Eight is Great

Ella is eight years old today!

All of the grandkids in our family are cute, fun, smart, and loveable, each with their own personalities and talents. It's fun to watch them grow up and see how they're turning into the people they're going to be for the rest of their lives.

And I have to say, I'm glad that Ella is a part of my life! Even if she's a few thousand miles away from me at the moment.

Happy Birthday, Ella!

Baby, baby, who's got the right baby?

Aunt Donna posted a "mystery" baby picture on her blog. I thought it was Richard - Joan says it's Bill. After staring at it for a bit, I thought it was me, since I have a baby picture that is amazingly similar.

So check out Donna's blog and see what you think

If nothing else, it's a good argument for labeling pictures!!

You will forget one day who it really is!!

Annika

 

Lookin' like po' white trash!!

This is an old photo that I actually remember - I don't know that I remember it being taken, but I remember the dress - it was green and white. And I remember that little toy dog on the table - it was red and white.

There aren't many photos of Charley as a young child - this is one of the few. This one has been in my possession for many, many years - as in since I was in high school. But I'm not sure why. We are certainly both very tow-headed! Maybe like Mom said, Monroe took pictures and then gave them to us.

I have many memories of playing in that backyard. The window in the photo - a bedroom window - looked out into the yard. I remember one summer when I was plagued by bloody noses, I had to lie on the bed in that room to keep calm and quiet so I wouldn't have another bloody nose. I could hear all the fun going on outside, and I felt bad about not being out there. In my memory I spent the whole summer in that room and had to take a nasty tasting medicine also. But it could have been only a week, or a day, or a few hours.

"Walk right up, sit right down, daddy let your mind roll on . . ."

I may have those lyrics a bit skewed - but they fit with the picture!

Another old shot I found - you know, over the years, I'd be at Mom's and I'd find a picture in some unlikely spot and I'd go ask Mom about it and she'd say this or that about it. Finally I said, "Shall I just take this home for safekeeping?" and she'd say, "Sure."

Hence I have a mini-collection of random old photos. And I keep coming across them in odd spots. I must be my mother's daughter!!

Anyway, Mom will have to give us the details - date, time, place, occasion.

Meanwhile, why don't you just "walk right up and sit right down" as they say in the song!

Running around . . .

We had a great time in Logan. Harry did well - 5th in his age group - garnered another trophy for his rapidly growing collection (he has two now!!)

Note: We means Harry, me and Helen

We enjoyed seeing Hannah and her friend Lissa. We delivered birthday gifts to Renee Magnusson for Kathleen, haunted the Cache Valley Thrift Stores and D.I., saw Jim and Trudy's new house, carbo loaded on shrimp scampi at Fran and Dee's, went to Jim and Trudy's ward and visited Jim's class he is teaching, heard Fran and Dee's homecoming report, waited on the race route to cheer Harry on, enjoyed seeing Karen, Melissa and Kimberlynn, watched the Women's Broadcast in the comfort of our motel room - Harry wasn't up to traveling after running all morning!!

And we made it to the airport in record time and must have had a tail wind because we got home in time for the reception for the retiring stake presidency.

Photos include Jim's new place and views of Benson and Logan, Hannah and Lissa, race shots, some family group shots at Fran's, Hannah mesmerizing Fran's Mission Cat and assorted others.

Logan is a beautiful place - all of Cache Valley is. Harry was waxing eloquent about the beauty and I said, "Well, I wouldn't want to live here - it's too isolated." He said he wasn't planning on moving - just thought the place was beautiful. And it's a lovely place to visit.

I will look forward to next year's marathon - anyone care to join us??

Tooth Fairy Issues

We have been having problems with our local tooth fairy.

She seems to be getting the message that a tooth has been pulled a little late.

Sometimes she even comes a day late.

Hmmm. Maybe she's having union disputes? Labor issues? Not getting her e-mail or text messages?

If you see her, let her know.


PS - sorry for the blurry picture. 

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep.

But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.



That quote by Old Man Frost is on the home page for the Logan Marathon, which I believe Dad is running today, if I'm not mistaken?

Thought it was apropos.

Good luck, if the rumor is true! (Or even if it's not.)

P.S. Isn't Dad cute?

New Member of the Blogger Community

Okay all you family and friends out there in bloggerland - we've got Jim and Trudy on board - check them out at the-terrill.blogspot.com - and watch for some exciting posts to be coming your way soon!!

Flashback to the 50's!!

This Clayton Family Photo dates back to 1953 - and includes Dad, Mom, Joan, Lyn, Barbara, Alice, Charles, Mary and Richard.

If you think this is a "rough" copy - you should see the original - looks like it's been through the war.

I'm not sure whose little Brownie Box Camera took this shot - but aren't we glad someone did??

Bathing Beauty?!

I was looking for another photo for another post - and didn't find it, by the way.

Instead I came across this photo - of our own Grandma Mary in a bathing suit!! I would say that maybe this is the only photo extant of Mom in a bathing suit!

