Category: Extended family

So creative and industrious

My dad made this rock wall to display my mom’s fairy garden outside her kitchen window.

My parents and some grandkids built this shed before my parents went on a mission. This photo is from April. The property is a lot greener right now.

My mom’s quilt in progress

Leslie’s booth at Vintage Beehive in Sandy

During the past few days I have seen some beautiful creative work by my extended family.

My dad celebrated his birthday, so I went down to visit him and get a tour of his 20+ projects on his wooded property. Rock walls, fire prevention efforts, flowers, irrigation, weeding, building, sifting and moving rocks, digging out stumps, extending flagstone paths, revamping the woodshed, and transplanting flowers are just a few of my parents’ projects outdoors. Indoors, my dad keeps busy writing his book. My parents are always in the middle of an audio book. They are working through their collection of slides from the 1970’s and 1980’s, scanning some and discarding others. My mom is taking a piano course to enhance her skills and continues making quilts, and she and my dad are planning great things for the family reunion next month. I always come away from my parents’ house just amazed by their creativity and industriousness.

I also visited my beautiful niece Leslie at her booth within a new vintage shop. Her skill in creating inviting displays of vintage items is a joy to see. Of course I purchased something special from her booth. 🥰 I’m proud of her.

Jeff and Paris

The extended Ross family had quite a month. Yesterday was a happy spot, with the wedding of our nephew Jeff. The darling couple played jazz saxophone with their band, sang, and danced at their reception. How enchanting.

Weddings are beautiful, and this one was particularly lovely, but nothing compares to the blessings from our Father in Heaven that we heard during their temple sealing. Well begun, Jeff and Paris!

Many faces of grief

It seems like it’s been a while since I’ve written anything on the blog. Picture posts tell a story, but not all. I’ve been doing my writing in a personal journal instead.

We’re meeting grief in all its faces. Some moments we feel more tender. Other moments we feel heightened frustration with inconveniences and people. There’s a need for familiar and comforting entertainment. We’ve laughed together, and moments later notice that sharing the obituary of Richard’s dad with well-intentioned friends keeps the wound fresh. I’ve cried in public and plundered our stash of candy like a kid.

Today Richard and one of his brothers are on a ride around their dad’s favorite haunt, Fish Creek. I imagine this will help them enjoy memories of their dad and carry on his good legacy. Finding solace in memory and tradition is a great idea.

Dale and his sons, Fish Creek, early 1980’s

Queenie’s graduation from the U

Today we celebrated Queenie, who graduated from the University of Utah in Human Development and Family Studies with honors. Woot!

Daniel and McKenna were my buddies to ride up to campus on the train. They made the journey a delight.

I saved some extra seats in the arena just in case we needed them. I abandoned the extra places when we realized we had too many, only to see a few minutes later that my nephew Ray and his girlfriend had claimed them. They were there to cheer for a different graduate, so we were all surprised to see one another. 🥰

We are so impressed by Queenie’s many accomplishments.

On the road again

April is the biggest month for birthdays in our extended family. It’s a good thing I am an empty nester with a flexible schedule so I have time to give attention to them. 😂 The post office has been a frequent haunt this month, as well as my car.

April is also the beginning of school year-end events. This week I got to cheer for Solomon. Tomorrow I get to be a proud mom as Daniel graduates from BYU. 🎓

My nephew’s senior night for volleyball at Skyline
Joe’s birthday
GI Joe and Strawberry Shortcake apparel
There is something vital and comforting about connecting with childhood friends.

Easter Snapshots

I have a glimpse of family life for your reading pleasure? today.

We saw my parents and extended family on Saturday for my Mom’s Easter egg hunt, then came home to welcome Tim and Queenie who spent the night at our house. Richard mowed the lawn for the first time this season on Saturday evening, and the lawn, blossoming trees, and tulips are beautiful. We stayed up late that night talking to Tim and Queenie about their adventures. Queenie will complete her bachelor’s degree this month and Tim is busy helping his friend Josh build a house and has some stories to tell about being a property manager. They made a trip recently to Arches National Park and Goblin Valley, which were firsts for Queenie.

We had a freeze a few nights this week, and Richard protected his apple tree blossoms with a tarp and heater.

We had our middle kids with us on Sunday. Add to the energy and events of Easter weekend the four sessions of general conference, which we watched while eating cinnamon rolls, Chex mix, and peanut M&M’s. We also visited Daniel and McKenna’s newly remodeled house where they will live after Daniel graduates this month.

Although we didn’t get a complete family picture this Easter weekend, we almost had one on Sunday during a video call. Richard played with filters to delight our grandson.

In my excitement to be with my kids and extended family, I oversupplied them with desserts. After our Easter feast on Sunday, we read passages of scripture around the table to complete our long tradition of opening eggs which hold tiny objects and scriptures. Happy Resurrection Sunday!