Good morning Monday ... Here's grandpa getting hugs from four of his grandgirls. We had brought Trevor's girls home with us Sunday to spend the night, then Briahnna brought her kids to hike the Grotto. Unfortunately, when we got to the Grotto it was closed.
Plan B was to walk up to Bridal Veil Falls ... Here's the crew.
The kids had a good time playing on the rocks at the bottom of the falls.
Here's the Moms.
Besides finding some awesome rocks, Alex had a first, finding a full can of coke-0.
Best Cousin Fun!
Then we met up with Nell and the rest of her kids for lunch at Zupas.
Back at Nell's house we snapped this great picture of our three bald beauties.
We all found ways to kill the rest of the afternoon and then reassembled forces out at a park in Saratoga Springs where Dallas and his band were performing.
Hannah joined us for this session of family fun ...
As did Becca and her family.
Madi is wearing one of the 'Wild Things' T's I found in Finland and sent to the grands.
Dad was a little chilly and wrapped up in another nod to a children's book, the Cat in the Hat. We are such a literary family.
Can I just say that Alex is amazing with his baby cousins? He was very kind and patient with Charley too. What a great kid.
They had an amazing play ground, and everyone had a blast.
Here's Nenna near the top of the huge climbing structure ... not sure how many of the other grands made it to the top, but I know Charley kept at it until she made it.
After the show we took Brittany over to see Barb's new house. I had told Britt that its right on the lake and she wanted to see. Here Charley sees tiny Emry Moe, Tia and Ryan's new baby being held by Trina, whose family is staying until their new California rental house is ready next month. In all Barb said there are 15 people living there. Its nice they has room for all.
Here's everyone but me on the front steps of their home.
Tuesday dawned bright and early. Here's our bright and shining Charley.
We started off with lunch at Mi Rancherito, here in town. This is Dad's trainer from his first mission in Finland, Roger Nuttall.
The kids were so well behaved.
Then we headed to Pleasant Grove so that Dad could finally see Avengers End Game. These are his co-conspirators.
Meanwhile I took these girls to DI, and to get some ice cream, and ran into their Nana there ... how fun is that?
Eleanor choose some multi-purpose Pom Poms.
Then we played at the house until the three hour long movie finally got over.
Do you like my new hat?
Meanwhile Trevor and Nell went to see a couple of the homes at the Parade of Homes, and look at the shady folks they ran into at one of the houses!!
That night Charley got in her PJs ...
and red books to me...
Brittany had flown out early on Tuesday to spend a few days with Emily in Texas.
I'll add some pictures of their fun here ....
Brittany was thrilled when Emily surprised her with a trip to a traveling Monet exhibit. He's Britt's favorite artist.
In fact Brittany visited his house when she was in France two years ago, she took this picture which is shown here with the painting of his house which was at the exhibit this week.
Of course baby Ben was the star of the short vacation.
After I got home from walking on Wednesday, I headed downstairs and brought up a few of my patriotic decorations to scatter about. These old 48 stars flags fit right in.
Of course I have a weakness for star spangled banners.
and last year's art group offering takes center stage.
Dad took care of Britt's kids that day, and surprised me by installing drip systems into 9 various flower stations ... so no more watering can work for me. See I told you, best husband ever ... on the other hand, the kids watched four movies. And ate cold cereal and potato chips for their meals ... I guess no one is perfect.
I had planned to have them watch a movie when I got home from work, after Dad went to his barbershop practice, but I just didn't have the heart ... so we had a real dinner and then went ahead and got ice cream up the street at Eli's, as planned, but then went to the park instead of the movie.
That Alex is a high flyer.
and Charley had fun on the slides.
On Thursday I took Alex and Charlie to Nell's, as she was feeling pretty good and Scott wanted to hang out with Alex. Charlie had a good time with the girls as well. So many girl cousins here near her age who all love her.
While at work this man came in and found this old Improvement Era magazine with a picture of his Grandmother on the cover. I love this kind of shopping serendipity.
My craft group was having a garden party that night, so I brought a few things to gather and to wrap up a bunch of my crafting smalls as favors for the other ladies.
When I got to the Midsummer Night's Dream of a Garden Party, our amazing hostess Joanne, asked to used my favors on the table ... I was so honored, and they matched!
We're all vintage fans, and here we see Kimi checking out the table linens, saying this bedspread is like one her grandmother used, as Margo and Trina look on.
Here we see Cindy, Jann and Ann ... Jann is undergoing chemo for a terminal brain tumor, and it was pretty coolish. We were so thrilled she could come, she often misses lately, oh how we love her.
