Category: Extended family

Grandpa had lots of hugs and smiles.

Grandma made us lunch and told us all the news from Susan, who is now able to have chemotherapy and has been moved to a care facility.

Grandma took us to Scheels and we rode their indoor Ferris wheel. I’m clinging to Timothy for dear life in the yellow seat at the top. Daniel and Paige are in the red seat.

Jeanne entertained us with ping pong, croquet, and blackberry picking.

We waved our dish towels and said good-bye to two of the greatest grandparents ever. We would have taken Grandpa with us, but Mark was worried that Grandma would be lonely.

We visited Grandma Ruth on the next stop on our trip. She made us a strawberry pie and served us rainbow sherbet. We sorted out 6 boxes of history during the day spent together. I came home with a journal from my Great-grandmother Cerie and many priceless pictures. Grandma Ruth is a cancer survivor! She looks great and has a beautiful new wardrobe in a smaller size.

The classic Fisher Price Toys, books, puzzles, and back yard entertained the boys. Paige sat with Grandma and me all day. Richard buried his head in some of Grandma Ruth’s books while watching Mark.

And of course we ate out. Uncle Jay and Aunt Nora and Christine joined us.

It’s been 5 years since the kids and Richard visited Grandma’s home (and a year and a half since I was there). I was so happy we were able to visit.

Dale and Lorraine Ross and all of their posterity. Beaches are great magnets for attracting people to a family reunion. And even the in-laws have a good time. I did.

The 9 and 10 year old cousins were inseparable.

Timothy made a sand castle. He helped collect 157 sand crabs in one day.

More of Mark’s Wave Revelry. Look at my arms getting toned trying to keep him from getting swept away.

Sushi tonight, anyone? We found so many critters in this washed up bunch of seaweed. It was really fascinating.

A secret club with its own language and code names was formed by the cousins. Timothy approached me one afternoon and said, “Mom, I’m in a secret club. Do you want to know my code name? It’s Tiki! And Daniel’s code name is Big D and…” His cousin Lizzie, passing by added, “And my secret name is Abba!” So much for keeping it secret… I later found this paper plate with the minutes of one of their top secret meetings written on it.

We brought a nice tent to shade Grandma and Grandpa and the babies. The tent is Richard’s pride and joy. That and its accompanying sand bags to keep it stationary. I like this picture a lot.

Richard with all of his siblings minus one out in the ocean.

Ladies, that guy is All Mine.

San Bernardino was the beginning and the end of our long vacation. We stayed with Mom and Dad (President and Sister S.) over the first weekend and again on our way home. Sister S. commented that the kids seemed just as happy at the end of the trip as the beginning. No wonder. They spent 2 weeks being loved by parents of the grand and great-grand variety.

We met a charming balloon artist at the Rainforest Cafe. Mark loves his new bunny, Chatter.

We loved the handcart rides. So did the neighbor kids who hopped in to join us.

Darling, yes?

Timothy tried out the little pool.

Nice one, Daniel!

And of course, little brother joined in the fun. Meanwhile, Paige was upstairs sketching and making a beaded bracelet.

We love you all the way to the moon!

And thank you for the doughnut tip: Tailor Maid doughnuts are superb. Thanks for the nice visit.

We are so amazed at all you do. We think you are doing A Great Work.

Richard comes home from work most evenings and looks immediately out the back window and makes a comment about the state of our crape myrtle tree.

This little tree has weeks when the blossoms wane and it looks more like a spent dandelion that has lost its fuzz. That little trunk and my thumb share the same diameter. But despite its small size,  this tree can blossom like there’s a party going on. And for some reason, Richard follows the ebb and flow of our tree with great interest.

I think it has a lot to do with the investment of time he puts into our back yard. After checking the tree each evening, he takes a walk out to the tomato plants, surveys the strawberry patch, adjusts sprinklers, and takes an inventory of  his kingdom.

Are you ready for my simile or metaphor? Faithful readers, surely you were expecting it.

And so it goes. Some weeks our family seems to be in sync with our moods and schedules and we’re in full bloom. Other weeks, we are stretched to the limit by our outside commitments and we feel like spent dandelions.

We’ve had a spent dandelion week. Even trying to pace ourselves, the stress of life has crept in a little and I am ready for a weekend break.  We look forward to a week of full-bloom soon… despite missing out on a Stewart reunion at the Weber.

As a warm-up for July 4th the next day, Paul and Care invited us to Tank Wars at their house. After dinner, Paul shared his fireworks and we doctored up some tanks so they had some real power. Here, the competitors assembled for the carnage…

They proudly displayed their arsenals.

Paige and I even prepared some Barbie Carnage Tanks.

It was dearly entertaining to watch the reactions of the kids…

This was Mark’s first experience with fireworks. He was mesmerized.

It was loud, but most of the kids watched from the edge of the curb, which is as close as we would let them sit.

Cutie Solomon was amazed.

Ruby and Paige were less impressed, but found some things to chat about.

Isaac confessed, “I like smoke!” as he chased it down the street.

Ammon was just happy to be there.

Charlotte blew patriotic bubbles since she was too young to make a tank.

Tank Wars Day 1 was a fiery success. Tank Wars Day 2 took place at the Round House with even more competitors with a larger army of tanks. Installing that hornet rocket on my Big Mama Tank was definitely against my better judgment a great idea!

We drove 14 hours to attend Provo’s July 4th parade with cousins and family. You can’t beat a really good parade. Mom always loved the parade more than the kids. I’m finally getting it and I’m pretty sure I loved it more this year than I ever did before. Why?

…Because the parade gave Daniel a chance to climb a tree;

I got to sit with my siblings and their families at the old TPM homestead on University Avenue, in a place so traditional that even Mayor Billings searched the crowd, mouthing the word, “Sanchez” to his daughters trying to find us from the convertible in which he sat for the parade.

We saw a tank in action. Now when do you ever get to see a tank rumbling down the road?

There was the standing ovation for the LDS Missionary float. I lifted Mark on my shoulders and he caught the excitement and waved to the missionaries with all his might.

Our nephew, Henry was in a band in the parade. So was his sister, Katie.

Why do I love a parade more than ever? Well, it’s all about beautiful things; it celebrates youth, honors old age, and makes me feel patriotic and reminds me of my childhood. That’s something to get excited about.