience during their first dance.

I know you wish you could have been there. I took lots of longer videos for you to watch since you missed it, but Blogger just didn't want to upload them for me. (I tried and tried unsuccessfully.) So take a moment and enjoy these short clips and see how much fun it was.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY U.S.A!!!

Video #1 Four parachutists made smooth, beautiful landings into the stadium, but the last one was carrying the flag, and I caught him on video. Smooth landing? Not so much--he crashed into a barrier. Oops!

Video #5 (one next to Caden) Stadium of Fire dancers after dark

The other videos I think you'll figure out on your own. Enjoy!

Flagstaff Fun

2011-06-19T19:43:00.040-06:00

The ponderosa forest near Flagstaff, Arizona was the location for three days of fun with Allen's brothers, their wives, and some other extended family members and friends. We shared two cabins, and I'm in front of the one with our room.

Others stayed in the "Hogan," and it's where we ate our delicious meals together.

Allen's enjoying the nice deck of our cabin.

This was a reunion of five Christenson brothers. They came from California, Arizona, Missouri, and Utah to be together.

Yummy food (an important part of any family gathering)! We can give most of the credit for our delicious meals to Sheila and Kim. They are great planners, organizers, and cooks!

Note to my kids: if you don't recognize someone in a picture, they are probably friends or family of Kim and Mike Painter (such as Mike's parents pictured here).

Is this the kiddie table?

Here's a closer look at some who attended: Kay and Steve

Mariana and Kent

Sheila and Dale

Melissa and Paul

Allen and Janet

It was terrific to have some of the younger generations there too. Their games, songs, and humor kept us all laughing.

The five bros--Dale, Allen, Steve, Paul, and Kent...

and with their wives: Sheila, Janet, Kay, Melissa, and Mariana

Everybody!

Now featuring Kim's family--Mike, Kim, Jenn, Jason, Lindsey, and Kyle Painter and Kay and Steve Christenson.

They were there for the special occasion of Jenn's graduation and her commissioning into the Air Force. Here is Jenn taking the oath which was administered by her Grandfather Painter, a former officer. It was so great to be a part of this important occasion! Jenn received an award for being outstanding in her ROTC program, and she's going to be trained to be a pilot! She's an amazing young lady, and there's no doubt she can accomplish anything she wants!

Each newly commissioned officer got to choose who would pin on their lieutenant bars, and Jenn chose her siblings: Jason (her twin), and Lindsey and Kyle.

On our way home, we took a little mini-vacation through southern Utah, repeating parts of last year's trip which was so fun. This road took us to the cute little group of cabins in Kodachrome Basin where we love to stay.

And we couldn't miss one of my favorite places on earth--Bryce Canyon with its gorgeous color and fascinating hoodoos!

Proof that I didn't make up the word "hoodoo."

We loved it all--enjoying Bryce and being with our wonderful family in Flagstaff!

Happy Birthday, David!

2011-05-02T23:40:00.012-06:00

Nineteen years ago we were delighted to add a beautiful baby boy to our family. This smiling David was adored by his parents and sisters.

His first memories are from living in Texas where this picture was taken. I had forgotten how blonde his hair once was!

This Texan cowboy spent four years in Austin and then headed for Utah.

We moved to Provo where David began first grade. Here he is with our lovable dog, Cassie.

He's had many adventures since then. Here he is at Oxford University in England at the very hall that was used as the Hogwarts dining hall in the Harry Potter movies.

Arrrgh! Being kidnapped by pirates on a cruise of the Greek islands.

His high school Sterling Scholar picture

And finally, David at Fuddruckers celebrating his 19th birthday (always a favorite David place). Happy birthday, David! We know you have exciting years ahead of you, and you will continue to have great adventures and accomplish fantastic things in the coming years! We love you!

April Surprises

2011-05-02T13:58:00.026-06:00

Mother Nature wanted to delay spring this year, and on our first Sunday in April, General Conference Sunday, we woke up to this scene outside our front door.

The last day of April, Saturday the 30th, we discovered a similar scene in the morning.

"Where are you springtime, why can't I find you? Why have you gone away?" (Doesn't Faith Hill sing something like that?)

Fortunately, not every day in April was so wintry. Some days were warm and beautiful. I always love the flowers that pop up in April in my yard. It was really strange how some days looked like the first pictures, and a day or two later, it often looked like this one.

Another April highlight was the visit of Elaine, Devn and Reid. What a nice surprise to hear Devn's name announced in General Conference as a new member of the Second Quorum of the Seventies. We now have a general authority in the family!

We gathered for a family dinner to hear all about Devn's new assignment.

It's always fun to be with Reid. He took that last family picture for us.

