The Day Before

The middle of August to beyond the middle of September is always a significant time of year to me. September 16, 1991 was the last 24 hour day that I had with Ashleigh (click here if you would like to read about it). Today was very different than that day of twenty-one years ago. The best part of today was going to see Mason in his primary program. He sat so reverently on the stand, he said his part perfectly, and he sang the songs with all of his heart. Of course I had to sneak a few glances at my baby boy, the proud daddy who had a big smile on his face... which brought tears to my eyes as I reflected on primary programs of not so long ago.

I realize that this time of year is significant to many others as well. On the 15th my niece Megan celebrated her twenty-first birthday. Megan was born less than 36 hours before Ashleigh passed away. As I looked at pictures that Megan just posted on facebook I can't believe she is already twenty-one... she is a beautiful young woman, inside and out.

September 17th is Caitlin's half birthday. She was born exactly 18 months after Ashleigh passed away. I am so grateful for Caitlin, she blesses my life daily. She is my best girlfriend. In some ways I think she saved me.

I have been blessed with some dear friends, and consequently, their daughters are my dear friends as well.

Stephanie Johnson Lambert was married on September 17th. I remember that day so well as I was privileged to be there in the temple with her. I was so happy for Steph. What a happy September 17th.

I remember the September 17th when Charity Johnson Dabel received the most precious gift as her baby son Kadon was placed in her arms. Kadon makes me happy every time I see him as he greets me with a huge smile and enthusiastic wave.

Two of the men in my life; my brother Alan and my grandson James share September 12th birthdays.

There are some sad and tragic memories associated with these few days in September. Six days before the 10th anniversary of Ashleigh's death was 9/11. I will never forget that day.

I had only one cousin that was my age and he passed away when he was seven... September 17th would be his 54th birthday.

Happy and sad... good and bad memories; some of the circumstances that make life... life. Of course tender memories surface each September 17th (which I like to refer to as "Ashleigh's Day"), bringing with them waves of emotions including tears and sometimes sadness... but also feelings of love and peace and the assurance that we will be together again.

Here's hoping that this September 17th will be a joyous one with happy new memories to add to the list.

Day 23: #10

I love these two handsome boys. Last week they came over for a few hours and we ate fruit snacks and starbursts. We played with toys. We drew with sidewalk chalk and blew bubbles. Grandpa chased the boys around the yard (so glad we have a yard). We had fun. I can't wait to meet their baby sister when she arrives in January!!!

Day 4: A Date With Mason

This week I got to enjoy a "Grandma Day" with Mason!! We had so much fun together golfing at Cherry Hill... Mason won of course (remember me and sports). We also enjoyed lunch and shopping.

Mason loves Lego's and Star Wars (and he's the biggest BYU fan I know); he told me that on his recent trip to Yellowstone he got a t-shirt that says, may the forest be with you. "Did you get it Grandma?" he asked, "forest instead of force?"  He is so smart. I laughed so hard and told him that Grandpa Bear would love it!

He chose a 'prize' while we were shopping, but what made me so happy was that he wanted a prize for his little brother too.

One of the very best blessings of having children... is getting grandchildren.

I Really Could've Used That Hour

It was a busy, busy weekend... every six months like clockwork (pun intended) Mike brings out his ladder so that we can move the clock forward/backward. While I change the battery and set the new time; Mike dusts the window ledge, the hanging light, the corners of the entryway ceiling, and washes the window. He's a keeper!!




Anyone remember my recent post about homemade fries? I decided I needed to make some, so... I invited the family over (not everyone could make it). It was a very busy Sunday, I attended two three-hour blocks of church meetings then came home to make the fries. Here are the before and after pictures of the fries. They are so yummy!!