... and Jann wasn't the only one who was chilly
Dad, meanwhile, had finished his day at the temple and had picked up these two from Nell, and took them skating.
Charley was new to skating, but seemed to have some fun, anyway.
Dad says Alex was right at home on wheels.
Joanne's yard is so charming.
This is our entire art group, save Margie, who is in Hawaii for the fifth time this year ... really?
... and if you are wondering where Kai has been, while his Mom was in Texas, I will tell you ...
He and his girl friend, Ella, and long time swim team mate, were staying with his Mitko Grandparents in Salt Lake, while they attended a swim camp at the U.
I'm not sure this is authorized swimmers food.
But they had a great time, by all reports.
On Friday morning, Elias, Adi and Nenna joined us for breakfast after spending the night. They had come to have more fun with cousins ... and we loved having them.
Davin and Bri came and got their kids later in the morning as Nenna was to graduate from her Pre-school program. Contrats Nenna.
A couple of hours later we took Alex and Charlie to Becca's house where their mom was to join them in about an hour ... not ... as it happens it took Britt an hour to get her luggage after landing at 3:30, which put her into construction/rush hour traffic. She did the smart thing and stopped at Market Street Grill and sort of had dinner with Ashley, who was working. She said they had a great time catching up.
Dad and I continued, also in construction/rush hour traffic, to Morgan, and got there an hour later than planned, but in time to see lots of fun Finns and Finn wannabees, as we celebrated Juhannus, or Midsummer, at the London's house. I am shown here with Luana Watson, the mission president's wife with whom I cooked in Finland.
She's obviously still having fun with cooking. Here they are shown with Rice Krispey Treats painted to look like the Finnish Flag.
Former President Watson, Luana, Faye Wade (Dad's mission mom) Dad and me.
Here we are with Nicole Nordin and Hannah Huber.
We had a special assignment too. Here we are with the Johnsons on the left. He served in Finland with Rick London on their first mission in 62-64 and he knew the Sandberg family when they were building the Kuopio chapel, then later served as the first mission president and wife in Eastern Germany, after the wall came down. (When Elder Monson called them to serve in Germany, and Brother Johnson thought there was a mistake since he'd served his first mission in Finland. Elder Monson actually called to double check, and no, it was East German, or the Freiberg Mission, as it was called.
The couple in the middle are Russian, Maksim Byrdin and Ol'ga Byrdina. Sister Byrdina was actually taught by the London's daughter, Liisa when she served a mission in Russia in the mid 90's. Ol'ga was dating Maksim at the time, and introduced him to the church as well. He was taught by Elders, and they married after their respective baptisms. He, BTW, has excellent English, as he had a couple of years of college at Cambridge. They were living in Moscow, and have been called to serve in the Yekaterinburg, and are in town for their Mission President's Seminar. The Johnson's had picked them up in Salt Lake, where they were staying with friends and we got to drive them to the Marriot Courtyard in Provo. What a wonderful experience.
Here we are with Dennis and Carol Harris, whose apartment we set up in Vaassa, and Mica Dugger, nee Bradbury
The lady in pink is the London's daughter Liisa, the kids are all grands of the London's. Rick and Lynn London are shown here in the middle.
Here are a bunch of missionaries from our group, with a few friends .... First is Laurie Kehr, with the missionary who baptized her in Virginia, Brenn Parker, Amanda Toomey, Ian Haws, Phillip Sisco, Jackson Howe. Behind are Mica Dugger, Sam Perry, and his friend Summer. (He wrote her name as kesa on her name tag which is Finnish for summer.)
We knew this couple in Finland, he's Finnish and she's Russian. He finished up his mission in Finland soon after we arrived, and we knew them both in the Young Adult program in Helsinki. Its so fun to see them married and with a daughter. They are visiting in Utah for a month.
This is Sirpa Jarvis, next is a Finnish girl who is staying with the Jarvis family and Sister Wade again. Sirpa is the one who told Dad at a Finnish connected wedding last week, that Roger Nuttall was in town, thank goodness. She knows him because he was the missionary that taught and baptized her parents. She said this to Dad on facebook about Roger. "Because of Roger Nuttall, instead of a divorce, my parents joined the church and were sealed to their two little girls and went on to have four more girls. Because of Roger Nuttall and his companion teaching and baptizing my parents, I was raised in the gospel, grew a love for it, was sealed in the temple, and two of Scott's and my children have served a mission in Finland and one daughter served in Estonia. The gospel is true and is the greatest blessing in our lives, forever thankful for the missionaries and missionary work." Those connections, there's nothing Dad likes better. Happy Dad.
