A Week of Chillin, Junking, Reading, Tiling and Speaking in Church

So this is our week ... no new baby, still on the watch for little Charlotte!!  On Monday Dad was off early for some major store resets, leaving me to take grandpa to Nell's.  This was a good day for that because the kids were out of school for Martin Luther King day, and I got to play a Harry Potter game with Scott, then, I got to take Eva and Scott to Maui Chill for some delicious chillling.

 

I thought Eva's combo was very interesting ... We had a great time visiting and eating the frozen yogurt of course.

On Tuesday Dad took Grandpa to Nell's, and picked him up afterwards, before his shift at the temple.  I pretty much spent the day reading our book for next month's book club so that I could take and loan the book to someone at book club later that week.



On Wednesday I had the extra nice surprise of having Davin and his family drop by to visit.  They were in the neighborhood and saw the van at Treasures.  I loved seeing them.  Elias thought the candy machine was the best part of my store .... lol. And Adilyn was her charming, sweet tempered self.  It was fun to visit!

 

On Thursday I worked again and it was just as dead as it had been the day before.  Wednesday there had been the freezing rain, and I think people just wanted to stay home. After I got home and made dinner (Dad had gotten off early and had gone grocery shopping, thankfully) then I was off to book  club.  Our book was called the Peach Keeper, and Suzanne had made lots of fun recipes, most of them were just peachy, like peach slush, peach spice sandwich cookies and peach shortbread cookies.  It was all yummy, and we all liked the book, which had been suggested by Ann Shumway, whom, by the way I must mention, we love having back among us.  And if you were wondering they are going to tear down the burned house, keep the lot to build on someday, and are buying another house in Elk Ridge in the meantime.

 

On Friday I met my sister Joyce in Salt Lake where we did some serious junking, at an estate sale, DI and an antique store, before having lunch and exchanging, I am sorry to say, our Christmas gifts.  I headed home, junking all the way and met Dad and the Heuer/Moes at Sizzler in Orem ... Did you know they don't do their amazing grilled toast anymore?  So sad, too bad.  We finished off the evening watching 'Lend Me a Tenor' at the Hale Center Theater.  It was energetic and a lot of fun!!

On Saturday I did some crafting, napping and reading ... OK, a few chores too, if I am forced to admit it.  The Energizer Bunny finished off the tile in the shower of the main floor bathroom.  He and Emily also wrassled our favorite grandpa into Emily's shower, much against his will ... but we now have a 'fresh grandpa', and Emily even went out and bought him a kind of jogging/leisure outfit that he can sleep in too, since he so hates changing his clothes.    That night, after dinner, Dad and I went down to Emily and Sam's apartment to watch a sleeping baby (and an episode of Sherlock ... a BBC Mystery Production, we are currently into).  Also, regarding Emily and Sam, they have decided to move into our Payson Cottage, and since the renters there have been so bad at rent lately, paying only once in the last 6 months, yes we have been too lax ... we figured it was time to invite them to move.  The renters are actually moving out now and I am a little jealous that Em and Sam get to live in the Park Ward ... such a great, great ward.

Here you can see the mantel I put together to post on my blog about.  The mercury glass finials with the valentine clowns was one of the projects I did Saturday, the candy jars were earlier in the week, and the bird nest in the Victorian Brides Basket to the far left, was also done that day.

 

Today Dad and I went to church together, and listended to a high counselman and a missionary.  Then we attended Sam's Sunday School class where he announced their move to Payson Cottage.  We had to leave a little early because Dad had roped me into talking with him for his High Counsel assignment, since he had not been able to get a missionary to speak with him.  The ward had a few people we knew, and we got to speak with a friend of Nell's afterwards, a lady that she goes to lunch with once a month, along with other friends.  Very nice people, her husband was the chorister, and did a great job. 

 

 

Emily and Sam came up for a visit before dinner, which we will miss in a month or two ... just waiting to hear if Spencer and Brittney plan to occupy the basement apartment.  If they do we will find renters for a 6 month lease, if not, we will just get new renters for the apartment.  Should be interesting either way, though, of course, we will be disappointed if Spencer and Brittney decide not to live there.

 

So that was our week.  We hope yours was fun and busy too!  Much Love!

A Busy Week with NO New Family Members (Brittany?!)

