catchup

Lost my password so I need to catch up now: Had a ball this summer with the grandkids. On a hot summer July day, we found a nice patch of shade under the apricot tree and made popsicle stick bowls, etc. (I remember thinking, here is the beautiful summer day, the birds are singing, the kids are happy and having fun and I'm in Heaven! What bliss. If I was working I wouldn't be able to do this! I love retirement!! No hurry, we have all day!

Will did a cooool fort, with a flag even. (He is great at paper sculpture. He has done the dinosaurs from "how to train your dinasaurs", he does sail boats, crocodiles, the Utah Natural Arch from Lake powell. He's amazing. Addie did her initials, and Nick (5) did a creative something he likes). Later, I made a gourmet lunch with brea and a bagette, fresh fruit, ham salad, fresh sweet basil (that was a little too strong for them, but they swallowed it).

In August, Mont and I went to Arizona and I had four old crowns removed by Jon. I have temps on and at Thanksgiving I will get the permanent ones on.

In September, the kids from Arizona came up on fall break to see the changing leaves. It has been such wonderful weather this fall, that all our activities have been in the back yard doing crafts. I always stock up on the back to school sales and I bought a stack of ten cent college lined notebooks. With markers and crayons, Avery, Addie, Chloe, Bella and sometimes Hunter drew and colored and designed for hours. Hunter and Nick threw the ball to Sophie and ran around the yard exploring all day long. Another great day with the little ones!!!

All through this, we have been remodeling our upstairs bathrooms. It took forever to find a piece of granite I liked and then to match it to the tile. Not as fun as I expected...lots of running around. We covered 3rd west in SLC where all the granite stores and ended up buying one from North Davis in Layton. I had the little bedroom painted so it will be my office. Had molding installed around the ceiling and around the big mirror in the main bath. Love both. I mostly love the granite counter top but there is one part I don't...I'm looking for a cool box or unusual basket to put on that part.

Another thing I have enjoyed this summer is going to the consignment shops. We have had a rash of new ones open. Three are my favorite. I purchased a hugh round beveled mirror for my study. It's easily worth $400 but I got it for $99. At another place, I found an antique looking zoology shell print with a wide gold leaf frame. It was marked on the back with a price tag of $29.99 and I got it for $9.99, not the best deal but it looks cool on the wall.

I love to go out in the day shopping. Mont doesn't understand so much because the job he worked at for almost 40 years required him to go out in the field at times, but I was tied to my desk for 33 years, with only a half hour lunch and 15 minute breaks. It feels like I'm sluffing work! But it's legal!!

When we went to Arizona, I found a book of crossword puzzles for Mont and I to do when we crossed the desert. It was hilarious! We could not think of the works...we knew them but couldn't bring them to mind. As we went along, we would finally get one of the words from a previous line. I'll tell you, that was the fastest desert crossing we have ever made! The bad thing is, I'm doing them all the time. I need more discipline! But the words are coming faster and so I want to keep doing them. Poor Mont! He's being ignored a little!

Bella and JoJo came today...Dani is doing a craft fair with her cool screen printed kitchen towels. Bryan is at a second interview for a job. He got it but has to wait for their printed offer to come next week. It will be such a blessing. He graduated in May and was getting discourage. I'm so glad it's here in the area. Anyway, Itried to teach Bella to jump in the leaves. She kept missing. So I picked them up and threw them on her. She thought that was great...JoJo liked it kind of...she's 14 months and is trying to figure some of that stuff out. Today she said apple.

I got my ninth grand child. What a blessing! My oldest daughter adopted a darling little boy...the mother is so young yet she loved the baby and our hearts were breaking for her!!! We put her name on the prayer role at the temple, to help her through it. She is a strong and brave person and I know the Lord will bless her for thinking of her baby first. When I first got to hold him and talk to him, he opened his eyes and looked at me. He does that every time I hold him. I know we knew each other in Heaven before we were born. it has been a blessing for our whole family!

It's November now! Every fall day has been so beautiful. The kids come over and we all say, We have to enjoy this warm beautiful day, because the snow will come soon and we won't be able to sit out anymore, but it just keeps lasting so we keep enjoying it!

I read a great quote today..."One kind word can warm three winter months". It's a Japanese proverb. Every Tuesday is the day I set part of it aside to do service. One day I picked up trash on the road. Another day I sat down and wrote notes to people. I have often thought to do it, but never took the time. So I'm trying to take the time to do some good. Maybe I'll be warmer this winter!