It's in 1944 and the two children with her are Joan and Lyn - I don't know who the others are. I suspect the locale is Burbank.

Maybe this is a lesson for all of us to be sure that there is one good bathing suit photo available - and then avoid any more - unless they are better!

RULDS2?

David and I have been trying to come up with personalized plates for the cars. We are stumped. Today I thought of MARCO on David's car and the POLO on my car. David pointed out that it would only be funny if they saw our cars together. I still think it's funny.
Any ideas for us? We need help!

"Called to Serve"

I was sustained today as Stake Relief Society President. I was not released as Ward Relief Society President! I guess I will do double duty for a week or two. We are getting a new bishop next week - our bishop was put in the new Stake Presidency. And the wife of our new Stake President was the Stake Relief Society President. It just gets more and more complex, so I'll end there.

I had hoped to have a shot of me with my ward presidency and a shot of me with my stake presidency - but that setting apart will not be until mid-week.

So I'll post the shot of the dear women I have worked with for the last year or two. I have been through a few counselors and secretaries in the almost 3 years I have served. I'm really bad with details - but I could reconstruct it all by referring to my fat notebook of weekly Relief Society Newsletters that I have been doing since July of 2002. I wasn't the president all that time, but I did do the newsletter.

We could reconstruct quite a bit of history from my book! I'm trying to figure out how I could do a Stake Relief Society Newsletter - I love living history!! I often browse through the Young Women weekly newsletters I kept from January 1997 to December 2000 - and it's a lovely little walk down memory lane. Wish I was that good at keeping my own journal!

I'm hoping that it is indeed true that Stake callings are easier than Ward callings. Maybe they are just different, so they seem easier!

Either way, the adventure will begin!!

Further Proof

that yes, we do live in the sticks.

I drove up our canyon yesterday and was stopped by a line of cars who were waiting for the herd of GOATS to get out of the road.

go figure. 

Fall is in the air!!

Some in the Terrill circle are blogging about the coming of Fall. It's not officially fall until the 21st, but Southern California doesn't concern itself much with official.

For example, I know there's a chill in the air other places. And we've had some cool nights and cool mornings. There are even kids who wear hooded sweatshirts to school - but they do that in the middle of summer too, so that's no indicator.

But it's been HOT!! True, it's not as bad in September, because the days are shorter. And we did have a little low pressure system that even brought drizzle and rain to our region yesterday. But high pressure is building again, so we aren't putting the fans away yet. (Although Dad did insist on putting the comforter back on the bed.)

So I walked to the post office today - to mail the Halloween socks - and brought my camera along. I thought I'd snap some "Fotos of Fall."

This is what I found!! The only real indicators of the coming season were the leaves in the streets - and that just may be because the gardeners aren't coming until Monday! And Country Cottage is full of fall decor. And if you look very closely, you can see some yellow creeping into the green leaves on a few trees.

So around here, at least until mid-October or later, we will have to content ourselves with buying fall decor items, kicking the leaves that do escape the blower's wrath, and appreciating people like John Donne, who said, "No spring, nor summer beauty hath such grace As I have seen in one autumnal face."

Profiles

My apologies for not posting these for you. My MIL Lynnette requested them of me, which was why I took them in the first place. I didn't love the first batch, so now you get your very own!

Eliza, 24 weeks:



Baby, 22 weeks:





I hope everyone is doing well! Matt and I are fine. We're both working, and I haven't been sick in months; just tired. (Can anyone explain to me how to get 10 hours of sleep a night and still have a life?) The baby kicks and bounces around throughout the day, which provides endless entertainment for me. It's not keeping me up at night yet.

Fall is definitely here in D.C. I love it--I say this every season, but I really think fall is the best season.

mommy? baby?

Just a request for Eliza to post pictures on both the Selander's blog and the Terrill's blog.

Thank you and goodnight.

Mimi Cakes Branch Out!!

My pun here is pretty hilar if I do say so myself!!

Dawn has come up with a new Mimi item for birthday celebrations - and it just might catch on! She made Susanne a "Mimi Plant" and it was a big hit.

The pictures are from our festive celebration on Sunday - Brian Lee showed up at the close of the day - it was nice to see him.

Dawn prepared a veritable feast - Hannah, you would have wanted to be there - it was a potato bar par excellence!! JK!!

It was chicken and beef fajitas with ALL the trimmings!! And Flan du Caramel for dessert - candles do fine in flan you know!!

I've also included Harry Son's Mimi Cake - for those of you who keep track of such things!

Happy Birthday Susanne!!

I'm sure there's a better picture of Susanne - but if I spent the entire afternoon looking for it, it would be tomorrow - and not her birthday!! (But she was a welcome addition to our annual Ides of March crew last year!)

We love Susanne - her happy laugh, her effusive love for children, her bright blue eyes, her willingness to help everyone, her generous outreach to all who come in contact with her - and we want to wish her all the best - in the coming year and beyond!!

