Week of Threes

Three birthdays, three days at Mosida, three dinners with friends, and three Finnish connections. Can you find them all?

And its the beginning of another week.  We had a long meeting to begin with, which meant about all we got done was stripping this table.  Elder Jones had a grinder and is taking off three layers of paint that way, the rest of us are using scrapers.

Here the guys replace benches they pulled when putting up shade poles. This project took place on Wednesday...

Tuesday morning I put the new cloche I got at Fleaology, into this display of pastel dishes I got last weekend for my #underthisclochetuesday on Insta, along with my pastel pot collection.

Now back at Mosida, this time using stripper.  Yeah!! Unfortunately the stripper has to soak in overnight because it was oil based paint.

After lunch we headed over to work on doing fire rings. I wanted to learn how to do it since I am making a memory wall for my secret garden.

Elder Andreason is a pro, and he even let me help a little.

Dad got pretty good at it too.

That evening we got together with the Crumps for dinner.

On Wednesday I ran into Hannah at Walmart when Caroline and I were walking. I just thought her hair looks so cute. 

Becca and her new team, as they expand their business.

After work we headed to the Hoedown, where I was impressed with how this couple turned out.

I appreciated this girl doing the dances on her crutches.

Then we met this couple, she is half Norwegian, and his mother is a Finn.  He has two brothers who served in Finland, and Dad and he knew a lot of people in common.

Here's the gang.

On Thursday I headed to work, while Dad did his normal shift at the temple. When he got done at the temple he went and picked up our Indian Food I had signed on for last Saturday.  After our delicious feast, Darby came by with all the Cheryl's stuff she had been storing.  She and Dad worked magic to fit it all into our already cluttered garage.  I appreciate his skills.

It was fun to see this posted on Facebook, of my Nephew John...

On Friday we pretty much spent the day cleaning the house and getting ready for our dinner party that night.

Here's my Finnish center piece, as two of the couples are in the middle of their MTC experience as they prepare to serve in Finland.  The other couple was the Watts, and Tiina served a mission with her parents at the same time both the husbands of the other two couple served.  Lots of memories shared.

I moved my antique baby plate collection so its more noticeable.  Keith gave me one he found, its the first on the left of the 2nd shelf. 

By moving it to the position across from the door into the room from the kitchen.  You'll have to check it next time you come over.

I also polka dotted these chairs I bought at fleaology.  They are much more comfy than the side chairs I had there before.  

Just before our guests came, Davin brought me a pecan pie, because we had been joking about a bet we made, without clear rules, which I didn't think anyone needed to pay off, but then whose going to turn down a pecan pie.  Am I right?

And here's the gang. Kevin and Terrie Mitchell from Orem on the left. Tiina and Ed Watts at the end of the table, and Wayne and Kelleen Cardon from Eagle Mountain.

Sam posted this absolutely adorable picture of Benny taking it easy with his dog as a pillow with army men and dinosaurs to protect him.

Then I had my best birthday ever!!  Here goes.

I started by taking some salmon soup to Keith, which he had said he wanted to try. (My way of thanking him for the gift of the antique baby plate.)   Anyway, it was fun to see this bird on his fountain, which I originally thought was part of the fountain.

I met up with Joyce at my favorite DI, where she gifted me a crown, since I am the junker queen,  

Then it was off to the Paradise Buffet, where I did not choose the tentacles. 

Yep, that's us.

At the other DI I met this duel colored eye dog in the rest room ... yeah, a comfort dog.

Then we went to Jacqueline's re grand opening of Copperhive.

She makes fun crafty clothes in larger sizes.

Then we stopped for sugar free slurpees ... yeah that didn't work too well.

Then I dropped off a hat and fur stole for Eleanor's 'wax museum' entry as Eleanor Roosevelt next week, I can't wait to see the pictures of it.  The bonus was getting to see Trevor and Nell as they put together a fun photo shoot they are doing. Nell is so creative, I love her mind!!

And I loved the cute gift they gave me.  I think it will be perfect for my garden house, since I am doing a sort of Alice in Wonderland garden theme this year.

When I got home Dad had installed another garden arch, this time between my lilac bushes.  Good job Dad.

And since I'm in the garden, here are the plants we got from Davin and Bri, et all. Aren't they beautiful?

Then we went over to the Wings for a Story Telling event.  This is Lynn who recently won Utah's Biggest Liars competition!!  So fun.  We met Kews there and went out for Chinese Food after.  Dad got the only good fortune, some thing like, you will soon come into some money. 

We came home to Crumbl cookies on the porch from Brittany M.  All that goodness along with texts, messenger messages, face book messages and phone call wishing me a happy birthday, I really felt loved.  So thanks to you all for making my day special. 

A couple of cute Charlie poses for the week.

And two happy kids with their new birds ... William got the traditional color, but Abby wanted a white one.  It took some doing but Sam found an albino, and she named him Snowball.

Dad had a crazy idea that we should run up to Burley for Elder Whiting's home coming talk.  That's right, a 4 and a half house drive ... but he also supports me in my crazy ideas ... so here he is with Elder Whiting before his homecoming.

This young man also spoke.  He will be Elder Larsen in Emily and Sam's mission, though he will be speaking Spanish.  I told him Sam teaches Spanish.  So Talley's keep a look out for this very clever young man that we met today in Burley today. 

We were so surprised to run into the Ames, who we served with on both of our missions.  They were temple missionaries.  We had so much fun visiting with them and catching up.

Here we all are with Elder Whiting.

Here are Trent and Amber Whiting.  He is Dad's fourth cousin.  Always fun.

Then after lunch we drove another two and a half hours to Meridian ...

Where we have been visiting with Kai and Alex.  Britt and Charlie get home about midnight, so we will be able to have a great day with them tomorrow.

Birthdays for the week are William who was 3 on Monday.

Ian who tuned 21 on Friday.

and me, who turned 68 on Saturday.

Our Favorite Meme for the week ...

And our little Genevieve Sherman, an Indian Placement student we had for two years, and who is all grown up now, and just graduated, at the age of 40 something with a double degree in Early Childhood and Liberal Arts.