April is my birthday month. Dan surprised me with a card he had made with this photo of me on my first birthday. Does this face remind you of a certain toddler in the family?

I think Caden has a strong resemblance to this
grandma of his. :-)

It was a fun birthday surprise to have Liz come to visit me on my birthday. It was the first time I got to meet her cute Rosalie.

Ha ha! We totally got bunny ears popping up behind Rosalie in this photo. Fortunately I noticed the ears before taking all of the photos like that.

Liz, you're looking great too. Thanks for the visit!

Finally, April is also our anniversary month. We celebrated 31 wonderful years together and ate dinner at a Japanese restaurant. The owners are in our ward, and we mentioned our anniversary, and they kindly surprised us with extra delicious food that we hadn't even ordered! What a fun month of surprises!

Silly Meeshka

2011-05-02T13:32:00.003-06:00

Meeshka got this new bed for Christmas, and she took to it immediately. She loves this bed whether she's having awake time or sleep time.

It even provides a pillow she can lean on.

This is how we usually find her--all curled up inside. However, one day I walked into the room and found her using her bed in a new way....

What's she doing? Morning stretches? Kitty pilates? (Or did she just fall out of her bed?)

Silly Meeshka! She's a crazy cat!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T12:39:00.013-07:00

Although this is traditionally a day of romantic love, it's nice to think of the many people in your life on this day that make your life so wonderful. Here are just a few of them (from oldest to youngest):

If you were looking at these pictures, you probably should have your picture in this post too--but there are just too many to include! I listened to a wonderful talk from Jeffrey Holland yesterday as I drove to Provo. Here are just a few of his thoughts:

Christ loved us, and that is how He hoped we would love each other. In a final injunction to all his disciples for all time, He said, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you" (John 13:34; emphasis added).

Think the best of each other, especially of those you say you love. Assume the good and doubt the bad.

One of the great purposes of true love is to help each other in these times. No one ought to have to face such trials alone. We can endure almost anything if we have someone at our side who truly loves us, who is easing the burden and lightening the load.

Back to me now: Thank you to the people in my life who have loved me, have eased my burdens and have lightened my load--in spite of my flaws. Christ loved everyone regardless of their imperfections, which we all have. What a wonderful world it would be if everyone could love one another as He loved us and treat everyone with warmth and kindness!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

The Guys' Ski Vaction

2011-02-14T10:34:00.014-07:00

These three handsome guys flew to Utah for a ski vacation. Dean and his friend, Mike, have been doing this for years. This time they brought along another pal--Dallin, who discovered that he loves to ski (and he's very good at it!)

Dallin loved this special time with Daddy.

The grandmas came along too. We couldn't miss seeing Dallin's first skiing vacation!

Extreme Dallin! He looks like the big, confident guy that he is!

Gotta love these Extreme Men!

This fun day on the slopes was followed by a birthday celebration for Dean (whose birthday is coming right up!):

Happy almost-birthday to Dean! With such a beautiful family, he has a very good reason to beam!

Grandma Turns 91!

2011-01-28T23:33:00.009-07:00

This incredible mother, grandmother and great-grandmother just turned 91! We had a birthday dinner for her at our house. How many 91-year olds do you know that still live alone, needs no wheelchair or walker, and still drives?

This one does!

A new pink sweater and skirt for Grandma from Dan and Leesa.

Of course all the usual suspects were there (although I failed to get a picture of Andrew and Miranda before they left). I realize I need to get more action shots. Who knows how many pictures I've posted of us in front of a fireplace? Or in front of the front door...

We were glad that this happy group of Cornishes could be there too!

William joined us via Skype! Isn't technology amazing? Grandma was very pleased about the long list (which she brought) of people who had called her with birthday greetings that day. The GPS location of these people spanned from Anchorage to Manhattan!

Gooooo BYU!

2011-01-28T23:25:00.011-07:00

It's a good time to live in Cougar Town. (No, not that Cougar Town. Provo was Cougar Town long before the TV series came along.) Our kind of cougars are very respectable. In fact, U.S. News and World Reports has named BYU to be the most popular university in America for the second year in a row, beating out Harvard, Stanford and every other school in the country. (This is based on the percentage of applicants who actually enroll at the university after being accepted. For BYU, it's 76.9%.)

BYU has a great basketball team too! Fans brought lawn chairs, blankets and camping gear to wait outside of BYU's Marriott Center in weather like this to get tickets for the BYU-San Diego State game. Some literally camped out there overnight. (I'm a big fan, but I'm only willing to go so far!) David found the game on the internet for us so we could watch. Thanks, David!

