Pizza Party at Taylors with the Sants

 

Grandma Mary

 Grandma's getting tired, and it's time the kids came and spent some time to say goodbye.

Dean was able to use his magic fingers to help his mother with her headache.  She is in A-Fib, has a headache and is all around ready to be done.  So glad he could help her relieve some pain.

 

Unicorn Afghan for my Unicorn Lover

 Most of our trips now are just day trips, but what joy it is to spend these special days with the littles.  

When I saw this pattern I had to make it for her.  Hope she isn't too old to actually use it.

Just another Activity

 But I had to spotlight the photo backdrop.  It took so much work making each of the flowers by hand.  Some of the girls helped, but much of it fell upon my little fingers.  I was so pleased with the outcome.

Polar Express

 

We chose to have a Christmastime experience this year for Christmas and all of our Utah family met together for the Heber Creeper Polar Express.  We had such a fun time watching their excited eyes.  I certainly love our time together when we manage to keep the stress at bay.  Dean did amazingly well.  Come to think of it, so did Nikki, Colton, JoAnna, Blaine and everyone else with high anxiety.

 

The Guys on the Deer Hunt

 

Taylor is so good to plan trips for the guys to go hunting.  Dean takes the van sometimes, other times he sleeps in the tent.  Either way, I stay home and spend the time by myself.  Candice also joins them for a few days.

Saying Goodbye to Mindee, the last of the Poodles

 

Nebo Loop for the Autumn Leaves

 

Activity Days

 For the next few years of my life, I spent time as the Ward Primary Activity Days Leader.  That has to be the best job in the Church, right up there with Primary Pianist.  More is included on my Activity Day's blog accessed from Hunthistories.com.

The older girls had never experienced these activities so I put everything I had into making them get four years of experiences in one year.  They had Daddy-daughter dates, Mom and Miss parties, performed for the elderly as well as marking scriptures for the missionaries and learning to sew and play games.  It was a whirlwind of activities until Dean couldn't stand it any longer.  The stress of knowing I had something coming up really got to him, and I finally had to ask to be released.  

Cheer

 Most of the trips we make in the van are simply to spend time with family.  Taylor is always so good to invite us to their activities and we are so excited to be able to go, have everything we need continually packed and available.

No matter the weather or need, we come prepared.  We have watched soccer games, lacross, basketball, football and now cheer. This is one of the best uses for the van for sure. I love spending time celebrating these littles.

Wrapping up the Students Pathway Year

James Lunn and Jamie Neff,

Brent  Hollingsworth and his wife

 

Lana Merrill, Camilla Vital

Other class members:  Deena Harris, West Parkinson,  Chanae Ransom, Emma Carter, Rochelle Allred, Catherine Wood, Wendy Petersen, Eric Simons, Raquel Copfer, Violetta Onschuk-Kukhta, Wend Gay, Emma, Mark Payne, Celeste plus others but I've misplaced my list.

This group was amazing.  They were truly supportive of each other and I had started serving in West Africa by this time as well as being district leader.  This group basically took care of each other and were always willing to step in and help if I needed some examples for my African group.  

Eric hosted us and we had a little pot luck together.  This is truly a bright spot in my life as I was able to meet some wonderful people.

New Puppy, Welcome Koko

I don't know what we were thinking but Dean needs another puppy as Mindee winds up her life with us.  Koko came to join our family and they say dogs don't give hugs but she does.  She loves to snuggle and I can only tolerate it fr a short time, but for just a moment we shared a hug.
 

Pathway Missionaries

 

I talked Dean into a Pathway Mission hoping that he would be able to do it, and love it, but he was not able.  I went ahead on my own and filled the two years that we had signed up to do.  I was put in as district leader and this is my district.  I came to truly love these wonderful people.  They helped me through some tough times at home.

Dad's been cleaning

We have never had a spotless garage but Dean got excited to clean it up and started by stacking the wood on the new shelves he made for that very purpose.

What a wonderful start to cleaning up the mess.  Neither of us has much energy, as I am in full Adrenal Failure for the second time.  I hope to be able to stop it and heal faster this time.  Last time it took a full 3 years.  Having Dean do this, can only help.
 

Baptism Time

 What a sweetie this young lady is.  She's a little bit too much like me as she flits from one craft or project to the next without cleaning up after herself.  I guess that's why I feel a special kinship to her.  I feel like I understand her a little more than most of the grandchildren.

