Galloping Grandparents

It's April already!!!! Am I behind or what???? Well, I haven't given up blogging but what with the whirlwind of closing down our part of the mission, the cross country trip, staying with Dave's family for a week, arriving home to family waiting for us with "The Twelve Days of Homecoming" which included activites with the 4 families here in the Salt Lake area, a trip to Vegas to see a grandson play volleyball (he's and killer and a digger superstar), back to St. George for another grandson in a baseball tournament, back home for our "report" in church and visiting with friends and family afterwards, Easter Sunday and celebrating 3 Aprl birthdays, and next week we leave for Phoenix for 11 days to visit our two families there. We'll celebrate 3 birthdays down there too plus piano recitals, dance recitals, plays, soccer, programs, father/son overnights (do you think grampa can sleep on the ground????? I have my doubts!!). And I have taken gobs of pictures but that will have to wait for another day.....or month....we're lovin' being home!!!

I try not to count but it just doesn't work!!!!! I have sent home 16 boxes of "stuff: I can't bear to leave behind or give away......don't ask me where it's going to go when I open the boxes in March! Dad thinks I'm going about this task way too soon but I don't think he looks at the calendar and sees how many days are taken up with volunteering, driving a lady to muliple doctor appointments 30 miles away, arport runs,workshops and the last week will be training the new couple...who right now are shivering in their boots with fear as tomorrow they go into the MTC!!! I prefer being on this end! AND, dad is not the one that is doing all the packing. He will be going thru his drawers the day before we leave!!! I can't do that!

Had a fun experience this weekend. We'd been invited to the North Adams branch to speak in sacrament meeting and to present the 5th Sunday lesson. North Adams is a very fun little town...it was a textile town in the early days and as one lady said. "it's now in transition". She acknowledged that transition has been taking place for 20 years. It's almost to the New York border on the west and Vermont on the north. The branch president lives in Vermont! They are high up in the Berkshires (a mountain range)and its nestled in the valley. Very picturesque and old. It's a small branch--they're trying to get attendance to be consistently in the 50's so they can build a chapel. For the last 6 years they've been meeting downstairs in the Holiday Inn!!! There's a outside entrance, a large vestibule, a meeting room, a Primary room, a couple of offices and small classrooms!

As with every meeting we go to around New England, we found ties to people we know. We met the nephew of the bishop of the Boston ward when we were here in the 60's and when dad was baptized. We figured anyone with the last name of VanUitert--well, they HAD to be related. Then one brother was reciting the names of all the senior couples that had served in their branch and they mentioned Pabst. We asked if it happened to be Ken and Robin and voila!!!! It was! The Pabst were in our Westshire neighborhood and dad was the ward mission leader then (we think)and gave the Pabst some of the missionary lessons and they were baptized!! Great people. And the people of the North Adams branch thougt they were the absolute best!!!

One of the missionaries was from Redmond, WA and graduated from the U of Washington as did our son-in-law.

It was sooooo frigid there in the Berkshires, but the tradeoff is all the mountains with snow, beautiful covered mountains that are spectacular in the fall, mild spring and beautiful summers!!! Coming home I took these pictures. The water coming down the rocks just continues to freeze and creates these beautiful icicle falls!!!






This last picture I had to take for my sister that lives in Orlando. This sign is from a REALLY little town right before North Adams.

And of course, the birthdays never end!!!!! In January my mother turned 87.

Jolynn turned......well, let's see..she's already had her 40th!!! And I can't get to a good picture of Jo!!!

Here's my sister, Patti, who is now a grama so she can be in her 50's with pride!!


Cutie Kyden in Arizona will be 6 and a star in school!!


And Sheldon, our only son-in-law is still in his 30's



Innocent looking Tom will be three in a few days and surviving having 4 sisters.


McKendra is turned 14 in January. Gosh, I was there when she was born...where did those years go???


Miss Volleyball, Shelby is 17!!! I was there when she was born too!!!


