Happy 13th!!

A lovely day - clear and breezy and blue skies - a perfect way to start a life together!!

 

And now this little girl is a missionary in Russia - and this "big" girl is a mom of 4!!

 

Beginnings are the best - and reflecting on them brings joy!!

Happy day to both of you - may the years keep getting better and better!!

Happy 49th!

I'm pretty sure that 49 years ago when I posed with my sisters and friends, I wasn't thinking 49 years ahead!!

 

And there are a finite number of photos from our wedding - less than a dozen I think! But it hasn't stopped us from having a wonderful 49 years together!!

Getting married at Christmas time can have drawbacks - my mom and sister-in-law were pretty chagrined that I'd complicated their holidays.

But when you are celebrating your anniversary, the world is full of lights and bells and music and it feels like the whole world is celebrating with you!

Happy 49 years to us!!

Happy Birthday Harry!

This is close to how Harry looked when I met him at BYU.  I've often wished picture taking had been more common - but we've gotten along fine I guess without photographic evidence of years gone by!

 

He sent me this photo while he was on his mission and it was the only one I had - so I treasured it!

 

And here we are 10 or so years ago.  Maybe photographic evidence is over-rated!!

At any rate - happy 72nd birthday to the man I love - and have happily shared my life with for a lot of years.

Pineapple upside down cake #49 is in the oven as we speak!

 

Happy 26th!!

Happy 26th Anniversary to Bonny and Bruce.

 

Such a happy day!!

Here's to many more wonderful anniversaries!!  Love you both!

Oops - out of order!

I totally thought I'd done a birthday post on Mary - but apparently I didn't!  Mary's birthday was on the 9th, so I'm tardy!

I remember Mary's birth - mainly because I am pretty sure it was when Alice and I went to Helen and Grandpa Clayton's house to stay when she was born.

And there had been a burglary - and I recall seeing the muddy footprints under the window at Grandpa's house.

I thought it was pretty exciting.  I guess I was too young to be frightened!!

Mary - and Charlie - are the two Claytons who have no baby pictures of them.  Times were tough and photos were just not high on the agenda.  The youngest photo of Mary is in a group photo where Richard is the baby.

Mary is a wonderful sister - very loving and so willing to serve.  We could all learn a lot from her.

I am fortunate to have a wonderful sister like Mary!

Happy Birthday Bobby!

The day is almost over, but I still have time!!  Happy Birthday today to my brother Bobby.  One of the things I love about Bobby is that he is totally willing to be called Bobby!!

He is number 9 in the countdown - and sometimes seems more like a nephew than a brother - because he really grew up without me there.  A hazard in large families - a hazard for the older siblings anyway!

Bobby is a fine man - a good husband, father, and grandfather.  He's a good son too - and often came to visit Mom and help her out. He has a lovely wife and great kids.

And I can totally remember him in this bassinet - Mom often put it out on the patio so he could get his vitamin D!  I recall her return home from the hospital - just in time for Christmas.  I was old enough to know about Santa - but I still had some concerns.

It was a Merry Christmas though - how can it not be with a new baby??

Day 30 - Month of Gratitude - it's a wrap!

One photo - many blessings!

Grateful for Charlie Graham - grateful to have called him friend.

Grateful for the years of working in YW - guess I still am actually.

Grateful for friends like the Grahams.

Grateful for the gospel and the plan of happiness that assures us that those we loved and lost will be ours once more.

Day 29 - Month of Gratitude

I'm grateful for Shakespeare - and for Ides of March parties.  We haven't had one for a few years now - but the memories are great!

The original Ides party was to celebrate our good friend Ronnie Horton's birthday - and it just caught on from there.

Our kids have noted that high school teachers were always kind of amazed at how much they knew about Julius Caesar!

The version we did was of course abbreviated - but I will never forget the first one Dawn attended after marrying Harry.  After the "performance" she said, "I thought it was much longer."  She had apparently thought we were going to do the entire play!!  I'm impressed that she was willing to got through with it!!

"Beware!!"

That's all I have to say.

Happy 7th to the lovely Miss Isla!!

What is it about olives and kids?  Miss Isla obviously has the Terrill love of olives!!