She really is a good girl.  I love the time I am able to spend with her and we can usually come up with something to do that brightens out day.

Mom Turns 90 and Reality Sets In

As I reflect back on Mom's birthday with time spent at the ranch, where everyone could camp and get to spend time at the old ranch, and also time in Enterprise at the park, there were great times as well as some tough times.

Almost everyone made it to the party - but not Dean.  He is really struggling and just couldn't do it, so I came without him - something I am starting to get used to even though I don't appreciate it at all.

The kids all made it, though the stress level was pretty high.   We want to go and have some fun times together, but there is always drama. There is drama amongst my kids and there is drama with my Mom.  Nik mentioned that she was prepared to take off the first time Mom said anything negative.  I have never pushed her to come and be apart when she didn't want to because I did not want her to experience the terrible feelings I have when someone points out I'm not exactly a Barbie doll, like I should be.  

Jarad's hair was red, which I totally thought would bring about a sentence or two from Mom, but she held her tongue like a perfect lady.

I was feeling pretty beat up, but this is written long enough later that I don't remember what.  All of the kids did their own thing, Nik doesn't have a great need for me, and I felt totally alone and hurting as much as I have in a very long time - probably since my nervous break down in 1990.  My greatest joy that trip was when my little chauffeur Tanner took me for a ride up and around the pond.  He brightened my heart.  I ended up going into the van during the program because I couldn't stand up and talk, even pretending to be asleep when Carson came to get me.  Eventually I was able to pull myself together and come out for the slide show.  Devon wanted me to say something but quickly got the hint that I was not up to it.  He moved on without a hitch.  

 

Derby in Eagle Mountain

Blaine was excited for us to come and spend some fun time with them as a family and also attend the Derby.  We had a good turn out and had a fun time together.  But we were also starting to accept that Dean just wasn't up to doing noisy, crowded things anymore.  No one even tried to talk him into joining us, but rather he stayed in the house where it was still plenty noisy since it was 100 yards away.  

It was loud, warm, and dusty - everything you expect a derby to be.  All of the grands seemed to enjoy it, and when it got to be too much Blaine's house was easily accessible and if one of them got tired Grandpa was there and could keep them safe.  

All in all, it was a pretty sweet night.  I am really starting to have problems with my eyes since our Oregon trip, so the dust was not something I appreciated but love these times together.

The Guinea Pig House

 

There is a young lady that loves Guinea Pigs and really wanted to make them a house so the next time Grandma and Grandpa went out to Kansas we had strict instructions to help her convert a dresser into a multilevel condominium.  

The plans included ramps to climb from level to level and plexiglass to cover the front so she could see them and yet the "stuff" would stay inside.  Those little critters like to toss their hay, their bedding and their left overs out the door so they needed to hold tight.

Izzy was a trooper and she cut, sanded and painted for most of the day.  The next day, Grandpa was terribly antsy and we knew we needed to get on the road.  We all worked to get it to the point it just needed plexiglass before we left.  It was time well spent with a little cutie.

Nikki's Graduation - Proud Moment

Congratulations to Nik, as she steps into real adulthood.  

And happy 60 to me.  I have given up dying my hair and have gone totally natural. 

I haven't given up long hair and am thinking about growing it out again because the heat really gets to me.  Ponytails are perfect for that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the other hand my little blond has gone black and she pulls it off quite nicely.   I'm still not used to her being so dark, but isn't she beautiful?!

She is going to work for a battery maker in California, working remotely.  Covid 19 has been good for one thing - we can keep her near us but she can find the work she needs to provide for her needs.

Nik is very faithful.  She is a true friend and I have watched her do everything in her power to help those that she works for and with.  Dr. K was just more than I could stomach and yet Nik was kind for another two years before she cut herself free.  This company will be blessed to have her working for them.  She will be a great addition to the world.

 

Returning Home at Grandpa's Pond near Washington and Hurricane

Good thing Gma is 87, because otherwise we could not have kept up.  The pond has little places to sit and I found I needed to sit at almost every other one.  My hip flexors are screaming and we are both out of shape.  But we can all rest assured knowing we have more miles in us than Mindee who walked enough to go pee and then wanted to be held a fair amount around the loop.