The game did not disappoint. No. 4 SDS was undefeated until No. 9 BYU beat them 71-58. Jimmer Fredette scored 43 points.

There's a lot of Jimmermania going on these days. It won't be surprising if he wins national player of the year. Poor San Diego State got Jimmered!

The Manns Come to Visit!

2011-01-12T22:13:00.045-07:00

As you can see, there are no Manns in this photo taken on Christmas Day. We didn't expect to see them until the next day. (This picture was taken at Dan's house after our delicious Christmas dinner together.) We went home content, having enjoyed a very nice Christmas together. But before heading to bed, we had our Christmas surprise! There was a loud knock at the door, and to our amazement, there stood Sharon, Brandon, and Caden!

This cute family had come to visit! (They knew all along, of course, that they would be arriving Christmas evening. ) The next day we celebrated "Christmas morning" again with them. It was like having two Christmases in a row! Twice the fun!

On Monday we enjoyed a dinner together at Olive Garden.

The big extended Mann family was there too. In fact they were the ones that invited us. Caden loved his pasta dish. His Uncle Corey or Uncle Skyler is in the background. (I can never tell those two apart!)

Caden hanging out with Grandpa at Olive Garden.

Caden discovered that there are lots of fun toys at Grandma's house! Do you see a difference in the picture quality over the last three photos? That's because I'm using my new Canon S95 that I got for Christmas. (Thanks, Allen, for the great gift!) Note: Olive Garden pictures weren't so great also because of the dark lighting and no flash was used.

I haven't read the instruction book from my camera yet, but even with the best of cameras, it would be hard to capture Caden not in motion, because that active little guy is a perpetual-motion machine! (That's why there's still some fuzziness with many Caden photos.)

Caden enjoys the awesomeness of the little stirring pot that Elise and Dean gave him.

He also loved Grandma's stairs and was very good at crawling up and down them.

Looking sweet for the camera and for GrandmaCute kid!

This is not Sharon and Caden in their front yard (although they have seen moose in their front yard). Here they are at the life science museum at BYU.

With the cool African animals

and forest creatures

Caden especially enjoyed the exhibits that allowed him to participate...

such as pushing buttons to turn on lights in the display

and lifting covers to reveal animals' habitats.

Lions!Tigers!and bears!
....Oh my!

We hate to admit it, but perhaps Caden's favorite thing at the museum was the stairs. He thought it was so cool to go up and down that long staircase.

You've got to get a four-generation picture when you come to Utah, and so here it is.

Hanging out with Uncle David

and Grandma during the BYU-Utah basketball game.

(Brandon is wearing the wrong color even though he's a BYU fan.)

Caden loves playing with daddy.

He also likes the final score of the basketball game...

Goooooo Cougars! (Currently number 10 in the nation!)

A highlight of staying at Grandma's house was playing with Meeshka. (A highlight for Caden, not for Meeshka).

Caden likes Grandpa and the helicopter they're playing with.

"Grandpa, why do we have to take all of these silly pictures? Playing with the helicopter is so much more fun!"

Thanks for coming, Sharon, Brandon, and Caden! We loved having you here!

New York Trip!

2010-11-21T20:28:00.018-07:00

My 2006 out-dated camera (yes, already outdated!) with no image stabilization didn't get the clearest shots of my New York trip, and I've been postponing the posting of these photos to improve them with Photoshop. After weeks of procrastination, I realize that may not happen until Caleb is walking, talking, or even returning from his mission. So to avoid that from happening, here at last are my photos!

This sweet little boy came into the world in September, and so I, the happy grandma, made a trip to New York soon after to meet him.

Isn't it cute how he wrinkles his little forehead?

I think he's asking, "Where's my next meal?" This little guy loves to eat!

I love the fact that he's looking up at me in this photo and the next one.

Happy grandma!

Of course I was just as delighted to spend time with Dallin and Lily. At the playground, I was "ordering" food from Dallin, and he was happily delivering my order.

Lily decided to she wanted to be a cashier/server too.

Then she had fun taking trips on the playground train. She liked to pretend that she was visiting her grandparents in South Dakota, Logan, and Provo.

Elise's apartment is a short walk from Strawberry Fields in Central Park.

I was in NYC on October 9, which is John Lennon's birthday. There was a big gathering at his memorial on that day. This picture was taken a couple of days later.

Hanging out together at Central Park

We celebrated Dallin's 4th birthday and Lily's 2nd birthday while I was there. Watching little ones open gifts is so much fun!

This photo was taken at the birthday party for Dallin and Lily. It's less clear than others because the action of the gift opening was taking place. It's not fair to ask a 2-year old to stop and not move during the process just so Grandma can get a picture.

