Happy 2nd Birthday to Deacon!!

This little guy is 2 today - and it just doesn't seem possible!!  But we all say that, all the time.  It has been a joy to watch him grow - he has a definite personality all his own - and he brings us lots of joy and happiness.

 

I remember his dad being two - maybe that's why it seems so incredible to me!!

Here's a shot of Deacon's dad at two years of age!!  (Bonny is with him of course - in the front yard of the house in Centerville.)

Happy, happy day to you Deacon dear - may the year ahead be full of learning and fun!

Belated Birthday Greetings to our own Calvin Hyer - now in the double digits!!

Oddly enough, the reason I didn't get a birthday post done for Calvin in time was that I was in Oregon with him for his birthday!!

It was a fun and memorable 10th birthday.  He had a championship football game - and his team won!  Then we went shopping at Dick's Sporting Goods - and had quite the experience. Calvin gives new meaning to the term "speed shopping!"  After that we went to Henry's game - by then the wind was howling and the temperature was dropping - and a couple of transformers blew!  No power for about 9 hours.

But Henry's team won too - and we took Calvin out to dinner - then came home and opened gifts by candlelight!

Calvin is a great kid - and we loved spending the week with him - and being able to help him celebrate his special day!!

Still playing catch-up! (The Visit to VA!)

At the end of Hannah's visit this summer, I headed off to VA to visit with Matt, Eliza, and family before I headed to Philly to check out the new city with Hannah.  Here are Theo, Ida, and Lars with the neighbor children and their fort - a great place to play, by the way!

 

I timed my visit just right and got to attend the special Pioneer Day program at the Washington DC Temple Visitor's Center.

 

Eliza is the stake and ward Primary chorister - and she does a great job.  It was fun to see her in action - and Theo and Ida too!

 

Eliza and her family enjoy a neighborhood pool - within a nice walking distance too.  I love how a walk somewhere in Eliza's town usually means a trek through a forest!!  Love all the green!!

 

We checked out a very cool monastery in DC on  our "DC Day" - beautiful gardens and tile work to admire.  

 

Appreciated Eliza humoring me and my wish to visit the graves of F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife and daughter.

 

Eliza has a well-planned week each summer for her kids, but I also enjoyed just hanging out and experiencing daily life with the kidlets!!

 

Hannah was with us too for part of the time - always fun to hang with Hannah and Rhoda.  And the eats are always good at Eliza's house - I especially love Thursday night and "Breakfast for Dinner!!"

 

Some more neighborhood fun - a nice treat since VA can be muggy and warm.

I do love visiting our kids and grandkids - and this visit was no exception - loved the TV time after the kids were in bed too - some interesting documentaries and conversations with Matt and Eliza - you'd think I didn't have a TV in my own house!!

Looking forward already to our next visit!

Wise words

Included in Ida's prayer at FHE tonight: "Help us to remember the things we don't want to forget."

At first thought, it seems kind of obvious.  But if you think about it, there are many things in our lives that we realize are important, and we don't want to forget them.  But then life interferes and we get caught up in all the details of life - and often forget those things that we really don't want to forget.

When we get married, we think we want to always treasure and value one another.  But the years go by and we sometimes remember and the slights or faults or mistakes instead of all the good things about our spouse.  We can do the same with our children and other loved ones.

We can be excited about our job or school or a trip - but when the plane is delayed or we have a test we are not prepared for, we can forget that we were excited to take this trip or that we really want to pursue higher learning.

I'm going to try "to remember the things I don't want to forget."

Saturday is a special day!

Especially when Phoebe, David, and family show up for dinnner!!

 

Keena and Diane joined us for breakfast, lunch, mani/pedis, and lots of playtime with Rhoda.

 

The charming center of our attention!!

The first week of summer vacation is off to a fine start - it's so great to see family and to not have any greater concern than what shall we have for dinner tonight??  (Burritos tonight!!)

School Daze!

Eve got Outstanding Achievement in Language Arts for 6th grade girls - you go Eve!!  Way to make your English major grandparents proud!!

 

Eve and I have had a great year together here at Clifton.  Every day after school she come to my room - 3 of those days I drive her to her gymnastics practices, every other Thursday I take her to Achievement Days, and on the short day I pick her up, after my meeting, from piano and take her to gym.  

We have some great adventures.  The Gold Line metro is being completed, so we never know about the street closures.  We have become very resourceful as a result - but she's usually on time!

I love having teachers and subs say to me "I love your granddaughter.  She is so cute and friendly."  (Like all the Terrills I ever had, she is totally able to talk to other adults - I have learned that not all kids will do that readily!)

Summer will bring a change of routine - but we are looking forward to fall.  Well, maybe we're not looking forward to it, but since it will happen, at least I will have my daily drives with Eve to look forward to!

Happy day to Esme'

I clearly remember when Esme' was born - I went to help and Bruce was suffering the ill-effects of poison oak!!

 

Esme' has the biggest and brightest smile!!

 

She is clever and funny and smart and talented - and I think she always has been!!

 

I sure hope someone doesn't correct me and say this was a shot of Annika - for some reason there are no solo shots of Esme' from Hannah's wedding!!  And I think this is Esme'!!

