Happy Day to Alice!!

When I got home from France, Alice made us matching dresses - we go way back with matching dresses - Grandma Stevens would give us dresses for our birthdays - so when Alice opened hers in April, I just had to guess what color mine would be in May!!  I do wish I had some photos of those dresses - but they are vivid in my memory!

 

Speaking of sewing, Alice made my wedding dress!  Takes a special sister to be willing to do that!  I think she made most of the bridesmaid dresses too!

 

Many of our memories have to do with weddings - she used my mother-of-the-bride dress from Bonny's wedding for two of her girls' weddings!!

 

I'm pretty sure she made my skirt here too - she'd say, "You wash the dishes and I'll sew."  And I thought it was a good deal!!  When she went on her mission though, she gave me a pattern and some material - and told me I could sew!  She did encourage me - and I've been sewing ever since!

Happy day to a wonderful sister and friend!!  May the year ahead be the best ever!!

Saturday outing

Initially I had planned a fun trip to Union Station for a tour I'd read about in Westways.

 

Unfortunately, thousands of others read about the same tour - and there are no openings until August 16th!!

 

We considered several options, including a walking tour of historic sights in LA.

 

But common sense prevailed, and we stayed close to home.

 

It turns out that Alice remembers going on a field trip to the Huntington Library when she was 9.  We lived out in the San Fernando Valley - so that was a pretty ambitious field trip.

 

We had fun - and we mostly just wanted to spend some time together - so it filled the bill.

Happy Day to Alice!

It's great to have friends, and it's great to have sisters.  And the best is to have sisters who are your friends!

 

Alice is my sister - and my friend!

 

And she has a great husband too.

 

My sisters, my friends - happy day to you today Alice - and best wishes all year through!!

Happy Birthday to Mary!!

What do you want to bet that Mary will say to me, "Why did you use that photo of me?"  And I will once again say, "Because it was the only one of us together that I could find!"

Happy Birthday today to my sister Mary.  She is wonderful sister - always loving and supportive.  Always ready with a good word and a helping hand.

I remember well all the weekends she would come down from Rexburg to help when Bonny was a baby.

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

Weekend News!

Leslie and Tom have been here for a brief visit.  I went out Saturday and saw Leslie.  We were all going to get together yesterday, but it didn't happen.  I'm just glad we had a few hours together anyway!!

On Friday, Tom, Leslie, and Donna went to the taping of Jay Leno - they met up with Harry for dinner too.  The photo at the top is Leslie outside the Nokia Theater - for the Leonard Cohen concert - the reason they came.

We were going to join up with them at Phillipe's, but that didn't work out either.  Fate seems to have been conspiring against us.

But we have email, texting, Facebook, blogs, and regular old phone calls - glad I at least got to have a nice visit with Leslie!!

Happy birthday Alice!!

I think I post this photo every year on my birthday and Alice's birthday!! But it seems to fit the occasion!!

Alice and I have been friends for a long time - like our whole lives!! We are sisters too, but the friendship is a wonderful part of our sisterhood. This photo reminds me of lots of long ago summer days when we passed the time finding adventures in our yard - or on the streets around our yard! (Alice and I used to share a bike - she'd ride up and down the street while I sat on the curb, then she'd sit on the curb while I rode up and down. At least we could roller-skate together!)

Alice has always been the brunette - was the only one until David was born!

We enjoyed our BYU years together.

Alice has frequently worn my "mother of the bride" dresses at her kids' weddings. We've often discovered that we had the same taste in things - we'd buy the same dress patterns without knowing that the other one had already bought it. We've even chosen the same name for our daughters - and there was no consultation!

And since Karl was here this weekend - and I forgot to take a picture of him - I will wind up with this photo from Karl's graduation party of a few years ago.

We are all excited to see Alice when she comes in June - in the meantime, have a happy day and a wonderful year ahead!!

I've always considered you a blessing in my life - and you deserve the best!

Happy Birthday Leslie!!

Life with a sister like Leslie is a wonderful gift!!

Here we are with Mom, the Christmas that Eliza and Matt got married.

The last "Sisters' Reunion" - when Donna graduated from CSUN. We are due for another, that's for sure!

The above shot is from a Clayton Family reunion - maybe in 2003??

A shot of Joan and me with Leslie at Clarissa's wedding reception - not sure of the year - 2005??

This is sometime in the 60's - I think '65 or '66. Christmas on Horace Street - Alice and I flank a very young, but very stylish Leslie Anne!

And here we are at Donna's birthday celebration last year. It's been awhile since we've had a "group shot" opportunity.

Bobby and June's wedding reception - at least Leslie doesn't have to worry about "being the bridesmaid" again!

She can be the mother of the bride or groom, however, a much nicer chore!

Leslie in 1965 - I think that's the year I stayed home to earn money for Grenoble. A fun time with my younger siblings, I will say. That and the weekly letters from Harry kept me happy.


Leslie is a wonderful sister - she deserves the best!! She often came and stayed with us when we were married and had children. I'm grateful for those years, because I was gone from home when she was quite young.


When I was at home summers, working at the playground, Leslie and Donna often came and spent the day with me. And when I stayed home to earn the money for Grenoble, I remember helping Leslie with her Halloween costume.

There are not lots of specific memories - but it's always great conversation, great eating, great Scrabble, and a real good time when you are with Leslie!

Great memories - of a great sister!!

Leslie's in town

I love it when Leslie comes to town. We have a fine time. She's always up for eating See's candy, lunching at Bob's Big Boy, talking about books, catching up on everything, discussing our church callings (she's the Secretary in their Stake Relief Society Presidency), and playing word games - my favorite.

Here we are playing Quiddler - a big thank you to Alice for introducing me to the game. I got creamed of course - I may be a wordsmith, but I don't seem to turn that into megapoints!!

Leslie won, Mom came in second, Donna was a respectable 3rd place, and I got creamed!

We're excited to celebrate Donna's big day!!