Then we went to Africa and looked out of our bus window and saw zebras! Okay, not really, but we did enjoy a trip to the Natural History Museum.

Ooooh...lions are fascinating!

I like the drama of this photo. What terrifying thing might be approaching Dallin and Lily? (Think Night at the Musum.)

Before I head out the door to leave, I always go for some last pictures. Somehow I just couldn't get one where someone's not looking a little goofy. I consider the next few pictures to be my OUT TAKES.....

Ha ha! This one's my favorite. It may be goofy, but I just love the expression on Lily's face!

Okay kids, let's have you look at the camera!

We've got Lily looking. But Dallin, the camera is not over there!

We girls understand the importance of trying to look happy for the camera. The boys just aren't interested. I'll have to be content that I got a smiling Lily and Dallin. (I'm pretty sure Dallin is smiling.)

Happy Birthday, Sharon!

2010-09-30T22:27:00.024-06:00

Sharon just celebrated her birthday! Let's look back at her past. She hasn't lost the big, bright eyes she had as a baby.

A happy girl having fun on her third birthday!

A very talented girl who learned to beautifully play the harp!

It's Sharon, the Mayan babe!

Sharon loving it in Paradise.

Looking happy and radiant after performing a successful harp solo in the Timpview Concerto-Aria.

Yes, she's the one! She did it! She graduated from BYU's nursing school!

Sweet-mommy Sharon. We helped her celebrate it via Skype. Happy Birthday, Sharon! You have accomplished so much in your 23 years of life. We love you and hope your next year of life will continue to be filled with many wonderful things!

A Wonderful New Grandson!

2010-09-30T22:19:00.007-06:00

This cute little sleeping baby is our new grandson, Caleb Michael Soukup. We're so happy about his arrival and can't wait to meet him!

He is so adorable! (Obviously I'm not thinking that just because I'm the grandma!)

Friends, Family (Frauke, Funster & More)

2010-09-30T22:08:00.014-06:00

September was a fun month with friends and family. It included a short hike in Rock Canyon with Frauke, our German friend. Frauke is translating Allen's translation of the Popol Vuh into German.

After having dessert, we had to document our gathering with a photo of us with Grandma, Rulon, and the Funster!

It was a nice surprise when Matt and Vicky showed up with the kids!

Hooray! Sheila and Dale came to town! Remember this rock where Frauke and I posed for the top picture? It's the same setting about two weeks later, but notice the difference in the fall colors behind us.

It looks like fall, but it's still summer-like weather!

It was a short stay in Provo for Sheila and Dale, but at least we had a chance to take a lovely hike and enjoy being together again!

India Fest

2010-09-30T21:47:00.016-06:00

No, it's not India, but it's India Fest in Spanish Fork, and this is the Krishna temple. Allen, Frauke, and I decided to spend part of a Saturday afternoon checking out India Fest.

The Indian dancers were very talented and graceful, (but I'll confess that I wouldn't want to listen to the Indian music for very long.)

Frauke and I at the Krishna temple.

(No caption needed, right?)

We love India Fest for the llamas.

Llamas were wandering around and going about their usual llama business when suddenly they all rushed to the fence in a line to observe something very fascinating to them.

It was this little dog that caught their attention, and they couldn't take their eyes off of him. From their side of the fence they followed this little dog where ever he went. It was so cute and funny! (Maybe you had to be there.)

Hooray for llamas! Especially for nice, patient ones that cooperate for picture taking!

It Happened 70 Years Ago Today!

2010-09-04T18:15:00.008-06:00

Seventy years ago today--Sept. 4, 1940--my parents were married!

Quiz time: Where did this couple from Ephraim and Manti get married?

If you guessed the Manti Temple, then you were wrong! It was closed for cleaning, and so they chose to be married in the Salt Lake Temple. Mom told me that Dad's parents couldn't understand that and were disappointed that the marriage wouldn't be in the Manti Temple. But apparently the young lovers didn't want to wait and so the marriage took place in Salt Lake. I'm happy this wonderful couple were married 70 years ago today!

Happy Birthday, Elise!

2010-09-04T17:15:00.025-06:00

Elise had a birthday this week! I didn't get these photos and birthday wishes up sooner because I needed to get my new printer and scanner set up. Now that it is, I've scanned some pictures from Elise's past. Enjoy!

Two-year old Elise--what a cutie!

Princess Elise--feeling very royal and pretty.

Pre-school graduate Elise--ready to move on to bigger things.

Timpview graduate Elise-- and then she really did move on to big things!

Red-headed Elise--one of her changing hair colors.

Blonde Elise--going back to the light hair color of her childhood.

Drama queen Elise--she was a star!