Another busy week gone by, but no new family members this week ... though we do have high hopes for this coming week.  :-)  On Monday, Dad took Grandpa to Nell's on his way to work.  He also put up posters for flea.o.logy on the community boards of 5 difference Macey's!!  I walked up to the library and got my book club book.  I came home and snuggled in in the library and read it, cover to cover.  On Tuesday I headed to Salt Lake to pick up the little cupboard I bought last week for our up and coming bathroom!!  Here we see my friend Marci, who works at Vinestreet, where I bought it, hauling out the bottom part to get it loaded!  Dad had the temple that night, so Cheryl kept an eye on Grandpa for a couple of hours, until I got back from Salt Lake.

 

 

Wednesday was a work day for me, but I took my baby gifts for Reagan and wrapped them while at work.  The sunset, much less colorful here than in real life, is what I get treated to at Treasures in the evenings this time of year.  After work I was off to Highland to see Reagan for the first time.  I was sick the weekend she was born, and according to info on line I would be contagious until Tuesday, so I made plans to visit her after work Wendesday.

 

 

Here she is in one of the outfits I got her.  Its a 'First Valentines' newborn size, so it will just fit her for about a minute ...  She is so sweet, and I think her cry sounds like a kitten ... Becca says she thinks its screaming,  so we have agreed to disagree, but everyone agrees she is a sweet and beautiful baby!  Afterward I got to run over to Maui Chill for some yummy frozen yogurt ... maybe its a good thing we don't live closer ... I think I could eat it every day!

 

On Thursday I was almost late for work because I had to make this door hanger so I could take pictures in daylight, as I had to blog about it that night ...  Emily laughed and laughed at me, which is OK, I sort of laugh at myself.  Its been a lot easier to blog since I have cut my entries to three times a week from the six times a week I did last year (March through Dec)

 

 

That night was some kind of deadline for Sam's company, so he had reps turning in info all evening.  He had to be upstairs because the basement phone reception is not the best, and he could not miss any calls.  In the end Dad went up to bed, and Emily and I went to their apartment where we watched three episodes of the Big Bang Theory, which she and Sam are currently enamored with.

 

Friday morning Emily and her assistant came up to watch grandpa ... here we see her assistant checking out the hymn book.  I was off to Olson's Garden Shoppe which hosted our flea.o.logy sale this past weekend.  Set up was from 10 to 10 on Friday ... yawn ... but lets just say, the shopping ops are amazing!!  Dad got off work a bit early to help out, he brought me dinner, and added a new middle O to our fleaology sign, which got hung and frosted out in the cold. (shown below) Thanks for your support Honey!!

 

 

Satuday was the big day of the sale.  Nell is my partner in the business now, and managed to sell a bunch of jewelry, like double her normal take, as well as selling some really cute animal topped jars ... Spencer sent Emily to sell Hatchet Eye Wear for half of the day and he and Brittney came to finish up the shift ... here we see Nell modeling his wares while he looks on.  How did I not get a picture of Brittney?!!

 

 

Mean while, after the crazy man ran in 7 degrees of coldness, he brought Nell, Emily and me some breakfast at flea.o.,logy before going home to saw tile in the freezing cold temps .... burrr (this included wet hand because the tile saw is 'cooled' with water.)  Look how great the shower is looking so far!!  When he came to help me take down around 5, his tile saw froze and  so he brought it into the kitchen ... which actually worked out fine, and I felt a lot better about his poor hands.

 

On Sunday I got to speak in church as part of the Relief Society Presidency, of which I am not a part, but as the secretary was out of town, they asked me to fill in and talk about our humanitarian projects, which I head up.  After church Emily came up and made family dinner, which was lovely for all.  Only Trevor's family came, but we had a nice dinner with just the 12 of us.  :-)

 

Grandpa's beard has gotten pretty long, since we have not taken him to church for a couple of week, as we are still figuring out how we can have someone to sit with him in Priesthood when Dad is off to the ward cousel of the ward he oversees.  It looks like Dana DeWitt will be sitting with him in the future ... but alas he is looking a bit like Grisley Adams at the moment.

After everyone went home Dad and I snuggled in with Aunt Cheryl to watch Downton Abbey ... ah the good life.

Almost Snowed in, Flu, a Totaled Car and a New Family Member!

This was another week full of goings and doings and sickness and ending with the addition of another member of the family.  Whoa!  On Monday I was off to my We Can meeting, where we made Valentines for nursing homes.  I made some that were extra fancy so that I could blog about them on my Pollyanna blog.  Since I am delivering them, but not for another month, I decided to attach the fancy ones to a garland with paper clamps, to use for that month as a banner, until its time to deliver them.  Fun idea eh?  Below are the other ladies at We Can, hard at work.