 

Lots going on in Miss Isla's early years - as an almost two year old, baby Jonah came into her life.  She didn't understand what was going on - but she was a trooper and let others care for her and entertain her.

And now she does understand about Jonah - and loves him and wants to be with him in eternity.

Had another lovely Grandma's Birthday Weekend with Isla - she didn't want a manicure, said, "Oh we have lots of those bottles of polish at our house."  Wanted to play Slap Jack almost exclusively - and usually won!  Was fun to shop with - knew just what she wanted.  And chose to have lunch at Target - a hot dog and a blue Icee!

Have a great year ahead - heading for the big 8!!

Day 28 - Month of Gratitude

I am grateful that we once owned a VW van!  We didn't own it for long - sold it to buy a new piano - and I don't regret that move.  

But it was fun while it lasted.

Everyone should have a VW van at least one time in their lives!

Happy day to Harry W

Harry W was born while Harry and Dawn were remodeling and lived at our house.  It was fun to have a new baby in the house - especially one I didn't have to get up with at night!!

 

Like the Harrys before him, he has a big personality - and we love him!!

Have a great day  - and a wonderful year ahead!!

Day 27 - Month of Gratitude

As I scrolled through my photos - which are not organized in any meaningful way - I thought of how I should do a gratitude post of friends - but I'm pretty sure I couldn't stop without writing a book.

Above is Norma - got to know her at SMCNS - and we are still good friends - and life would be a little less brighter without her in my corner.

 

I don't seem to have many photos of my "church" friends - Margaret - we used to chat late at night when our husbands weren't home yet.  She has moved away - and I miss her.

 

Got to know Patte when we went to Grenoble - have stayed in touch over the years.  I wish she was my neighbor!

 

 My BFF from high school days - and my college roomie - and the older we get, the more we value the years we have known each other!

MarDel - in the middle - a friend from church "back in the day" - another "Valley Girl."  We cannot see each other for many years - and immediately connect when we do.

 

Walked in the early a.m. with Shirley and Polly for many years - I love these women!!

 

Anna May and Sandee - 3 of the "Girls of '45" from my Clifton days - the only thing I miss about teaching is seeing my friends each day!

 

3 of my former roomies - love them - they were part of a pivotal part of my life.

 

More "church friends" - Sue and Chris - they still make me smile.

 

Beth - my aide for 17 years!! Miss her every day!

Clifton staff members from a few years ago - loved working with them - stay in touch with some of them.

 

Marcie - made life pretty bearable as the teaching trade got less enjoyable!  And Mario - a janitor is a teacher's best friend!

 

Laurie - a Clifton pal who never disappoints.

As I have typed up these captions, I have thought of dozens more of my friends.

I am truly blessed with wonderful friends.

"I've got plenty to be thankful for!"

Days 24, 25, 26 - Month of Gratitude

Bonny and Harry were not too excited about meeting Santa! Probably why I don't have many kids with Santa photos!

 

Hannah on December 23rd 1990 - when we were gathered with Bonny and Bruce while they opened their wedding gifts.  Hannah said, "Is this Christmas!"

 

The Christmas I was pregnant with Hannah found me prone on the couch for most of the holiday!

 

After Bonny and Bruce's reception, Noah spent the night at Andrew's!

 

The year Eliza took violin lessons, there was a recital at Christmas time.

 

I think this was when we went to see "Cats" as a family - and Bruce came along.  It was at Christmas time too.

I'm thankful that we have the Christmas holiday season - and that it includes weddings and music and birthdays and Messiah Sing-a-longs and family gatherings - and anything else we want to include!!

Days 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23 - Month of Gratitude!

I made the mistake of numbering my gratitude posts - and then missed 5 days!  So I thought I'd get specific and note that I am especially grateful for my 5 sisters.  I love my six brothers, but I don't have the same kind of relationship - probably because they are male - that I do with my sisters.  

And the relationship I have with my sisters is truly special. My mom never had sisters - and felt the lack she always said.  She emphasized - to me anyway - the importance of sisters.  Maybe because of the sisterhood in the church? I don't know - I do know that my sisters and I share special times and truly enjoy being with one another.