Happy mommy Elise--what her family loves best of all!

Elise was so much fun to raise, and she brought so much life and laughter to our home. We're proud of her many talents and accomplishments and for the beautiful family she is now raising. We hope your birthday was a very happy one, Elise! We love you!

Another Year Older

2010-08-29T22:40:00.011-06:00

Allen celebrated another birthday recently. Just like a kid, he can't wait to open his presents! (Is there any noise from this bag which can give it away?)

Caught you peeking!

Ooooh.....there's more!

A great gift from his kids....a new toy Mustang! It's just like the real one he drives, even down to some very tiny details! The steering wheel inside really moves the wheels! Awesome toy!

Meeshka had to check it out, (and she also wouldn't stop moving, so she's blurred in every photo I took.)

Isn't this toy cool?! The hood of the car pops open! Allen had great birthday! He also got tickets to the Beach Boys! (What crazy concert-goers we've become in our old age!)

I Love Summer!

2010-08-29T21:22:00.015-06:00

Summer is my favorite season. Some say it's too hot, but I love it! (I don't complain much about heat--only humidity, which is a rare problem here.) The world is gorgeous in summer, and I love our little "Mayan Popol Vuh pond." My scholarly husband says it's filled with symbolism, but I simply love the colors, the sound of the waterfall, and its serene, green surroundings.

Allen carefully chose the kinds and colors of flowers that represent rebirth, new life, and even death to the Maya.

Later he added a water lily plant. It's one of the rebirth flowers (but it also helps control the algae).

Our first bloom.

I love the fresh fruits of summer! Keeping up with our over-producing apricot tree can be a challenge. This year I bottled apricot nectar for the first time. It's soooo yummy, and I make a delicious smoothie using the nectar, fresh peaches, fresh strawberries, and a little yogurt. We love it!

Summer berries are the best! Fresh raspberry pie is one of the tastiest desserts ever!!! A change of seasons is nice, but as summer comes to an end, I always wish it could hang around a lot longer!

Two Happy Grandmas

2010-08-09T22:08:00.005-06:00

These two happy grandmas share some wonderful grandchildren. Pat and I had a delightful weekend together at her home in Providence. We saw a fantastic performance of The Sound of Music at the opera house where she works, went out for ice cream, and happily chatted away for hours. Saturday evening we were up until 1:30 a.m., and even though I meant to leave on Sunday, we were up talking until midnight that evening, and so I ended up leaving on Monday.

Question: What do two happy grandmas talk about?
Answer: Their awesome grandchildren, of course!

Lost in Paradise

2010-08-09T21:48:00.002-06:00

Some people know that I'm rather directionally challenged. I can get lost inside of a building that I'm not familiar with! Today I got lost and found myself in Paradise. (I guess there are worst places to end up!) Even though Pat gave me very good and accurate directions for getting from her home in divine Providence to mine in Provo, I ended up in Paradise (a good place indeed, but not where my home is--obviously due to my mortal imperfections.) I called Pat, she told me how to leave Paradise behind, and I finally found myself in the lone and dreary world of I-15 which led me back home.

Other Great Things About July

2010-07-28T09:25:00.022-06:00

My last post was all about our July 4th activities, but July brought us lots of other fun too! It started out with our Provo High class reunion. Our kids may think it's been 100 years since we were in high school, but for us it seems almost unbelievable that it's been 35 years! As we mingled and talked with our former classmates, it felt like it wasn't that long ago! That's a former class clown on the far right, and he still has a great sense of humor and a real talent for comedy writing. He prepared a very funny and nostalgic program for us.

Another activity that took us back to our past was attending a concert with....
Paul McCartney!!!
It was terrific! He sang many of the great Beatles songs and stayed true to the original arrangements, and it almost seemed like we were listening to the original Fab Four. So many great songs!

Do you remember our new 24th of July (Pioneer Day) custom?
Pie-n-Beer Day! We not only honor the faith, sacrifice, and accomplishments of our pioneer ancestors, we celebrate it with pie and (root) beer! (I think we have it a whole lot easier than they did!) This year I made strawberry-rhubarb pie for the occasion.

My pie-loving husband is very excited about it!

July 24th also means it's time for....
the annual Simmons Family reunion! The three white-haired ladies are my dad's sisters. He had eight siblings--five sisters and three brothers. Five of the nine Elmer Simmons children are still living and were at the reunion. Uncle Don always brings a yummy smoked turkey from Manti, and they also had barbecued chicken. Everything else was pot luck, and it was delicious!

