Natalie had worked so hard to fix up a "Welcome to the Swamp" birthday party--complete with all of George's favorites--yellow cake with chocolate icing, oatmeal raisin cookies, and even homemade apple fritters! She is amazing!
Ethan had made a special surprise in his art class for his grandpa--a life-like gator! Grandpa couldn't have been happier!
Ella had put a ribbon around her neck and told her grandpa she was his gift this year--the perfect grand daughter! So cute!
We enjoyed a wonderful meal and such a great time for George's birthday!
But the parties weren't over. Our daughter, Alison's birthday is four days after her dads, so this year, her
husband, John, decided to take her on a trip to Las Vegas. George and I
gladly accepted the invitation to come to California and watch their
two boys while they got away for a few days. Before they left, Alison, Tyson and Preston all had another birthday party for George!
Oh, yes, in addition to tending the two boys--we (or should I say, George) tended the two dogs. They absolutely LOVE him! Could it be that he give them treats so many times a day?!
He cannot even move--they are right beside him every minute!
The sunsets were absolutely beautiful!
I took these right outside on their driveway.
I always love to watch the many turkeys coming down the hill when we are at John and Alison's home! They DO NOT like the turkeys because they eat all their flowers and plants, but they really are fun to see as a bystander!
While we were in California, we got to go shopping and to lunch at a beautiful shopping center in Walnut Creek.
We enjoyed watching both Preston's soccer games and Tyson's.
We returned to Washington and were home one day, then started tending four days for Kent and Natalie. They were in Washington, DC, for a Menkes Conference.
Ella is a real animal lover, and one night Thompson, her cat, was right outside the window watching everything she did. Ella couldn't resist giving him a cuddle, but then put him right back outside. The cats are not allowed in the house!
Menkes is the disease that took the life of our little grandson, Cannon when he was three years old. In Washington DC, Kent and Natalie met a little boy who, also, has Menkes, but started on copper treatments when he was first born. He is now nine years old and just adorable! They are really hoping for a cure within the next five years!
Thanksgiving in Utah, 2016
Thanksgiving in Utah, 2016
After Kent and Natalie returned, we had one day at home, then left for Utah and then Hawaii--a trip we had planned with Cameron and Anne's family since April. I will do a complete blog about all of our fun experiences in Hawaii on the next post. We returned on Thanksgiving morning to Salt Lake and enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving at Kyle and Kim's home.
Inside, Kim had decorated the table and their beautiful home perfectly for Thanksgiving.
Outside, we were having a truly White Thanksgiving!
With us flying all through the night, I didn't even make one thing for Thanksgiving! I felt so guilty! But the dinner was all covered by Kim, her mother, her sister, and our family friend, Sandy. It was delicious!
While we were in Utah, we went by the cemetery and found only a roll of copper pennies on little Cannon's grave. (Menkes is a copper deficiency, so there was great meaning in the roll of copper pennies.) We couldn't stand that his grave wasn't decorated for Christmas, so George went to get some cute things for it while I was Christmas shopping.
I think Cannon would say that he loves it!
There was very little snow on the mountains until the day we left--then it came down so hard that it was difficult getting back to the airport. If you look the trees in the right, there are three deer there. Kevin and Angie think of the deer like John and Alison do about the turkeys! Annoying how much they ruin their plants!
While we were in Utah, we were able to celebrate our oldest grandson, Taylor's, birthday. Angie had a wonderful meal that she fixed including fantastic halibut that Kevin and the boys had actually caught in Alaska. Also, Kevin barbecued a beef brisket on the grill. All in all, a meal like you'd have at a 5-star restaurant, for sure!
Taylor and his wife, Ellie. In addition to both of them working, Taylor will be graduating from UVU with his Bachelor's degree in business this December.
Such a cute cousin picture of some of the cousins that were together this weekend: Connor, Bracken, Jenna, Lauren, Hannah, and Tyson.
We returned from Utah on November 28th. The next morning of the 29th, the moving truck was outside our door in Washington ready to move us to a city a half hour away. Ask me when I had time to pack??? Yes, I was doing it while the movers were getting my baby grand piano from Sunnyside, loading storage from the storage unit in Prosser and boxes from the garage. All in all--we started at 6:30 a.m. and finished at 11:00 p.m., but we got all moved in. We flew Amy out to help with the move--I don't know how we could have done it without her! We stopped long enough to watch Ethan play one of his school basketball games.
And Natalie worked with Amy in picking so many beautiful decorative items that really made our house a home. I haven't taken all of the house, but as soon as everything is settled, I will post more. Needless to say, we LOVE it!
On Sunday, we attended our new ward which is in the same parking lot as the Columbia River Temple.
Here we are in front of the temple.
Yes, November was definitely a busy month full of lots of family time, moving, and even a vacation thrown in--next blog: Copelands in Hawaii
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