JUNE IS BUSTING OUT ALL OVER1

Utah Flanders' fields poppies 

June 3^rd Parker turned 16.  Please be careful if you are driving in Utah County. 

June 3^rd ("fird")Parker turned 16.  Please be careful if you are driving in Utah County.  He is such a special person.  He loves the Lord and goes to the temple so often to do baptisms.  He has even done some for granddad.  He is kind to others and so smart.  Colleges have already sent him letters.  He loves everything and has such a wonderful family who loves him so much.  He is looking forward to dating and will treat girls with respect and kindness.  He had been taught well by his mother and father.  We love him.

June 4^th we went to Sacrament meeting and then to Pleasant Grove for Camden’s receiving the priesthood. 

Erik gave him a beautiful blessing and the wonderful thing was that Parker got to be in the circle.  What a blessing that was for the family and for us.

Sorry but I have no pictures.  My fault.  After that we went to Kamas to pick up Lily and take her to the airport for our Disney trip.  Camden met us there because he wanted to spend as much time as possible with his grandma and grandpa.  The two are 12 and ready for a trip with us.  We are so excited.

We had a good flight and checked into Desert Palms Suites.  Camden had a private room.  Lily had her own queen bed.

 We hiked a short distance to Downtown Disney and just looked at all the fun things there.

Monday found us in Fantasy Land. 

Scott had given us directions of what to do first and what fast passes to get so we made every ride we wanted and didn’t have to stay in line long. 

It was in the 60’s so we were never hot.  Of course we ate corn dogs and whatever we wanted. 

We liked everything.

Waiting for Thunder Mountain RR

The rides were so fun but granddad and I never made it on the  space Mt. ride even though we “really” wanted to.  We loved Buzz Light year.  We ended the day with the electric parade which we all loved. 

Peter Pan ride.

A sweet lady who supervises the parade showed us a perfect place to sit and enjoy.  She was so kind.  We even went to Snow White’s wishing well.

We got back to the hotel with no time to swim but I think Camden and Lily were too tired anyway.  We outdid them. 

Scott again helped us by telling us what to do first so we didn't have to wait in lines.  It was a little weird because police dogs met us way outside of the gate and we were searched much more than yesterday.  All ended well.  We loved it all again.  Didn't take many pictures but started out on the Car's ride in Radiator Springs that looks so much like San Juan country.

Again we had corn dogs.  We're so glad they only have those in Disney because we would certainly go for them.  Lily loved Soaring and we all loved Guardians.

 

Lily had never ridden on a Ferris wheel so we had to do that and the Little Mermaid ride.

 We did the Toy Story ride that is like Buzz Light Year.  Love those.  The kids were tired so we went back to the hotel for a snooze.  They were going to swim but were too tired.

We went back so we could see the World of Color show.  It is always amazing.
Our last day we spent the morning in California Adventure and the afternoon in Disney.  We did whatever we wanted.

We went by Bethany's wishing well

and the jungle ride.

We watched the day time parade and had done everything we wanted and were very tired so that evening, around 6:00 we headed to the hotel to go swimming.  By the time we got there the kids were too tired so we went to Subway and ate dinner in the room

watching

and watched a Harry Potter Movie.  By the time it was over it was 11 and we went to bed.

We slept in, went for breakfast and got ready for the shuttle to the airport.  Sure do wish I had taken a picture of them on the flight.  It certainly was different than the flight here.  We don't know how the trip could have been better.  Those two grands were just that---grand.  We were so pleased with all that happened and the fun time we had.  They were good to do whatever we wanted. They are special children of our Father.
Saturday we went to Ava and Nixon's soccer games.

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They both scored goals.  That evening we went to Lily's for her 12th birthday dinner.  She is so special.

 She is a very tender girl and at Disney was always aware of how we were doing and was so helpful.

 It was fun to watch her pick out presents for her family.  She was very generous with her gifts.  She had spent the day at the SLC Temple doing baptisms for the names Granddad had given her.  How blessed we are to have grandchildren who want to do that.
After the dinner we went to Lou Wong's son, Ryan's wedding reception.  They are a special friends whom we love.
Sunday we went to Kelly and Christy's ward for Corey's homecoming.  He only had 5 minutes left when it was his turn and wow what a great talk he gave in such a short time.  You could tell he was an excellent missionary who was obedient.  He was very powerful and full of the Spirit. We had a good visit in their lovely home.
Monday we got Nixon and Rowan for a few hours.  It was the first time since before school was out.
Thursday we had to have a new water softener installed.  The old one was over 20 years old so we didn't feel so badly.  Tiffani and the twins came that evening.  So happy.  Sometime in here we went to Nixon's t-ball game and Huck Finn Day at Pleasant Grove.

Friday they couldn't wait to play with Nixon and Ava.  Bethany kept them for the day and then that night we took the kids and Tiffani to the Strawberry Days Rodeo.

 We love that rodeo, especially the strawberries.  We each had 2 helpings before the rodeo was over.

 Nixon fell asleep on the way home and all the kids slept in Tiff's room.  The girls slept on the floor and Nixon got the entire queen bed.  Crazy.
Saturday we got up and went to Waffle Love for breakfast with Bethany  and Rowan (who met us because they had not spent the night.) and then to the Pleasant Grove Parade.  It is my favorite parade and we watch it on Erik's front lawn.