 

 

 After we can I came home it was time to finish up the flea.o.logy sign and replace it on the fence.  Beckie is always interested in what we are doing and she LOVES to climb... as you see.  That night Dad and I hosted our family home evening group, which was small due to so much illness, but we all had an enjoyable time, none the less. 

 

Tuesday I drove to Salt Lake to hand out posters and fliers for flea.o.logy to a couple of antique stores with whom I am on friendly terms.  It started with lunch with my old college friend Arlene at the Rio Grand Cafe, in the old train station, so charming.  We have been doing this lunch thing monthly for about 6 months now, which I have very much enjoyed!! (She is Aunt Shirley's sister, can you tell?)

 

Dad was back to the Provo temple that afternoon for his regular shift, so Aunt Cheryl got to 'hold down the fort', until I got home around 8:00!

 

Speaking of Dad, he has been crazy busy at work.  He was working on some new organic food sections in several stores, when he got called in by the big bosses, telling him they liked the major resets he did in two stores last year (including Spanish where they removed a couple of isles to make things look tidier and airier) and that they wanted him to do the same to 5 other stores.  The complication is that due to funding issues they have to be done by April 1. YIKES, so now he is hard at that project, leaving the organics in cold storage for a while.

 

 

Wednesday and Thursday I went to work and worked on projects for items to sell at flea.o.logy this coming weekend, when things were slow.   Wednesday night, I came home exhausted to a dinner, made as a surprise, by Emily, such a nice thing to do!  Thursday night, after work, I went to Relief Society at Jill Wilson's where we made these cute paper bag banners.  Our new counselor, Andrea, shown in the back with the hat, is a great crafter and blogger, and she is coming up with some fun ideas.  She is also going to be my visiting teaching partner, and we will have 6 ladies ... whoa!

On Friday we got a killer snow storm here, with us, by measure, getting 16 to 18 inches.  (16 is the weather service, 18 was a neighbor's measure)  To the left you see me shoveling the front walk, while below you can see Emily really got into it, doing the driveways!! (ours and theirs)

 

 

and when I got into the house after I finished, she had hot cocoa waiting for me...  I love this mug, because it is sisters, a older blond and a younger brunette, just like Emily and Becca. That night we went over to the Kews for dinner and we had planned to watch the latest Batman movie (courtesy of Sam), but none of us really felt that hot.  Dad had a cold, and both of the Kews had been tag teaming some flu symptoms.  Since Dad had the flu the week before (for a couple of hours, as he had had the flu shot, so it didn't hit him too hard.)  I sort of glibly said I was the only one there not to have had the flu at all ... I should have knocked on wood ... because that night it started.  I was up all night with symptoms.  I stayed in bed on Saturday, watching (thanks kids) the 6 hour Pride and Prejudice, while Dad worked on the bathroom.  We were supposed to have family temple night that night, but I knew I wasn't going to be able to go.  Next Trevor texted that they had sick kids and wouldn't be going, then Sam turned up sick, leaving only Dad, Emily, Becca and Brady to go, since Davin and Bri were going to babysit for everyone.  In the end we called it off to be rescheduled.

 

In other news, Saturday morning, on his way to work, Ben totaled his car as it spun out when he was entering the freeway and hit the guard rails head on.  Trevor feels total sympathy for him, since pretty much the same thing happened to him in December.  Its been a crazy snowy winter, eh?

 

Today I stayed home, and since Grandpa also has stomach flu, it was a good thing that someone was there to tend him, so to speak.  Dad went to all his meetings and watched Beckie, the climber, during Sunday School while her Dad was teaching Gospel Doctrine and her mom was teaching the 12 to 16 year old Sunday School class.  Here's Beckie in an empty classroom during that time with her grandpa, climbing on what there was available.  She is so funny.

 

During Church Dad called to say that Becca had had her baby.  Too funny, we had all made jokes last Sunday about her going into labor in the temple on Saturday night ... it might have just happened, eh?  But she realized she was in labor this morning (after erratic contractions on Saturday, evidently) about 6, Brady went off to work, and she called him when her water broke a couple of hours later, she was in the hospital less than an hour when Reagan LaRie Summers was born.  She is 8 lbs and 1 oz, not bad for being 10 days, early, eh?

 

Emily and Dad went up to see our latest family member after Dad's second church at 4ish. (Hmm, maybe all High Councilmen are sort of like Hobbits?)  Dad snapped these pics ... what a darling baby, and so much more hair than Titan.  She is adorable, and I am so thankful for pics since I don't get to see her until Wednesday, when I am officially no longer contagious.