Rick London has a 1930's model A, and pretty much insisted that Dad drive it. We went around the block, and Dad said it was a lot of work to keep it going ...
Now he needs to start a bucket list, and should put drive a model A on the top, so he can cross it off.
Here are our new Russian friends as we drop them off in Provo.
On Saturday morning, with our guest bed no longer in use, I was able to change it out and add the "new" antique red work pillow shams I bought from my friend Bruce Alison on Thursday. They are from the late 1800's and I have been trying not to buy them for almost 6 months, but Bruce came in and since they are no longer as hot an item as they were 10 years ago during the Victorian rage, he had marked them from 85 to 35, but sold them to me for 20. How could I say no. Back in the day I so wanted a pair, along with a faded red and white quilt ... Well I bought the quilt last month, for a fraction of its 2000 price ...
Aren't they beautiful? And they are a perfect fit in my Room of the Prophets.
And while I was busy remaking my guest bed, Eva was doing something much more important.
She was walking along the Strawberry Days parade route in Pleasant Grove selling soda pop to raise money for the Chemo Kits she is going to be making for women like her Mom.
She was pretty happy with the outcome.
Later that day we drove up to Cottonwood Heights to see Kai swim in a competition.
It was in his strongest category, the back stroke ... here he shown making a turn. He was third in his heat. Go Kai!!
Here he is with his cheering squad.
I also wanted a picture with his hair down.
Alex, Van and Dad
Afterward we all went to La Cocina for lunch, Grandpa Carlo's favorite spot.
Here we are with Tom and Edi.
After lunch Dad dropped me off at the Riverton DI, while he went to Darby's house to repair her sprinklers for several hours. When he came to pick me up I asked if he thought we had room for this antique, metal wheel, barrow. Yep, he managed it.
Next I dropped him off at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square where he had a practice before his performance with the Saltaires.
Look at all the people who came to support him.
Penny chose her own colorful outfit.
Trevor sent me this picture of her at home before they left ... I LOVE IT!
Sister Wade came and brought some couple friends.
Dad loved running into John McDonald, with whom he sang in the Coppertones, back in the 1990's. John Sasine the chorus director is shown the left.
Spencer and Brittney were not allowed to come up to the balcony, because they had a babe in arms ... yeah, I don't get it either, but the concert was a lot of fun for me ... and was very long for the grands who were not familiar with the classic rock from the 1960's.
Look who we ran into when we went to the Cheese Cake Factory afterward. Yep Robert and Tami!!
We had a nice chat as they were leaving and we were waiting an hour for our table.
These girls found a statue to climb for entertainment.
But it was awfully late for Van.
Whose Dad can, luckily, hold a sleeping baby while eating.
Dad and I stopped for a selfie as we walked back to the parking in the Conference Center.
At church today, we had a bumper group, as the girls came to celebrate all the fun we had at girl's camp last week. I took the picture because so many of the girls were wearing stripes and black and white and peach ... how fun is that. And how darling are our girls?
After church we spent a couple of hours doing our 'Come Follow Me', then we made Grandpa Carlo's cheese enchiladas and headed to Becca and Brady's to join the family spending time with Brittany before she headed north.
Everyone brought Mexican food, at Dad's request, since this was kind of a delayed Father's day thing, and it was so colorful and fun. Thanks everyone for your delicious offerings. Darby even went out and got some vegan meat substitute, "impossible" by brand name, because its so close to meat. All of us vegans, and near-vegans were very appreciative.
Cousin time is always good.
and oh how Lu loves Bear. (Please note another 'where the wild things are' t-shirt sighting!)
Trevor helped Dad complete his look, too bad he didn't have this outfit to drive the model A.
Thanks Becca and Brady for hosting us all.
I love that the oldest and youngest of the group had a raspberry blowing contest ... it was so stinkin cute.
... and Eleanor isn't the only one who love Bear.
I thought when you turned a smile upside down it became a frown .... so why does Reagan look so happy anyway?
You may have noticed that Dad's hair was parted in the middle on Saturday, but is back to the left side today. When he started the middle part, I told him the side part looked better ... to no effect. But when Trevor told him the same thing last night ... yea. BTW this handsome brown tie with polka dots was a gift, along with others, from Davin and Bri for Father's day .... as my mother would say, and did, "Man what a man!"
And speaking of men and hair, we are all loving Alex's man bun.
So Dad begins and ends his week the same way ... with the 'Grandest' hugs of all.
