Happy Birthday Mick & Kal

For the family Birthday Party, Chris wanted to have a HUGE bounce house party for his Princess girl-Kal. Mick was all for it too. Looks like they may be sharing birthday celebrations for years to come! Since the weather wasn't cooperating...we had to move it to the church...worked out best that way I think. We played a friendly game of kick ball when we first got there, ate some yummy food, and the kids played until they were simply worn out. Chris invited his good friends, and Mick invited some of her friends with little ones to enjoy the bounce house with us! It was a fun day! Rick & I have always enjoyed our kids friends. We love it when they come join us! The Girls were spoiled with many gifts, but the best part is enjoying the good company with those people we love!

Our Mick turned 29 today...Wow...how'd that happen! Seems just like a few years ago that she was beboppin around the house, being the little helper and mothering her little brothers...now she's mothering her own 4! She's such a great Mom and daughter and friend! We feel so blessed to have the relationship that we have with her.

We both LOVE Good things Utah...a morning talk show on each week day. I watch it on my day's off and she'll tell me about stuff that's been on when I'm at work, so I thought it would be fun to go to the show for her Birthday. I talked to Ang several weeks ahead of time so she could schedule some time with her busy school schedule and we surprised Mick with what we were doing. We even had a short flash of fame on TV as they panned the audience and wished Mick a happy birthday! It was a fun day together. We each won a silly little drawing they had and it was fun to just be together for the day. We went to lunch after at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building at "The Garden Room". I was hoping for warm weather so we could walk around a bit up town and enjoy the beautiful gardens..but dang this Utah weather...we're all over it! I didn't want to push my luck with Brandyn having all 4 kids for TOO LONG...so we ended it after Lunch. I could have gone all day, but life goes on and things need to get done! I still hadn't shopped for Mick's birthday gift and the family party was the next day. AHHH.....sometimes, there is just not enough hours in the day! Thanks for the fun day girls. We need to do this more often!

Each year the Saturday before Easter, My Aunt Joy & Uncle Frank have hosted an Easter Egg hunt for as long as I can remember. I remember long ago as a child going to their Brad's Cafe uptown, where the train would run by it...and they would throw chalk to all us kids-then to the Cafe in Salt Lake, where I worked a day or two. We had so many family activities at that place and it was a favorite place to eat! ...Anyways...this has been a family tradition for so many years. After they retired from the Cafe, they began doing it at their home in their & their neighbors back yard. She always cooks a wonderful ham or two or three, and it's pot luck to go with it! It's fun to take my kids & grandkids to something that I have enjoyed all my life! She colors 30 or so dozen real eggs and writes a prize or a small money token amount on some. I'll forever remember Cecil and Henry handing out the coins...prizes really didn't come into play until my kids were little. The crowd has changed...all of us cousins now grown with our own grandkids...and yes, we're the old folks now. The old generation is no longer with us. Aunt Joy is the only one on that side I believe. All my favorite childhood memories consist of being with that family in one activity or another..camping being my all time favorite! There wasn't a holiday that went by that we didn't gather in one way or another...winter time it seemed to be at Aunt Joy's house, summer time, it was a picnic in Logan to celebrate Memorial Day, camping over the 4th of July in Ogden Canyon and the best was every August going to the Grey River in Wyoming. And many more in between! Oh how I miss those days! So carefree and so much love and fun that surrounded us! I feel so blessed to be a part of those days and so grateful that my parents provided me the opportunity to be a part of that. So grateful that Uncle Frank's side of the family accepted my family in as part of their own! Each party or activity took a lot of work. So much unnoticed and taken for granted in my youth! I was surprised at the emotions this years simple Easter celebration brought on ...looking around and seeing how many of those great people are missing from the picture now, really made me miss my Dad again and the other's too! Surprising how those emotions come out of nowhere! I had such a wonderful childhood! Protected and loved by so many. Given opportunities that don't just come to everyone! The simple acts of family love that were taught to me not only by my family, but extended family that would do anything for you! Thank you Aunt Joy! And to Uncle Frank as well! I miss you too! This Easter season, I'm especially thankful that I will see you all again, that this is not it!

dying our hands..I mean the eggs...

Easter can't begin until the "coloring" of the eggs! Mick had us over Wednesday night to color eggs. The kids always LOVE this tradition. Preslie began by slurping up a big gulp of the orange. ...hey why not? It looks just like kool aid! Shawn joined us after the eggs were done to watch a little bit of the soccer game, but Ang was being a studying fool...that's why she Aced the test! We missed ya, but glad you did so well!

OUCH!

Just got on the tread mill at the gym....got a call..."Mom...I was just in an accident...my head's bleeding pretty bad".. you know..those calls that you just dread getting. He was just down the street and he was okay...other than the gash on his head. His car....not so much! He looked down at his stereo for just a sec...ran a red light....and bam....hit not just one car, but two. He's frustrated and says it is the worst timing...we reminded him it could have been so much worse. Kallie was not with him! Blessing number one! No one was taken to the hospital from the scene of the accident. Blessing number 2. Just property damage. Lives affected, but not changed forever! He's here with us at our place, no real bills, going to school.. Just a little bump in the road, a hurdle to get over. Just jump and roll with it....it's all part of the dance! He said, "there goes Hawaii"...he leaves in 3 days. Why? we asked...the trip is paid for....it won't change anything if you stay here. One of life's hard lessons we all have to learn. Just thankful he and everyone else walked away for this lesson! We're blessed and grateful he's really okay. He thinks this makes him look tough...what do you think?

Mom

Today, between conferences, Rick & I took off to visit with Mom. Just in time for lunch. Looks like she's ready eh? She actually did wake up and allowed me to feed her the "yummy" pureed selection of beans, mashed potatoes and turkey and tapioca. She ate every bite! They say she eats like a champ like that most meals....but she's still loosing weight! Her body just can't absorb the nutrients any more. (Both Linda & I could not stand meal time for so long....Mom would play in her food like a small child...now we find it a service to feed Mom---interesting how things turn!) She was alert, although you can't tell from this picture and interacted with me throughout the meal. She took my hand several times, just to hold it and even looked at me. I guess you can call today a good day! Lyndsey's report says that she had a few good day, and a few not so good this past week. Tuesday or Wednesday, she said Mom's breathing was shallow, labored and she was non responsive, felt like she was on her last hours..days...but then she came back the following day and she's back to her "normal" self. She continues to surprise her each week! I spoke with Lyndsey a little bit about the suctioning of Mom...wondering if this is something we should be doing. Is this her way of going and they just won't allow her to. When I spoke with Marlene her aide last week, she described to me how awful it was in the dining room with her one of those times. How Mom went white and Dale basically brought her back. Lyndsey states, her heart would have stopped and she would have peacefully gone- maybe....I question why Dale choose to "bring her back".....I asked Lyndsey to make sure he was on the same page as we are....let her go home! Of course I don't want her to gurgle and suffer, but if she's just simply not breathing...it's okay. She's ready to go! I love my Mom and miss her terribly....and feel like a heartless daughter when I have those conversations with the nurse...but honestly....I don't want them fighting to keep her here. Her spirit is locked in a shell of a body that use to be my Mom.....