 

 

Welcoming Reagan!

A New Year and a New Family Member!

Another week goes down in history and this one takes with it a historic moment ... but we won't get to that until the end of this post ...  Our week started with an early day cleaning out the office storage at work for Scott ... which left me to take Grandpa to day care. at Becca's house this week, as Trevor and Nell weren't back yet.  Here is grandpa reading a book to Titan. I did some errands and DI shopping that day to fill my time, finding Becca some new chairs for her kitchen.  She has been nesting, getting ready for Reagan's arrival, so I hoped she would be happy with the chairs. (By the way she not only liked them, so did Brady!  Yeah!)

 

That night we celebrated the New Year by watching the latest Batman movie with Emily and Sam at their place ... and I loved it!

 

We got to hear from Trevor, who had just arrived home, during the movie, saying how excited he and Nell were about the new appliances installed in their kitchen while they were in Arizona.  I love happy endings.

 

On New Year's day Scott finally got a big chunk of time in working on the bathroom.  He got a lot done, getting the cement board down on the floor, which makes all the difference in how clean it feels now.

 

 

 

 

Beckie and her mom came up to see me before work on Wednesday.  She is in a climbing phase and Emily and I had fun seeing her climb up in the window seal on the landing.  She was sitting on it, and trying all kinds of postures ... such a funny baby, and such a challenge to keep her safe while she discovers her limitations the hard way.

 

Wednesday was our anniversary, and Dad took a break from work to surprise me at the antique mall with flowers and lunch from Cafe Rio for both of us.  I was so surprised, and it was lovely to have lunch together and to consider our 38 years together!

 

Thursday was work for both Dad and I, leaving Emily as Grandpa's day care. We were both happy to come home and find that she had made dinner for us all.  How sweet is she?

 

On Friday Nell sent me the flea.o.logy flier for our upcoming sale ... I had intended to print it off and take them to antique stores in Salt Lake, but we were out of ink.  Therefore I finished reading my book, which was lovely, by the way.  Its called the False Prince and was published by scholastic.  The author is a Utahn, and I think  its her first book.  Very well done.

 

I did get the dealer emails sent out and included the flier for everyone to print off and post around town.  I got several comments on how nice it is.  I love it too!  Way to go Nell!

That evening Dad and I met up with the Heuers and Moes for some Chinese and a movie in American Fork! 

 

On Saturday I had hoped to get to Salt Lake and deliver the fliers, but Scott had other ideas, needing to get more cement board from Home Depot, his new home away from home.  I ended up taking down all of Christmas, so that was definitely a good thing.  Then Dad and I were off for the ever romantic event of buying the tile for the bathroom at Home Depot, then we made a stop for more groceries at Macey's

 

Sunday morning came early with our new 9:00 AM time, which I really do like.  We didn't manage to get Grandpa there, though, as we had yet been able to wrest him into a shower, and the fact that our new schedule leaves us with no one to sit with Grandpa in Priesthood. (Scott can now come to our sacrament meeting, so we can both sing in the choir, but he has to leave the last hour as 'his' high counsel assigned ward has their ward counsel that hour.)  Still working on that glitch.

 

After church Dad and I went to choir practice, then he headed to his other ward, while I went home to make my salad.

 

When he got back we all headed to Pleasant Grove for a bi-weekly family dinner.  Nell and Trevor hosted us for home made pizza.  Trevor has come a long way from the days, or should I say years, that he willingly made pizza for us all on Sundays .... such happy memories.  His array of pizza was amazing, with something for everyone, and even dessert pizzas to finish up.  I guess he was celebrating his last day of 'youth' since he was to turn 32 the next day!  Happy Birthday to my adored first son!!

 

 

 

 

 

We all had a great time ... see Scott above wearing his Kermit hat, oh and he also sang 'Why are there so many songs about rainbows' in his Kermit voice!  Becca borrowed Adilyn to try out the fit of her new 'wrapper' she had made for Reagan.

 

 

Spencer brought Brittney and we all made the decision that she should be called Brittney since most of have routinely called his sister Brittany, Britt.  So hopefully that will help cut out some confusion.  Spencer even showed off Elias' reading skills to Brittney.  Here is Elias below playing with Nell's refrigerator magnet letters! 

 

 

 

 

Fun swapping of pregnancy stories occurred and playing with a clown nose ... good old fashioned fun for all!

 

 

 

Eva adores Brittney, and has ever since she and Spencer babysat Eva and her sibs about a month ago.