 Erik's family has a ward breakfast before the parade and the people are so fun.  We had our own shade,

first fourth

 They are so nice to us and treat us as if we are part of the ward.  It is a wonderful thing they do each year.  We love to be a part.
After the parade Dad and I came home and the others went to Bethany's for water games and fun.

After the mud bath they had a cucumber facial.

Fathers' Day was so wonderful in that Dave and Cameron came late that night.  Made it a perfect day.  We celebrated after church with a great steak dinner, rolls, corn-on-the-cob and homemade cookies.

I am so blessed to have had such a great father in my life and to know that he loved me so much.

 I am now blessed with such a great dad for our children.  He is truly a man of God.  He has been with me for 51 years and they have been hard, wonderful, happy, blessed, healthy, growing, fun, interesting, filled with the Spirit years.  

I never dreamed these years would be so filled with the blessings I have been given by living with this man.  He treats me with such love and respect and helps in every way he can to make my life easier.  He loves the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and loves serving in the temple.  He is a great example for me.  He has given me such loving children who adore him.  He makes me a better person by his example of what a husband should be.  I love him to "infinity and beyond."
We were so excited that Shanelle brought the boys over to share Fathers' Day with their Granddad.  The kids played outside.

Monday we had breakfast at Waffle Love so Cameron and Dave could see how great it is.  Dave and Tiff got all loaded and George took them to the airport for their 2 week cruise to the Baltics.

They left the kids with some figet spinners.  They were so excited.  They left something for every day they they were gone.

 We invited Scott's over for tacos since the girls hadn't played with them for a day.  They kept their rooms in good order.

girls

Cameron's.  The bags at the foot are Dave and Tiff's they didn't take.

We don't know how these girls get any sleeping done.

Tuesday Aunt Carolyn (Dave's sister-in-law) met us to have the kids for the day.  We picked them up at 7 that night.  They had a great time.  Cameron golfed and the girls baked.  I know I saved a picture of them but can't fine it.  Shocker.

 We surprised the kids by not telling them where we were going.  When we got on the freeway we gave them hints.  We had told them to pack for three days.  After many hints they guessed to Lewiston and Gary and Debs' to ride horses for 2 days.  They were treated like royalty and had so much fun.  They rode the horses into the ground.  They ran and ran.  Cameron even rode.  We just had a great visit even if there had been no horses it was fun to be with the Gary Bayles family. 
                

We stopped at the Brigham City Temple.

Clara

girls

Cameron

Granddad showed them how it was done.

After riding they washed the horses down.

                              

We went in for dinner and even after dark they rode some more, bareback.

Addie, Deb, Christiana, Justin, and Kyle worked hard to make this a very special trip.  That night Gray Ryan and family came for dinner which    cooked and it was so good.  We went for ice cream at a special dairy.  It was so good.

June 24th we rested from all that fun.  In the afternoon I took the kids and Scott's kids to a place called Puppy Barn.  Never again.  I wanted every puppy I held.  Only adult can hold them and they are very well taken care of.  Of course my favorite was a white Alaskan husky--$1200.00.  I then took them to Highland Park for a splash pad that is so fun.  They played and played.  We saw a wild fire begin in the mountains which grew very fast.

 The kids slept that night at Scott's

On the 26th we met the family that could come to Deer Creek and played in the water.  Our boat was still in the shop so we couldn't use it.  We had so much fun.

                                     

Cameron trying to stay afloat

 

Granddad's homemade ice cream

    crazy kids

My brother Del came to visit for a short time.  He lives in AZ so it is always good to see him.

On the 28th Kristin missed her second flight but caught the next one so we had a fun house full.  The cousins were so excited to see each other.  It was a fun sleep-over.
One of the nights the twins put their hair in tiny pin curls and then brushed them out for curls the next day.

The following day Erik and family came to see Kristin.  We hadn't seen them for a long time except to mow so we were glad to have them.  That evening we went to an LJCooper party at a park in the canyon.  It is so beautiful there and the food is catered and so good.  The girls had their faces painted and Jalen got an incredible balloon figure.

 It was just a fun evening.  
The next morning Kristin got up early and bought some Kolaches for breakfast.  The girls made a welcome home poster for the travelers.

Tiff and Dave were delayed in Boston so they didn't get in until midnight.

 Two pieces of luggage were left in Paris so they had to wait for them before they could leave for their Jennings reunion at Bear Lake.  They were in charge so it was a little crazy.  They rented our boat and got it all loaded.  The first piece of luggage came at 9 AM so that was great but the second piece didn't come until after 2.  They were late to the reunion but at least they made it.  It's about a 4 hour ride.  The kids were so excited to be with their parents.  They were so loaded that bless their hearts they left the bird, Flappy, with us for a week.
June was a very full but wonderful month.  Sometimes it is a little hard on us "old folks" but it is always good.  We love when family can get together.  We are just so sad when we cannot all come at the same time when some live so close.  It's hard to understand.  We love that we are a forever family and we are striving to live so that we can be worthy to have them always.  They are such a blessing to us.  The restored gospel of Jesus Christ is so true.  It is just true.