Grandparents' Day

September 10th is Grandparents' Day. It's obviously a Hallmark-made holiday, designed mostly to sell cards. But it's got a good premise anyway!

I have a collage of old pictures of my parents and grandparents, and I think everyone has seen them at one time or another, but I just thought I'd post them. My all-time favorite is the one of my Grandpa Stevens hanging up diapers - in a tie!

I have great memories of my grandparents - and even the Grandma I never knew, the one I got my middle name from, seemed very much alive to me because my father talked about her so much. (She died when he was 17.) My Grandpa Clayton had two more wives after her, and they were a special part of my life too. The two pictures of a man and wive together are my Grandpa Clayton with his 1st and 3rd wives. The separte pictures are of my Grandma and Grandpa Stevens.

I remember staying with Grandpa Clayton when he was married to Helen. I think Mary was born and Alice and I stayed there while Mom was in the hospital. There had been a burglary or something and we went out and looked at the footprints in the mud. We thought it was pretty exciting. I don't have a picture of Helen - maybe Donna does and she can scan it to me.

Grandma Connie was the Grandma I knew for the longest time and was pretty special, but I have great memories of my Grandma and Grandpa Stevens. I should start sharing them so I don't forget them.

I mostly remember my Grandma Stevens teaching me to play card games. And the bottom drawer in her hall that held the stuff we could play with when we went there. And playing bartender at the bar in their "rumpus room." (7-Up in shot glasses seems pretty racy when you're 10!!)

Happy Grandparents' Day to all you grandparents out there!!

A little walk down Memory Lane

Hannah emailed me and wanted pictures of herself in her casts - which she wore for several months to correct her mildly club feet. So I obliged her - went to her scrapbook and found said pictures.

One of them was the above - Hannah with Grandpa Terrill - or Pop as we all called him. And I thought about how I remmbered that very event - it was an Easter Egg Hunt in April of 1986. And I can always conjure up that very picture in my mind's eye.

And that is kind of how I remember Pop - the quiet smile, the careful holding of a child - and I see a lot of him when I watch the other Grandpa Terrill around here.

A nice memory - so I thought I would share.

Oh, how quickly you grow!

Here he is! Big kindergartener. Henry was so excited about his first day, but really the most excited about the new backpack. Please notice the measuring tape hooked on his beltloop. He was certain he would need it.
Henry also enjoyed riding the bus home. I have to admit, I enjoyed not having to drive down and pick him up!

Happy Day to HFT!!

September 7th is actually many people's birthday - in and out of the Terrill family - I have always been amazed at how often I have met people who celebrate their naisance on Septemer 7th - Bernie, Arlene, Erik, Randy, Brad M. to name a few. But we will focus our attention on the most significant birth on that day - at least to our way of thinking!!

Harry is a native Utahn - born at Holy Cross Hospital no less - I'm not sure why we didn't go to LDS Hospital - maybe because our doctor didn't practice there!! That was back in the day when no one found out what they were having. And I was convinced he was a girl, so when he was born, I acted surprised I guess, and the nurse said, "Didn't you want a boy?" And we said, "Oh yes, a boy is wonderful, we are just surprised!" He came quickly too - at least quickly after he was 2 weeks late! (Not like the 12 hour labor with Bonny - I got smart and stayed home rather than racing to the hospital at the first sign!)

There was a dinner for the employees of United Homes that night at Chuck-A-Rama I think. Harry vacillated back and forth about going to it because I'd had labor off and on all day. I said, go, get a free dinner, so he went. And about 40 minutes later I called and had them page him to come home!!

Harry Dad made the birth announcement - did a wood cut - we lived on 10th East then and had a second story room that overlooked the city. Harry used it like an office/studio and had a great time designing and making the announcement - I had a sewing room in the closet - what does that say? (I actually liked my closet sewing room - I could shut the doors on it!)

I've included the famous 4th birthday hairbrush, post office lunch box, Mr. Rogers' sweater picture - which I notice includes a shot of our beloved Elizabeth! (For the uninformed, Harry loved to emulate Mr. Rogers - hence the sweater - I couldn't find one with a zipper but he didn't seem to care - he would pretend to zip it up. He would also go around pretending to feed some invisible fish too.) (And our beloved Elizabeth was a Siamese cat.)

The hair brush was bought from the Fuller Brush Man - who was still coming around in those days - I am really dating myself here!! Harry Dad had a wooden backed hairbrush and Harry Son wanted one too - I assume he still has it. The lunch pail was a real pride and joy. He didn't go to nursery school or anything - just liked to have his lunch in it!!

The 7th birthday picture - you can probably figure out which one it is - was his first school picture in Monrovia - and I guess you can figure out the one taken when he was one!

Now he is 34 and the father of 2 going on 3 kids! And I see a lot of him in his kids - and we were pretty excited when he was born - and we still are!