 

It was a lovely get together, catching up, and sharing.  When Dad, Grandpa and I got home, we tucked Grandpa into his nice warm  bed, then settled ourselves down for the first Downton Abbey of the season, which we loved.  During the show we were grateful we had tivoed it, because we were able to pause when Spencer called to say that he and Brittney had become officially engaged after the family dinner.  Of course we are all thrilled, Brittney is such a beautiful and, as Spencer would say, 'quality' young woman.  Welcome to the family Brittney, we love you already!

Christmas Week 2012 - Part Two

Christmas Week Part II

 ... and here is the rest of the story.  On Christmas at one, in addition to having Grandpa, Cheryl, Dad, me, Darby, Ben, Spencer, Emily, Sam and Beckie, we welcomed, Ashley and her family, Davin and his family and Becca and her Family, for a total of 22 peeps.   To the right are Becca and Brady, with Ashley, Zach and Andy, shown below, all at dinner.

I loved this shot of Davin and Bri, because Elias, behind them is putting such a huge amount of Grandpa Scott's amazing mashed potatoes in his mouth!

This is a picture we rarely see of Dad anymore, with the stack of plates as he finishes up everyone's lefts overs ... Spencer is even helping.

Here's another picture that tickled my fancy, Ian, at 11 is the oldest grandson, and here he is teaching Elias and Titan how to pop bubble wrap ... I love the look of amazed adorement on Titan's face, don't you?

 And here are a few general shots taken as everyone opens gifts.

Of course we can always count on Uncle Ben for comic relief, right?

I was thrilled to get this family shot of Ashley and her loved ones.

Becca shows off the amazing tshirt quilt she made out of Brady's old skate boarding shirts from back in the day!!

 

After opening gifts, Briahnna and Dave rallied the troops to head over to Trevor and Nell's to change out their appliances with the ones that Britt had taken out of her house that was short sold.  She had intended to sell them, but decided it was too much hassel, and since they were a little nicer than what T and N had in their house, and since they (T and N) had picked them up and stored them for Britt, she decided to give them to T and N.  Emily, Britt and Bri decided it would be fun to put them in while T and N were at Christmas with her family out of state.

 

They all went over, but Dad's only key to their house opened just the back, basement door ... (Read its at the end of a hallway with a couple of stairs then though a laudnry room, down another hall, up a set of stairs ...)  The front door has a keyed dead bolt.  The boys (Spencer and Dave) figured out how to muscle the bigger appliance up onto their deck, and through the door there into their upstairs family room.  They spent the rest of the day and got most of it done.  Then Dave and Bri headed off to see Les Mis, while Spencer, Dad and I watched Elias and Adilyn and watched The Grinch that Stole Christmas with Jim Carey. 

 

Dad went back on Wednesday (while I was at work) and finished up.

As I mentioned, I worked Wednesday and Thursday, while dad did the install at T and N's as well installing the flat screen TV the kids had given us for Christmas in our bedroom.  Of course he also spent  more time at work on the bathroom renovation.  Emily helped a bit with Grandpa, when dad was off to the hardware store, etc, which we appreciate.

I spent a lot of both days at work, putting together this drawer of Christmas memories.  It was a super fun project, and just makes me happy to look at it.  When I got home on Thursday night, Dad and I watched a Sherlock episode in our room!!

 On Friday, I was home, doing normal home chores, while Dad did more work on the bathroom, then in the evening we watched Sherlock again.  Thanks kids, what a super thoughtful gift, we love how you all work together to make things better for us all.

 On Saturday, Dad and I were off to a long day of movies and meals with Barb for her birthday.  Above we are shown with Jeff and Robin at the movies.  Below it is us with Barb and Randy.  We saw Les Mis, Lincoln, Jack Reacher, Parental Guidance and The Hobbit.  Parental Guidance was my least favorite and Les Mis was my favorite, not surprisingly.

Some of us had dinner at Zupa's ... where I discovered a new favorite soup, their Chicken Enchilada Chili ... YUM.  Dad and I both liked it and will be returning soon I am sure.  I made a knock off version of the soup for our Sunday dinner, surprisingly I had everything I needed on hand except red bell peppers, pretty good eh?

After dinner on Sunday Davin and Bri came over to play games ... Emily and Sam came up too.  I won both games, weirdly, but I guess everyone gets lucky once in a while.

So that was the week of Christmas.  I loved having Dad home all week, even though I had to work a couple of days.  Christmas was awesome, and we hope everyone had as much fun as we did.  Love you all!!