 

This is Esme' for sure - this year - just before the new year began - and here is a wonderful new year - the year of being 12 - opening up for her!!

May it be the best ever!!  Happy day to you - and all year through!!

"When the family gets together!!"

We took a very quick trip to Washington DC for Rhoda's blessing.  We took the red-eye Friday night, had a quick nap after we got in at 5 a.m. and then headed for the air and space museum that is connected to Dulles Airport.  It was great to see the space capsules and old German bombers and the French Concorde.  It is a large, cavernous building - very evocative of air and space!!  The kids were all in fine form, and a wonderful time was had by all.  It was a beautiful, sunny day too - they'd been having very cold weather so we were delighted to not really need our coats!!

 

The rest of Saturday was taken up with pie making for the reception after Rhoda's blessing - which was the next day.  Diane and Dave were there, so it was fun to have a crowd to visit with, work with, and just share a good time with.

 

Miss Rhoda did an excellent job as star of the show!!

 

She's at the very smiley, responsive stage - hard not to just sit and hold and play with her the whole time!!

 

We are getting good at enjoying take-out around the Selander dinner table!!  And the Selanders are good about finding great places to get the take-out!

 

I asked Lars if he wanted me to read him a story.  So he ran and got a book - and brought it to Grandpa!  Grandpa Bob made an appearance too - with his Milanos and chocolate milk - another big hit!  When we got home Sunday night, Ida wanted Grandpa to put her to bed!  He's a popular guy, old Grandpa Bob!!

Fortunately for all of us, Robbie and Hannah's ward doesn't meet until 12:30, so we could clean up, visit, get ready for Sunday - and still not have to get up at the crack of dawn!!  (I was trying to explain the idiom "crack of dawn" for Theo - not sure it translated very well.  I will need to do some research!)

Watch for the next post of the big event.  It was so good to be with everyone on just a regular old Saturday, too.

Another Sunday night leads to Monday!!

We had a fun Grandma's Birthday Sleepover.  Ella made a patchwork quilt for Deacon - she is one speedy little seamstress!!  And a quick study!

 We had fun shopping and getting mani/pedis too - forgot to take photos though.  Lunch at Market Grill.  Grandpa was gone for dinner, so we had "breakfast for dinner."  Always a treat - especially the bacon!

And Ella helped me master Powerpoint!!  She's a great little teacher too.

Dawn and Eve were studying YouTube hair styles -  a cute hair "bow!!"

Took Ella home and enjoyed some good time - and good food -  with the Bolanders!!  They are a bevy of beauties!!

 

Head tilt and all!

Love spending time with our grandkids - they are the best!!

Friendship - and little girls!

I have a group of high school friends I get together with several times a year.  We have known one another since elementary school days.  I have not been in contact with them the entire 50 years since I graduated, but for the last 30 years, we have been in contact at various levels.

We have gathered for lunch and dinner.  We have met up at one another's "ancestral homes."  We have gathered at restaurants.  We have taken road trips together - at least two of us did once!  We have organized and held a few mini-reunions.  And we do "group chats" on gmail - and that is definitely fun - and often the high point of my computer time!

So when I saw this photo I had snapped of my granddaughter with two little friends - who happen to be twin sisters - I wondered if they would have lifelong friendships.

For their sakes, I hope they do!

Annika's Grandma's Birthday Weekend!

Bruce brought Annika out Saturday morning.  We had some lunch, then we went shopping - and found some good deals!  We went over to get Eve, after she got home from gymnastics. The girls wanted to skate - but ended up scootering at the Bradoaks campus.  

 

Eve came for dinner - at Annika's request, we had homemade mac 'n cheese.  Yum!!  We took Eve home, and Annika had some chocolate milk and a Grandpa Bob story.  I had forgotten to get Milanos, but I did have lightbulb cookies - which Annika tried - and said, "These are pretty good."  Obviously a young woman of taste and discernment.

 

Eve came over after church on Sunday - and we all went to the open house for Scott Card - who is going on a mission to Pocatello!!  After we came home and played "Team Syzygy" - which Eve and I won!!

 

Monday Annika finished her quilt - she had cut out the squares when Hannah was here - she's a great little seamstress!!  At her request we had Chicken Enchiladas for dinner.

 

Monday night for FHE we took the tandem bikes on the Duarte Bike Path - had fun!!  

 

We went to visit Grandma Mary - and then got up and got ready to head back to Malibu.

 

On the trek home, we listened to the soundtrack from the musical "Little Women."  A nice touch for the winding up of a visit with one of my favorite "little women!"

Recital Day!

Attended Eve's piano recital.  She did a great job!

 

Then headed to Malibu and Pepperdine for Ella's dance recital.  Everyone was there!

 

Ella did a great job too - and was the prettiest of the bunch too!

 

Jinny was there too - it's always great to see her!!

 

We went to dinner after at Coogies - Bonny calls it Malibu Denny's - but it's way better than Denny's!  And we connected to Barry and Delores Kennedy!!  We old Valleyites have a way of finding each other!!  Barry's daughter and son-in-law are in Bonny's ward and their kids are all friends.  Delores and Warren Kennedy - who passed away last November - are old friends of my parents.

A nice Saturday - and a perfect 2nd day of summer vacation!!