And sisters are the best!

As we said goodbye to my mother last June, we were not all together at the same time, but we were there in pairs and trios.  And after her death, we were all together to go and dress her for burial.  To serve our beloved mother one last time - together.  It was a treasured experience.

Let's hear it for sisters!

Happy Birthday Donna!!

I post the same photo every year - but it's a fave of mine!!

Happy Birthday to a wonderful sister!!  I remember her birth - it was wintry - and the washer and drier were defunct, so Mom sent Joan and I to the Laundromat for a few weeks after she was born.

Love you Donna - best wishes for a wonderful year ahead!

Happy Birthday Matt!

It's almost over - the day that is - and Matt is probably in bed, but I just got back from Phoebe's and didn't have access to Blogger - and thought I'd done it ahead of time - so much for my memory!!

But we love Matt!  And we are so grateful to have him in our family.  He is mellow and helpful and wise and loving - and he's a great husband and a wonderful father.

We can't ask for much else!!

Hope it was a great day - and that the year ahead is as wonderful as you are!!

Day 18 - Month of Gratitude

I am not really an animal person - ask anyone who knows me!  But we have had 4 cats over the years - and I was very fond of 3 of them!  The one shown here is Amado - when Harry taught at the MTC, the elders took in a stray kitten.  When they left, we inherited the cat!  

But he was a great cat - and we loved him.  He disappeared once - and we miraculously got him back.  And then he disappeared again - and we didn't get him back.  We'd had him for 8 years or so, and we truly missed him.

While we still had Amado, Harry got it in his head that Amado needed a playmate - so we went to the Pound and got a kitten.  His name was Baby Kitty - I don't think that was his real name - but that's what I always called him.

He was not beloved at all.  He used the wooden bowl's newspapers as a cat box.  He was not lovable.  We had him for a few years - and we were going away, so we took him over to Alice and Dale's.  Alice said, well, he might run away.  I said no such luck - I'd love to have him run away, but I'm sure he won't.

But you know, he did.  He's probably roaming through the fields of Riverton even now!

 

We then had a wonderful cat we named Elizabeth - the above is not a photo of her - we apparently don't have a photo of her - but we loved Elizabeth - I could tell lots of stories about her.  She died of cat leukemia.  We spent days supporting her in her last efforts to survive.  Bonny and Harry were 6 and 4.  When she died, we had a little funeral and talked about heaven.  In her prayer that night, Bonny said, "And please bless Elizabeth that she will be resurrected tomorrow!"

The above is Cosmo the beloved.  Someone abandoned him on our street.  He was a young kitten.  The lady said, "I think this cat is from your street."  Then she left him.  The kids wanted to keep him - I resisted.  Then Harry F. said, "If you let us keep her, I promise to get my Eagle."  

I agreed.  And he got his Eagle!

 

This looks like a young Cosmo - the wedding presents belonged to Bonny and Bruce.

I am grateful for the cats in our life.  But I am content not to have one now!

Day 17 - Month of Gratitude

I am grateful for the neighborhood we have been privileged to live in for the last 33 years!  We moved in on December 17th, 1983.  We found great neighbors, lovely trees and houses, and some great friends for Phoebe and later Hannah and Eliza.

And Cosmo came to us on this street!

Day 16 - Month of Gratitude

I am grateful for old photos.  Since - and even before - my mom died, my sisters and I have been going through boxes of papers, letters, newspaper clippings, programs, and old photos. The results are really joyful.  We are pretty sure this is a photo of my Grandma Connie with her two oldest children.  It is pretty heartwarming - I didn't know her when she looked like this - it's fun to see the similarities and to see her as a much younger woman than the one I knew.

 

This is my mom as a toddler - so charming!

 

 My dad is the boy in overalls - most of the old photos of my dad have him in overalls.  Charming too.

At first we thought this was my Grandpa Clayton with my grandma - but it's probably pre-mission - when you compare it to mission photos.  And the young lady is just not my grandma.  So was he a ladies' man?  Was he just chatting and someone snapped a photo? Did she send him off and then write a Dear John?

We'll never know.  But we'll enjoy the photos!!