Happy 18th Birthday Ara Grace!

How can this sweet baby girl - the one who made us grandparents - be 18??

A beautiful young woman - inside and out - we love you Ara Grace!!  May the year ahead be full of happiness and joy - and lots of new adventures!!

Good friends - what a treasure!!

Our good friends - from BYU days actually - are in Palm Springs for part of the winter, so they came up to Monrovia this afternoon for a visit - as Tom would say, "A great old visit!"

We went to Sesame Grill for a very nice dinner - and lots of great conversation.  

 So glad they came!

 

Couldn't resist the comparison to the last time we were together - and it included lots of meals - including this one at a very out of the way place in Bolivia in 2000 - the Moores went with us to the Cochabamba Temple dedication.  This restaurant had some tasty food - but they also had guinea pig on the menu - and some guinea pigs running around the place too!

It was an experience!

Hopefully we won't wait another 15 years for our next visit!!

Preferences

Eliza had a great post about Family Home Evening* on her blog today.  I appreciated her thoughts and the way she organized and presented them.  And she made a comment about how blogs are less in favor today - at least personal blogs that don't include a lot of promotion and advertising.  But she hoped that maybe a young Mormon mom reading hers might be encouraged to try harder or try initially to promote regular sessions at FHE with their young children.

I don't have young children here on a regular basis, but I appreciated her remarks.  I found lots of insight and information in her comments.  Besides, she's my daughter, and I love reading what she has to say.  (She is also a fine writer!)

And that's what I miss on Facebook and Instagram, the preferred mediums these days.  The focus seems to be on "quick bites" or worse still, the video or reference to some article from some other source.  I especially dislike "get your Kleenex out for this one," or "you won't believe this." The "290,000 likes and 150,000 comments" are not especially endearing to me either.

Good grief!

I have never followed an excessive number of blogs, and maybe that is why FB and IG are more popular - you can follow a lot more people more quickly with more apparent information.

I do check FB and IG - but mostly to keep up with the large number of relatives I have who only seem to communicate in those mediums!  And I post, because many folks I'd like to stay in contact with seem to read and look at them. 

But I miss the thoughtful, personal, more detailed and lengthy insights into people's lives.  Insights that help me feel a connection to people I care about who aren't always around in person.

And even the thoughtful, personal insights of strangers whose blogs are recommended to me by people I do know!

Just something I wanted to blog about!

*Family Home Evening is usually on Monday night.  Most practicing Mormons, especially those with young families, usually make an effort to hold these weekly sessions.  Actually Harry and I meet with his 99 year old mother at her assisted living facility each Monday night and sing a hymn, read some scriptures, have a lesson, and have a prayer together.  She often breaks out her stash of goodies for the treat too!

An early celebration!

An early family celebration for Ara's 18th b-day!!  Where have the years gone??

 

Getting it all down for posterity!!

 

Definitely taller than me!!  There's a special spot for this young lady - the one who made us grandparents for the first time!!

 

8 of the 18!!  (Porter has adopted a no-smiling stance.  We will have to work on that!!)

Happy Birthday Ara Grace!!  We love you!

Happy Birthday Hester!!

The Kerksieks lived a lot of years overseas, but I sometimes think we saw more of them than we would have if they'd lived closer!!  The fact is, when you come from far away, you really stay for a good visit!!

And good visits they were!  For several years in a row, Alice and family came to California for a few weeks - and some of those weeks were spent here in Monrovia!

When they do get together anymore, there is always talk of organizing the playhouse, dressing up, building the Barbie World out of Kleenex boxes and other assorted items, and trips to the beach.

Good memories - and many of those memories include Hester!!  Who is having a birthday today!

Happy Birthday Hester - love having you in our world!!

Saying good-bye to an old friend!

We were saddened today at the news of the passing of our dear friend Hal Card Sr., shown here with his wife Blanche and their son David.

Hal was truly "the salt of the earth."  I can't think of a kinder, gentler, more considerate, faithful friend.  He had suffered a fall some weeks ago and had not been rallying well.  He visited with family this morning, and then told Blanche she should go home and rest.  And then he left the mortal frame we call earth and home.

Blanche said, "He was telling me good-bye.  Telling me it was time for him to go.  I'm glad he is no longer in pain."

What good people!  So grateful to call them friends.

Wrapping up the loose ends!

We're thinking this should become a tradition - for FHE we went to Bonny's for dinner and some dipping in the hot tub - a rousing success!!

 

I've mentioned Clocker's Corner on other posts, but here it's official - we went there on the morning of New Year's Eve.  Food was good, views were great, everyone didn't make it, but those who did had fun!

 

Deacon - here having the "last word!"  Christmas time is family time - and family time makes us happy!

Here's to next year!!

(Which will be here before we know it!!)

A good-bye for now

Got word via FB that Karen Livingston died today.  I'm sure family members recall how closely involved we were with her and her boys for several years.

After she moved to Utah, we would visit her whenever we were up there.  Our reasons to be in Provo and that area diminished over time, and we didn't see her as often.  We did often run into Nathan or Danny at Target or Wal-Mart, where each of them worked.

She often called us - Karen prided herself on her ability to remember phone numbers!  I always sent cards.  In recent months, I noticed her "likes" on FB postings of mine and exchanged a few messages with her.

But the closeness of years past, the inter-twinings of our lives, had pretty much been supplanted by the current situation.

But my relationship with Karen was a rich and full one.  I learned compassion from her.  I learned to not take things for granted.  I learned how to serve willingly.  I recall her saying, whenever I helped her with something, "If you needed some help, and if I could help you, I would!"

I like that idea.

New Year's Eve - Terrill Style

Our holiday happenings ebb and flow - not everyone is at everything - but New Year's Eve does find us - for a few hours anyway - all together under one roof.   This year there were 33 of us.  It was a crowd!