Whenever our family comes over the children always end up in Grandpa Bears music room. They love it!! There are so many fun things to play with in there. The drums are probably the favorite... but then the microphones are a big hit as well. I laughed on Sunday as Avery called to Mike from the music room, "Grandpa, Grandpa come turn on the music." There are so many cords, and switches, and... stuff!! I didn't even know which one to turn on. Then Mason made me laugh, it seemed he was playing weather man as I heard his voice over the mic saying, "it's going to be sunny today." and then... "it's going to be windy today." Even cute little Jane discovered her voice over the microphone. Little Sander just watched... I'm sure in another year or two he will be drumming and singing as much as the rest of them.

Classics and Favorites: Impromptu Deli Performance 2008

I wish this favorite picture was bigger; but, I'm sure everyone gets the idea. Our family loves music! And when the drums, guitars, keyboards and microphones aren't available... we (they) improvise. This is an impromptu lyp-sinc performance complete with water bottle microphones. You have really missed out it you haven't seen Jeff and Jeremy perform a duet; complete with choreography. So glad this moment was captured on camera; and as you can see we start them out young in the family, there's baby Mason getting in on the act, or... wondering what the heck is going on!

A Bit of Heaven On Earth

I think pretty much anyone who knows me really well, or reads my blog... knows that I love the ocean (t'ocean). But does anyone know how much Mike equally loves Yellowstone? And that Mike loves to take me to the ocean, and that I love to take him to Yellowstone?... which is what we did this weekend. It was especially fun this time to join our kids Jeremy and Emily, and our handsome grandsons Mason and Tanner. We also took a side-trip to Yellowstone Bear World in Rexburg (one of those places you drive by on every trip and say, "one of these days we'll stop there", well... "one of these days" finally arrived).



Mike at his favorite place in the park... Hayden Valley. He, Jeremy and Mason spent a couple of hours sitting patiently waiting for a grizzly bear and a pack of wolves. The bear was a no-show, but seven wolves appeared and joined an eighth and the guys watched them make their way across the valley.



This was one of very few elk we saw on this trip, which was very unusual, we usually see so many.



We spent one night at the lake hotel. This is a great spot to sit and capture the beauty of the lake... although I just wanted to capture a picture of the family (just ask the guy that took the picture for me).



Last look at Hayden Valley on our way out.

We sat and watched this grizzly playing in the water for several minutes at Bear World.

A "tour truck" at Bear World, filled with people feeding the bears. It reminds me of what Yellowstone was like years, and years ago.

Egg Hunt

It was an "egg"citing

"egg"stravaganza

at the "egg"tended

L"egg"er family

Easter egg hunt.

Our sweet baby Jane
Our Prince William Our Miss Avery
Our sweet baby James Our Mason Man Our cute Tanner Our original "whittle guys" Adam and Zach Our Grandpa Bear; doesn't he make a great prop? See the egg in his hood.

Tending The Grandkids

Over the past two weeks we've had some quality time with grandchildren while their parents vacationed. I remember how great it was as a young mom to have a "get-away" without the kids, so I'm always happy when I can do my part in making it possible for my kids to do the same.

I had several highlight moments with the kids, but I have to share just one that I had with Mason who is an avid BYU fan. The two of us were gearing up to kick a soccer ball around the backyard when he said, "Grandma, I'll be the good guy and you be the Utah guy!"

Don't you just love it!?!

Of course, if you know me at all you know I'm a safety freak. So, besides being a good babysitter, I'm a good pray-er. Praying for the children's safety while I am responsible for them, and praying that the parents... get home safely!!!

Disney On Ice

I was the lucky recipient of four free tickets to Disney On Ice. My cousin was the winner of a contest and was kind enough to share his tickets with me for a Grandma Day! It turned out to be a Grandma/Aunt Lesley Day as I took Mason, Avery, and my neice Rebecca. The four of us had a fabulous time. Thanks so much Bob and Alana!!

Grandma Day With Mason

Today Mason and I had a "Grandma Day", and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it from start to finish. When we got in the car I explained to him that we needed to stop at the bank, Mason said, "I like a succor Grandma, a blue one." I think Mason has been to the bank before.

