Category: Extended family

Christmas Eve 2016

Samuel the Lamanite
Angry Nephites
Here we are throwing objects at Samuel and climbing the wall to get Samuel, who does not get injured at this time. You seemed a bit worried.
No arrows or stones could harm the prophet Samuel.
The angel visits the shepherds
Cast photo
This little nephew showed the best concert etiquette as I played.

My mom’s dolls
My sister-in-law Care made the clothes. Every detail is amazing on them.
Sweethearts

Mark’s Adventures with Grandparents

1-dsc_2593-001Mark and I took a trip with my parents to California to visit my Grandma Ruth. Mark wasn’t sure if he would have a good time spending lots of time in a car to be with his grandparents, mom, and great-grandmother, but he did. For real.

He explored the Delta with Grandpa.

He bought doughnuts with Grandpa

He played with Fisher Price toys from the late 1960’s with his cousin who stopped by.

We drove the scenic route on the way home, along the Sacramento river. We stopped at a little diner and had the best lunch with big mugs of milk.

He got a hat at the Donner Memorial gift shop.

He enjoyed a breakfast buffet at our hotel.

He stayed up late watching The Lord of the Rings.

He made and served dinner with Grandma, which he said was a true highlight.

He rewired a lamp with Grandpa, also a highlight.

He crawled under Great-grandma’s furniture to replace electrical cords and loved it.

He met a new dog friend.

He didn’t have to share Pop Tarts with his siblings.

He packed a bag full of Archie comics to enjoy with Grandpa. It was time well shared.

He and Grandma watched movies in the back seat of the car on the drive home.

He grew in admiration for his grandparents and cheered his great-grandmother with his presence. He tried a few funny lines and people laughed. He got to be independent and not compared with older siblings. He soared.

A trip to Sparks to say goodbye

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We traveled to Sparks, Nevada for a party hosted by my aunt and uncle. They invited all of Grandma Stewart’s friends and family for a luncheon to honor her. It was happy and upbeat, and gave us all a sense of closure that we didn’t have after her death because there was no funeral. They held the party in my aunt and uncle’s yard on the week of my grandmother’s birthday. The weather was perfect. My mom read aloud tributes written by family members. I was able to meet my grandmother’s friends and see my cousins.

Richard and I took the kids to grandma’s old house to walk around the yard one last time. That was really hard for me, but it made me feel better to tell myself that tears aren’t such a bad thing if they come when you are reminded of sweet times and dear people.

My tribute to my grandmother is written here.

Neighborhood party

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(I chose not to post a picture of everyone to avoid posting clear pictures of the neighbor kids.)

We had a wonderful neighborhood party this week. Our neighbors have been through a lot over the past year or so. Nearly every family has dealt with death and/or serious illness. We have come together to mourn and support one another during these times. It was nice to come together to enjoy an outdoor meal. I think they are wonderful neighbors, all. I stayed late, visiting, and came home with a huge bag of produce, a pitcher of homemade root beer, and plans to go on a walk with a neighbor I don’t know well.

 

Summer quilt project

I finished the binding on this quilt last night, making it a strictly July project. The women in my family hand-stitched the flower squares at our family reunion and I put them together in a quilt. Truly, it was a collaborative effort. I asked the ladies to bring small scraps of fabric and we combined them to make this very happy result. My friend Kaye machine quilted it. I love that the squares show our individual personalities, but also how harmoniously they come together. Almost every petal in our flowers is a different fabric, and combining our collections made so many more possibilities. What a perfect metaphor for family relationships.

We sat together to sew these over a couple of days when our kids were asleep, etc. English paper piecing became an obsession. To make the hexagon flowers, you wrap fabric around paper hexagons, and sew the edges together. “Must. make.more.hexies.” I heard again and again, in automaton voices. We also solved the world’s problems as we sat and talked while wielding needles and thread. Quilting might possibly be the solution to everything, or at least it is a worthy distraction with a beautiful result.