Here's Katelynn, a marathon runner who will be 15 in March!


My sister, Karla, has the pass along birthday hat. She still has a couple more years in her 50"s but time is marching on.......

Jordan will be 5 in March but he flexes his muscles for anyone that will look!!
So I think I got everyone and we should be home by some of those March birthdays!!!

Well, 5 weeks sounds good enough but when you say 35 days....that's scary!! One of our office seniors got home to the Apine area and they called back and said it was overwhelming being home with the ward, all the family, etc. They thought they needed to come back to the organized office!!! I'll take that chance.

We've been talking with our replacements and they are in the "oh no, what have we done" mode. They talk in church today which was a big stressor for them and we're about to confirm a place for them to live. I know that not having a place to come to was a big stress factor for me. Once we signed (online) for the apartment I felt much better. But the reality of leaving for the MTC in a week was heavily on their shoulders. I'm glad we're on this end of things!!! We went to the Mission Home DI and the basement is full of stuff to make a house a home. So we'll get enough furniture and trimmings so they can arrive to a partially furnished home and at least be able to sleep and cook and sit!!! They keep asking us if WE would live in the places we've looked at for them. The place that is most likely is a 100 year old triple decker but it's quite charming!!! All these places have beautiful hardwood floors. I'm going to include some pictures so "I" can remember what they look like.








Last night was our last senior outing with the group and it was very interesting. We had a potluck dinner at the home of one of the mission counselors and then attended a fireside by Grant Bennett. He was bishop of the Belmont Ward at the time the Temple was being argued over and eventually built. He was involved in the zoning meetings, all the delays by opponents, court hearings about the Temple being too large, they refused to grant a spire and the Angel Moroni to be added. It was actually dedicated with no steeple and angel!!! Belmont Hill, as it is known is the second highest point in the Boston area. Of course, on a good day you can see the ocean from there so being "the highest point".............anyway, it was interesting to see how, when the Lord wants something done, it gets done!!!

Now, my question is, where did we get all this "stuff" that is in our apartment??? I keep sending boxes home and I don't think I'll have room at home for everything!!! Yes, I AM a packrat!!!

The word must have gotten our that we're leaving......we've been busy this week. A week ago Saturday we actually had a workshop---no cancellation due to no one signing up like the last two months. Got my VT done Tuesday and Wednesday; Thursday we had Zone Conference; Thursday evening we had sort of a Relief Society pep rally: WOO HOO, YOU can find a job!!! sort of thing. Friday we had an appointment to see a possible place for our replacements; after we met with a Malaysian gal who has a work card for the US. Unfortunately she's being laid off the end of this month and has to have a job and sponsor or will have to return home by Feb. 10. She's a clinical psychologist and has worked in Mental Health and early childhood intervention. There are quite a few jobs around but the time constraint is what's the bottom line now. Her bishop is going to try and get her a religious card in the meantime.

Saturday we had our first Self Employment workshop since September. It was a much different group than we've had before as all of these people had previously had their own business. Not your basic Business 100 class as they all had more experience than we do!!! They had a lot to contribute and the former chef in the group liked my chili the very best. And it was one of my famous "dump everything you can find" into the pot. It could never be recreated!!!

Right after the workshop we headed to Concord, NH for a bishops training meeting. There was a stake dance going on at the same time and all the bishops were in the "dress down" mode...blue jeans. The distances are so great that in order to get the kids to such an activity most of the bishops have to drive carloads of kids so they plan their meetings at the same time!!! Saturday night special!

Sunday we went to another apartment viewing. Both the ones we've looked at are triple deckers, walk-ups, of course. But very charming places. The last one was 100 years old but maintained very nicely. One was owned by an elderly woman, not LDS but she loved having LDS occupants. The one Sunday was owned by a single LDS guy who lives on the second level and has Tufts University students living in the other two apartments.

Six weeks from today we will be westward bound!!!! I've already sent 6 big boxes home and have several more ready to mail. All stuff that I know won't fit in the car!!