During the time that we spent together, every time that Mason addressed me he either started or finished his sentence with, "Grandma." It was so cute. We went to the pet store and saw fish, assorted mice and rats, and... birds. We went to the bookstore and then we went to Arctic Circle. He played in the play area with a cute little brother and sister, at one point the little girl pointed at me and I could hear Mason say to her, "that's my Grandma." When it was time to leave and we were just about to get in the car Mason wanted to go back inside and "hug goodbye", so we went back in and Mason went up to the little girl (no bigger than him) and gently put his arms around her.

I think that my favorite moment of all was as we were driving back to Mason's house, I started singing a song that I have sung to all of my grandchildren, "A Happy Family." First we sang about Grandpa, then Mommy, and Daddy, Baby Tanner, Aunt Rose... at that point I stopped singing, then I heard a little voice coming from the back seat say, "more" so I sang about Avery, then the little voice said again, "more." So we sang about William, Adam, Zachary, Uncle Jeff, Aunt Melissa, Uncle Andy, Aunt Kristin, and Ashleigh... each time I sang a verse his sweet little voice said, "more."

I love "Grandma Days" and I love being a Grandma... it's the best!!

Family Friday: Featuring My Grandson Mason

There are only five weeks of "Family Friday" left, I can't believe how fast it has gone, I have enjoyed doing it so much. Last week I featured my "baby boy" and this week I am featuring his "baby boy", my grandson Mason.

Mason is one of the sweetest little boys that you could ever meet. He is always pleasant to be with, he's obedient, he listens, he's smart, if there is truly such a thing as the "terrible two's" I am sure they passed right over Mason. But I have to tell a funny story that happened several weeks ago while I was tending Mason at his home, I asked him to do something and he responded, "no Ma." I was giggling inside at his blunt refusal (so unlike him), as well as his reference to me as "Ma". That was pretty cute.

Mason is very tenderhearted. We had a family get together recently and a cousin had hurt feelings. I was talking to the cousin upstairs and Mason happened to be in the room, he could see that someone was sad and came over to offer comfort. A short while later we were all downstairs having a family discussion. It was my turn to say something and I remember seeing Mason sitting directly across the room from where I was standing. I got a little emotional as I was speaking, suddenly I looked down and there was Mason standing at my feet with his arms reaching to me, I hadn't even seen him walk over to me. He saw my tears and immediately came to comfort.

He does a good job of saying the families names, but Caitlin is a little harder to say so he calls her Roe (Rose). Recently while she was tending Mason, he was protecting her from make-believe cougars that he was hunting with his wooden toy gun. He would hold his hand up in a halting motion and say, "stay back Roe!" He was a good protector.

Last summer Mason went on his first beach house trip. He loved t'ocean which pleased me very much. One day Jeremy took him out in the water and Mason couldn't get enough of it. We were all entertained as we watched Mason and his daddy play in the water.


Mason has always liked his Grandpa Bear, they have fun together. Grandpa likes to be silly sometimes, whenever he sees Mason he messes up his own hair, Mason liked that, so now when we say to Mason, "what does Grandpa do?" Mason messes up his hair just like Grandpa does. He also likes it when Grandpa does his Tigger impersonation.

I love this picture of Mason and Grandpa Bear looking at our Disneyland scrapbook in anticipation of our Disneyland trip last summer

Things to know about Mason: he has a wonderful smile. He always looks handsome. His hair always looks good (then he sees Grandpa Bear and he messes it up). He loves to go places with his daddy. He loves his mommy. He learned how to do baby sign language when he was a baby. He loves to play the drums when he come over to our house. He's going to be a big brother very soon. He loves tractors. He's all boy. He likes to read books. He likes Tigger. He's a BYU fan!! I'm so grateful for Mason and I know that everyone else in the family is too, we all love him so much.

Mason's family: Emily, Mason, and Jeremy