The Don Crandell Family "We Can Do Hard Things"

I have never really been hung up on the age thing. Except when I was 17 and looked like I was 14. I got no respect. I have learned now that I have a good "Youth" gene pool, If my mom kept coloring her hair she would have been young for a long time. she started turning gray in high school and stopped coloring her hair in her mid 30s. she had all white/gray hair when I got married, she was only 42. But to me as a 20 year old she was old. She is 72 now and is just starting to get wrinkles on her face, and her white hair is all the fashion rage. At 52 when I took my grandkids to the store the people commented on how cute my children are. I'll have to take to grandkids out now that I'm 53 and see if I get the same comments. Age is all in the mind, ya we might not be able to do some of the things we used to do because this or that hurts more now. I remember writing in my journal as a youth that I won't be old until I'm 80ish, but I know a very spry 94 year old that I want to be like when I grow up. So I'm changing my mind, I wont be old until I'm 95. Now the question is when should I stop coloring  my hair? Yes, I also got my moms gray hair gene. My daughter keeps my hair looking youthful, and refuses to let it go too long without a coloring. Me, I could care less about the coloring. But I know it makes her look old if I look old. (she's 31). I think Don doesn't want me to have gray hair either. But as soon as he gets gray I'll be jumping on the gray train too.I loved looking at my Grandma Cluff's age spots on her hands, she was a hero of mine. So the age spots I have remind me of her and I wouldn't ever want to get rid of them. I remember looking at my dad's hands, I think he was only 43 and I noticed how old they looked. He worked for Western and Delta airlines and was constantly using his hands. My hands have the "youth" gene. The picture below was taken when I was 50. I look the same.  I have 5 children, 1 daughter and 3 son-in-laws and 11 grand children.  My mother and both fathers are still alive. I have a grandma still on earth. 2 of my three brothers live close by. The other lives in heaven. I have a wonderful family of in-laws on the Crandell side. My husband loves and cares for me. I am blessed at 53.

Life is going on, I have taken some time from my daily routine and drove up to Utah with my daughter Kim and her 3 children. The ride up was nice. We had to go a different way because the road to page was still not fixed after it slid down the mountain in Feb. We went through the Lees fairy way. The mountains and trees were a nice change. I was driving while the rest of my passengers were asleep.  Kim dropped me off at my mom's in Roy, and she and the kids went to salt lake to stay with her sister in law. The weather is GREAT! The time I get to spend with my mom is GREAT! Instagram and Facebook have lots of pictures of the wills kids and the fun time they had in Utah. Here is what is coming up for the Crandell's this week. Kim and I will leave Utah and head home to Mesa on Wednesday. All the Crandell kids and grand kids will be having a staycation on Friday and Saturday. We usually take every one on the summer Country Trips or to Cali. This year Don and I will be heading to Asheville N.C for the country trip so staycation it is, at a resort in AZ with a great water park for the grand kids to play and play.

                                               HAPPY PIONEER DAY ON THE 24TH .
   

               They're here, Rhett Nathan Crandell was the latest and the biggest at 8lb 14 oz

Last summer in Oceanside on our family vacation Mal and Jon announced that A new baby was coming. Then a few weeks later Nate and Amy announced a new baby coming and a few weeks after that Erica and Chris announced a baby on the the way. WOW 3 grand baby's in 2013. A few months after that all the girls found out what they were having. We had a family party at Mal and Jon's.....It's a BOY! We got a card in the mail from Amy and Nate...It's a BOY we had a party at our home and Erica and Chris brought cupcakes that said.....BOY! WOW 3 baby boys to be born in 2013.
Jan 14th Henry Dean Willyerd was born 6 pounds 6oz. Yesterday, March 1st Camden Lyle Jenkins was born 8 pounds 10 oz. Now it's Nate and Amy's turn, 2 more weeks for her.
I got the privilege of having Hanna spend the nights when Henry was born. I have Evelyn and Amelia for a few days. and when Rhett comes I'll get to have Rig and Ry over for a few days. Life is good. Babies are so fun to have around, We are blessed.

We had a new grand baby it's a BOY born to Mallory and Jon. He is a cutie. We are so lucky to have him join our family. This is great grandma Crandell holding him. He is the first of three baby boy's to be born before the end of March.

September came and is almost done already! Life goes by fast! At the end of July Don and I had the opportunity to go to Branson Missouri for a company trip. We had a lot of fun. We went a couple of days early so we could see some of the church history sights. Independence, Liberty Jail, Adam-Ondi-Ahman. It was very nice to be in these special places. On our way home we got laid over in Minneapolis st. Paul, we stayed in a hotel next to the mall of America! It is huge!!!!!!! It would take days maybe even weeks to see everything in the mall. When we got home we had a day to recover then off to girl’s camp for a couple of days. It was a lot cooler at night and it helped that one of our cabin mom's brought up her portable air conditioner. we got back on Saturday, then on Monday we took Easton (grandson) on the train to downtown Phoenix for his 8th birthday present. We had fun visiting the Az science museum and eating at the TGIF ball park. That same Monday we had the Cluff FHE at my house so glad we were able to swim. on the 10 we had one of our sister missionaries and her husband come stay with us for a couple of days. It was so good to have them in our home.

Did I tell you that we have 3 daughters having babies in 2013! Yes Mal is due in January, Erica is due in February and Amy (Nate’s wife) is due in March. We will have 11 grandchildren! can you say crazy house!! In September I was able to help with my niece Courtney Cluff's wedding, she is now a Quist. It was a great day! Then more fun for the Crandell family girls. We were able to go to LA and go to the ELLEN show! It was so much fun to be in the audience again. we sat in the same seats we sat in last year. Crazy.. After the show Mal, Amy and Erica went to the Jimmy Kemmel show while Kim and I went to the 6pm taping of the ELLEN show. Kim was asked to come back because she shared a confession and they were going to use it in the next show. They brought back 4 people and used two confessions for the show. Kim’s was not one of them. but being in the audience again was fun. The next day we went to the Let's Make a Deal show. That was crazy fun and a long hot day. But it was worth all the line standing, the interviews and the ditsy blond who was chosen for the big deal that day. So funny and fun. Now for some sad news, the night before we left for LA Don got a call from his mom to say that his sister Dana was not doing well after her out-patient ear surgery, and had passed away. She was 53 one week shy of 54. So while I was in LA Don called to let me know that her service will be in Aztec on Tuesday and that he wanted to drive to N.M. on Sunday morning. so I flew home Saturday night and then drove to Aztec Sunday morning. All the Crandell family was there and then some. Dana's family saw the support from the Crandell side. We drove home Wednesday and picked up Rylee because Rigden was at the hospital not breathing very well. It turned out to be asthma. We had Rylee for a couple of days; she is a good girl and fun to have around. Happy Birthday to all the Aug and September birthdays and happy anniversary to Nate and Amy.