For many years there have been certain traditions - everything from scavenger hunts to talent shows to film festivals to poppers - that come and go.  There are a few givens:  dinner together, predictions, and banging pots and pans at midnight.

Robbie and Matt went and got various kinds of root beer at Galcos in Eagle Rock and we had a root beer tasting party - that was a big hit.  This may reappear next year.

Hannah and Eliza did dinner this time - I love the delegating out of meals this go round - not only is it a lot less work for me, it means that we get to try some new tasty menus.  

Paper goods ruled this time too - no point in washing dishes for 33!  Although we did leave a large carbon footprint - and the trash cans were bulging!!

We also celebrated Harry's 70th birthday with a little activity I thought of - all by myself too!  I had each "group" - that is each of our children and their families - list 10 things about Dad - memories, talents, observations - whatever.  I did a list too - so that meant 7 groups with 10 items - equaled 70 items!  Dad went to his room - he actually was not up to par over the New Year's Eve day, so he was happy to rest for a bit - and then he came in after we had posted the sheets on the walls of the living room!

He seemed pleased with our efforts - and later told me he'd loved seeing what everyone wrote.

You probably can't read these - and may not even know what they represent, but sometime I will do a post about them.

It would reveal a lot about Dad and our family over the years.

I'm a fan of large-sized post-it sheets - with lines!

Need to think of some fun activities to use up the rest of the sheets.

Maybe FHE?  (This is my list - they are mostly quotes that mostly are meaningful to Dad and me - but it's fun - and all the Terrills know the meaning of "I'm Linda Mason."

I oversaw the predictions activities, so didn't get any photos, but we noticed a real surge of interest from the grandkids this go round - we were running out of time before Ara and Ella had to leave for the Stake New Year's Eve dance and suggested doing the predictions the next day - but the overwhelming choice was to do it right then.

I should do a post on some of the funny, poignant, charming, and delightful predictions that come up - suffice it to say everyone was smiling and laughing.  One example is Porter's:  " Porter will strike gold with his metal detector.  Eve will get a gold medal.  Harry will get a gold tooth.  hee hee hee!  And Deacon will get a lot of attention."

And since not everyone had a prediction in the envelope, there was a little better participation at writing them for next year.  (The predictions have been compiled in a book - at least the first decade's worth.)

I recall last year everyone struggling mightily to stay awake for the new year - but we got a late start and had lots to do, so it didn't seem like there was much down time.  Ara and Ella left for the dance, and Taylor and Noah went to a venue where Noah was performing.  The all together part doesn't last all evening - and hasn't for many years.

My favorite part of the holiday season is having everyone here, but getting photographic evidence of that is tough - especially the years when we don't hire a photographer!

As usual someone predicted that "Grandpa will dig a basement," because that's a running prediction.  But maybe we'd better get serious about it.

Or hope for warmer weather so we can be outside around a fire - that was the plan for this year, but it was just too chilly!

Maybe I should give Harry heat lamps for his birthday, our anniversary, and Christmas next year!

Did I mention that I love having everyone under the same roof - even for a few hours?  It does bring me joy!

A little Harry Potter to add to the celebration!

A little something new was added to the Terrill holiday celebration - a Quidditch match!!

 

It had been such a success at Harry W's b-day party, the general consensus was that we needed to have re-match!

 

The sorting hat - for the dividing up of the teams - was pretty authentic - Harry F. has it down to a science!

 

The front of the Historical Museum was the perfect venue - and Dawn was delighted to get to use her Quidditch hoops again.

 

The "big" kids seemed to dominate, but the "little" kids seemed to do better finding the golden snitches.

 

And it was impressive to see everyone follow the rules!

 

Deacon seemed to enjoy his role as spectator.

 

And of course the event was preceded by some fun park time for everyone.

This may become a permanent fixture - or we may find another wonderful game in 2015 - but it was lots of fun this year!!

Sunday night dinner - farewell to Hannah and Rhoda!!

Great to have the Bolanders join us - and join Eve at Bishop's Youth Fireside!!

 

Great to have Keena join with us too!!  Always fun to see her!!

 

The ever-charming Deacon!!

 

Dawn wanted Bonny to "clean up" Deacon's hair do - it was kind of a mullet!!

 

Rhoda is usually an "early to bed" kind of gal, but she wanted to stay up for the action tonight.

 

Some of these big girls will be heading off to college in the next year or two - how can that be???

 

Since the "girls" wanted a photo, the "boys" decided on one too!

 

Lots of bike talk!!

For such a small house, we can crowd a group in - and it usually works pretty well.  Especially when a few take off for the fireside, a few go back to play with Grandma's collection of "old" toys, and a few watch a video.  The rest of us enjoyed the fire on a rainy night.

I love my family - and love being with them!!  It was pretty nice being together over New Year's - need to get the rest of those posts done too.

Poco a poco!!

Happy Birthday Theo!!

I do remember going when Theo was born, and when he was blessed, and when his parents brought him to Boston for the Marathon, but my fondest memories are when I came for Ida's birth.  It was October in the East, and it was breezy and a bit chilly, but Theo and I went for twice and thrice daily walks in the lovely woods around where they lived.  We walked, and swang, and slid, and climbed up on a parked tractor - Theo's favorite.  

It was a special time to walk and talk - mostly I talked - but I remember those crisp fall days fondly.  I feel like Theo and I have been connected since that time - and I love spending time with him - reading, walking, playing card games, doing puzzles, getting the mail, and exploring about the neighborhood.

Eight is a special, important time - and I'm looking forward to being with him at his baptism.  And any other times I can work in.

Have a happy day Theo - it's "great to be eight!!"