Remembering Independence Day 2010

2010-07-18T21:20:00.042-06:00

If you love Independence Day, then Provo, Utah is the place for you! Ever since I was a kid, I've LOVED the 4th of July! Provo does it up really big with a "Grand Parade," balloon festival, patriotic service, carnival and street fair, and Stadium of Fire with entertainment and huge fireworks. So if you're feeling bad that you weren't here to celebrate, then keep on going, and I'll do my best to bring some of the celebration to you.

I'll start with July 3, the night of Stadium of Fire! And what would it be without the Stadium of Fire Dancers?!

Yes! It's Carrie Underwood!

Look at our excitement! (It's become tradition to show our excited faces for the featured performer, even if the photos are incredibly ugly.) You can listen to a short video at the end of this blog and hear a tiny bit of her performance. It will almost be like being there!

When it got darker, the Stadium of Fire dancers returned to the field (here in the shape of our country), and out came the fire! You must be dying to hear the Stadium of Fire song because it is awesome, so be sure to watch the other video at the end of this blog.

Oh no! It became Stadium ON Fire! Apparently one of the firework dischargers got bumped, and it ended up facing the audience. (The whiter fireworks at the bottom are the ones that ended up shooting into the crowd below us rather than up above the stadium's field.) Big oops! (Some minor injuries, but fortunately no one had to be hospitalized.) This photo is looking down on the field and all of the little blue lights are the dancers with flashlights. Some fireworks shoot up from bleachers behind the performer's stage and also into the stadium as seen above. It's so much fun!

THE GRAND PARADE
The Grand Parade was held on July 5 so that the Sabbath could be observed. As is always the case, the parade reflected Utah County culture--BYU loving, Republican, and very much LDS. Where else would you see Nephi singing on a float that says "Get Scripture Power"?!

Rise and shout! The Cougars are out!

Cosmo wants YOU to cheer for BYU!

Speaking of cheering, people go nuts with cheers and applause when the missionaries go by.

Here come the Republicans! The big scissors want to cut the pink pig (the pork) in front of it.

Well said.

Politicians always want to make an appearance. Orrin Hatch is above, but I'm even more impressed by our freshman congressman, Jason Chaffetz. He ran over to shake my hand, and I got to tell this anti-big-spending representative to keep up the good work.

These Mormon pioneers with handcarts walked and walked and walked just like my ancestors did--but at least they had paved roads.

They trekked all the way from Nauvoo, Illinois to the Salt Lake Valley! (How often did their kids ask "Are we there yet?")

First time I've seen the Provo Temple in the parade. Polynesians made this float, and they placed a hut in front of the temple. (I'd love to see that in my neighborhood near the temple!)

It was followed by Polynesian dancers and a Polynesian band.

The event was attended by our founding fathers, and the parade was also about patriotism...

and floats with beauty queens...

and even with hunks! (This one is obviously Tarzan, a current play at the Tuacahn Theatre.)

Dallin would have loved this float, which I called the Loopin' Louie float because the airplane was really loopin' around the front of the barn.

And when we've reached the end of our days, this is how we'd like to go out.

Here we are at our annual post-parade celebration at Grandma's house. It was such a delightful day that we didn't need to seek indoor air conditioning. Dan sure looks happy about something! Matt is beaming too! I know why. This was right before he left for Ghana where...(big announcement coming)... he became engaged to his girlfriend who is doing humanitarian work. Yay for Matt and Vicky!

Finally the meal of our traditional sloppy joes and potato salad was topped off with my traditional flag cake. (It just wouldn't be the 4th of July without it. Or in this case, the 5th of July.) Now enjoy a few moments with Stadium of Fire and Carrie Underwood!

Breathtaking Beauty!

2010-07-10T16:49:00.033-06:00

Allen and I took a trip to one of my favorite places on earth....beautiful Bryce Canyon in southern Utah. It is absolutely gorgeous!

However, I'm getting ahead of myself because our first stop was picturesque Kodachrome Basin, which is not very far from Bryce.

We reserved a cabin in Kodachrome Basin, and we felt like we had really gotten away from it all. Fewer people know about it, and so we weren't surrounded by lots of tourists. We loved our little cabin.

It was cute, comfortable, and had for our convenience a refrigerator and microwave and a table and chairs.

Outside we had our own little grill for barbecuing, and we could sit on the front porch and look out on a scenic view.

Here's the pretty view from our cabin's porch. We liked looking out at these rock formations and the "temple" on the right.

We could step outside our cabin and begin hiking. Because of it's high elevation, this part of southern Utah is not unbearably hot like many parts. The high temperatures were in the 80's, but a nice breeze often made it comfortable to hike--even in the afternoon.

Our four nights were all spent in our Kodachrome Basin cabin, but during the day we would also drive over to Bryce to enjoy it's magnificent beauty.