I was going to put some pictures of the homes we saw but somehow the post picture link is GONE!!! How does that happen?????

Well, we got the biggest surprise from Santa. I was feeling very "low", moody, sorry for myself, wanting to be home for Christmas, sad......you know the story. Christmas Eve we had been out buzzing around and had planned on going to see Princess Frog leaving at 4:20. About 3:40 we got a call from David (#6 child) saying they wanted to Skype us before they ate dinner. Told them we were planning on leaving at 4:20. Said they would hurry......at 4:30 Dick says we need to leave but I thought we needed to wait for Dave. A few minutes later there's a knock on our door, which is VERY unusual!!! Dick answers the door and tells me to come quick. Outside the door is a huge Christmas bag......but it's moving and giggling!! And down the hall is David and Kristin with their video camera!!!! Wellll, Dave and family live outside of Chicago!!!!! And there were five kids (ages 9 down to 16 months)wrapped in that Christmas bag!!! Not much brings me to tears (except more things do as I get older) but this did!!! They decided as a family to drive 1000 or so miles to come and have Christmas with us!!!! Way to mess up our "plans" for the holiday---HA HA HA HA!!!!!



















Knowing that everything closed by 6 pm we made a quick trip to the store, put our filet mingon(gift from our daughter) back in the fridge, went to Chili's for dinner (that was a little different for Christmas Eve)and checked into their hotel. Christmas in the Hampton Inn is definately something to remember. But their big room was bigger than our apartment and they had beds for everyone.

Here's Kristin and Emma wrapping in the hall of Hampton Inn












Dave decorating their room







Dave with the 12th day of Christmas gift


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Joseph talking to the innkeeper..













Kristin has a hard time controlling her laughter while filming the manger scene.





And here's all the kids in their Christmas jammies waiting for Santa






Thanks to Scott's family (#1 son)we had a huge Honeybaked Ham which worked perfect for Christmas dinner!!! So we had a very fun time with them thru today (Sunday) when they left for home. They're in Palmyra tonight and home tomorrow night.

What a wonderful thing they did......very much the gift of themselves to us!!!

Tonight we skyped Rick and family in Arizona and Mindy had all the Utah and Vegas families at her house so we saw everyone there. And we skyped Dan and Kim on Christmas Eve!!!! What a wonderful family we have!!! And in 9 weeks we will be on the road to seeing all of them again!!!

UPDATE: it's Monday night and Dave just called.....as they left Palmyra this morn it started snowing and kept up all day....driving the interstate at 35 mph with horrific winds. So they are staying in Erie, PA tonight hoping the snow lets up and they can get home tomorrow!!!! Bummer!!! Winter in New England and Great Lakes region.

Dave's kids are not allowed to jump on beds at home...BUT, they make exceptions in hotels (don't let that secret out)..so the kids had a great jump-a-thon.























Santa certainly came to he Hampton Inn!!















But there's nothing in the world like a big chocolate Santa for breakfast on Christmas morning......













The game Elefun......an elephant blows paper butterflies up his trunk and you have to catch them in a net.....and Kristin's socks









No matter where we are or who we're with, there's always eating. One of the traditions in Kristin's family is broiled bacon wrapped pineapple and we always have cinnamon rolls. So I fixed it and took it all to the hotel.












This was a first!!! Swimming on Christmas night....not exactly a tradition but fun nonetheless....




On Saturday, after playing with all the new toys, we decided to go to one of the upscale malls around......one of Kristin's presents was new boots and she wanted to see what our stores had. Well, who in the world goes to a mall the day after Christmas???? About did me in....hour and a half to find a parking spot....15 minutes with no movement in the parking lines. Everyone else went into the mall while I try to get my heart rate back to normal and not hate every automobile I could see........anyway, Kristin did get her boots while we played in the kids zone and then we hit Friendlys for dinner.






























What a marvelous time we had and I even got the computer to download these pictures!!

Here's to one of the most memorable Christmas' we've ever had!!!