If someone asked me to take their picture, I made sure they reciprocated by taking our picture too!

One final thought....I love Bryce Canyon!!!

(Note: We loved it so much that there are five more posts below. )

Hoodoos!

2010-07-10T16:41:00.009-06:00

These tall, thin spire-like formations are called "hoodoos." There are many unique shapes, and the word "hoodoos" is fun to say!

Some hoodoos have been given names because of the thing they resemble. The hoodoo on the left is called "Queen Victoria." (We see her profile as she looks off to the left.)

Enjoying life in front of the hoodoos.

We came across an entire garden of dozens and dozens of hoodoos that people had created. I made a small contribution by building my own little hoodoo.

Take a Hike!

2010-07-10T16:34:00.015-06:00

We hiked the Navajo Loop Trail that begins at Sunrise Point and ends at Sunset Point. Going down is easy, but the hike back up is a little more challenging!

Posing for a picture on the trail after taking one for a tourist.

Mennonite ladies were out hiking too. We passed another hiker that was telling her husband that their young daughter had just said, "Look, Mom! They look like Mormon pioneers!"

(Non-Mormon-out-of-staters probably thought that they were polygamist wives.)

We enjoyed the many beautiful wildflowers we saw in Bryce.

On another hike we came across dozens of sego lilies, which are the state flower of Utah. I've wondered before why it is the state flower because I had never even seen one. There were certainly a lot at Bryce this year!

I had to get this picture of Allen with some dead wood because we were always stopping for him to take pictures of interesting dead wood. He's fascinated by it! We could see a head, arms, and legs on this one.

Death Defying

2010-07-10T16:27:00.012-06:00

Allen has a fear of heights, so of course I took great pleasure in getting really close to edges to have my picture taken.

It would make him nervous so at times he wouldn't look as I approached the edge, and then he would only look to take my picture.

Who knew I loved living life on the edge?

It was one of my favorite things to do! This narrow ledge had a steep drop off on each side. There was no way I could get Allen to follow me out on one of these.

Is this what he was fearing?

Back to the Past

2010-07-10T16:24:00.010-06:00

Sometimes being in southern Utah felt like stepping back into the past. We liked this old gas pump. The sign on it says "Too pooped to pump."
This store was also the front office for our cabin. It had a cute antique stove in the front and an old buggy around to the side.
It was kind of like the wild, wild west....

hanging out with cowboys....

and Indians!

Wildlife of Bryce Canyon

2010-07-10T13:31:00.025-06:00

"Hi! Aren't I cute?"

This little squirrel obviously wasn't afraid of me! (I love how he's posing for the camera.)

I just kept backing up closer and closer to this raven, and he didn't seem to care.

I jumped out of the car to get this picture of an antelope.

As you can see, Bryce Canyon had all kinds of wildlife. Including....

loons....

and other unsavory types that belong in the slammer.

Probably a cattle rustler.

Here's one last look at the splendor of Bryce Canyon. It was a fun, delightful trip that we'll want to do again!

Finally...a New Post on My Blog!

2010-06-12T21:50:00.025-06:00

Welcome back to my much-neglected blog! A lot has happened since my last post, so let's get started. In April, David was honored at the state Sterling Scholar competition.

There he is, Timpview's Computer Technology Sterling Scholar (front row, third from the right.)

Then Elise came from Hawaii and Sharon came from Alaska for another family gathering. (Elise and family were moving from Hawaii to Manhattan, and Sharon and family came to join in the fun.) Most of the pictures taken during their visit were taken with cameras other than mine, and I think they generally got better pictures than I did. I may look rather tired in this one, but I'm sure I was just blissfully daydreaming.
Okay...that's better. I look more revived now as I snap out of my daydream.
We celebrated David's 18th birthday while everyone was here! David likes his terrific new book on the Beatles. I think Dallin is ready to have him open his next gift.

Hmmm....I wonder what's in this one?

What could be better than getting a yellow rubber chicken for your birthday?! Dallin thinks it's a pretty awesome gift!

Lily thought it was great fun to play in the tunnels at the Rock Canyon Park. The tunnel did a wonderful job on her hair too! After a little longer in the tunnel, most of her hair was sticking straight up!
Here comes another cute gopher burrowing through!

Sure, Lily could do this by herself, but it makes Grandma feel good to hang on to her!

Caden decided that since he was home from church, it was time to loosen that darn tie! After all, Mommy has already changed into her comfy jeans.

Awww.....this is more like it! The ultimate in comfort....jammies! (As you can see from this picture, Caden likes to be moving. It's hard to get a picture of him without some body part in motion.)

Dallin and Lily enjoyed "fishing" out on the deck. Look! Dallin caught both a starfish and an octopus!

Lily was good at catching fish and sea creatures too.

This is not funny, Mother Nature! After Elise, Sharon, hubbies and kids left, it turned into winter in late May! These bushes usually tower way above the stone shed behind them. The snow weighted down the branches until they touched the ground. :-( At least they bounced back once the snow melted.

Spring irises are not suppose to be surrounded by snow! My gigantic rhubarb plant no longer looks like the monstrous Audry II from Little Shop of Horrors now that it's all weighted down with snow.

On a more postive note, here's what our front yard looked like earlier in the season--during the spring that preceded the winter.

It always seems magical when tulips and perennials planted so long ago suddenly appear out of the ground! I LOVE spring!

It has been Allen's dream all of his life to own a red Ford Mustang. And now he does! He's looking good in front of his 'Stang!

This car of Allen's dreams replaced our 1990 Honda Accord (purchased in 1989). Yes, the same car we bought when Elise was 7 years old and Sharon was 2! We owned that car longer than we've known David. It served us well for over 20 years! Allen expects to have another long and happy relationship with this one too!

Festival of Colors

2010-03-28T21:03:00.009-06:00

David went to the Festival of Colors yesterday at the Krishna temple in Spanish Fork. It's a Hindu and Buddhist holiday where colored powder is thrown into the air. He came back looking like this.

Want to see more? Then watch this video. (I don't quite get it either...but it is pretty cool.)

Cabin Retreat

2010-02-26T21:33:00.005-07:00

This summer I'm going camping! Our rustic A-frame cabins at Camp Mia Shalom in Fairview Canyon will be a lot less luxurious than this "cabin" where we had our retreat to plan and prepare for Girls' Camp.

It's too bad the sun shining through those two upper stained-glass windows was so bright that it washed out the beauty of the stained glass in the photo. They were so pretty!

It was more of a mansion than a cabin...large, spacious rooms, many bedrooms (not sure how many), six bathrooms, and I slept in a sleeping bag on top of a king-size bed. If only that were the kind of "roughing it" I would be facing in July!

Long Lost Cousins

2010-02-26T21:18:00.005-07:00

It had been more than ten years since Elaine's daughter, Sarah, had been to Utah. Fortunately, she and Ruth planned a trip out here a few days before Presidents' Day weekend. Here she is with 2 of her 4 kids, Kelly and Ryan, at a gathering we had at Matt's house.

Ruth and David are showing off their burrito-wrapped daughter, Jane. They say Jane falls asleep almost instantly once she gets wrapped up like that.

Here are some (but not all) of Ruth's and Sarah's kids. Ruth's kids are (left to right) Devin, Faith, and Claire. (Claire is actually 2nd from the right.) Sarah's kids (1st and 3rd from the right) are Ryan and Kelly.

Our New Family Pictures

2010-02-07T22:41:00.007-07:00

Our last family picture was missing some not-yet-born children, and so it was absolutely necessary to get an updated family portrait while everyone was home for Christmas. This is the one that is now hanging prominently above our fireplace. Even with the asymmetry of Brandon leaning into Allen it was our favorite. (Or some in the family would say because of that it is our favorite.) You'll have to agree it has more more personality than the traditional pose below.

Grandma Turns 90!

2010-01-28T21:16:00.024-07:00

Grandma Simmons is now 90 years old! She was born January 27, 1920 when Woodrow Wilson was president of the United States, and Heber J. Grant was president of the Church. (Doesn't that sound like a really, really long time ago?!) She was born in her parent's home in Ephraim, Utah. She said her house was extra nice because it had an indoor bathroom. Most of the neighbors used outhouses. Television hadn't been invented yet , and people were still driving Model T Fords.

We celebrated Grandma's birthday yesterday at Dan and Leesa's home.

Aunt LaPrele and Uncle Richard surprised her by being there. Her other sister, Winnifred, had also planned on coming but unfortunately became ill and couldn't attend.

Matt came with his kids (pictured here with Amy). And, of course, here's David.

Allen is here with Matt's son, Tyler.

Here's Matt's oldest daughter, Emily, with Miranda. Matt was having fun with his new camera.

I don't want anyone left out, so notice that Andrew is in the background of this photo. The cake tells Grandma's age, but maybe 90 individual candles would have been more fun (and a fire risk)!

(I was there too with Allen.)

We all enjoyed a delicious meal together and then Grandma opened her gifts, which included this family photo. We love Grandma and are impressed with her incredible health, stamina, and alert mind. What great genes to have in the family! Happy Birthday, Mom (Grandma and Great Grandma) ...and many more!