What The ........?

It seems like just not too long ago I was realizing that I HAD to send her to Kindergarden and now....

My absolutely beautiful and brilliant little girl is almost 18 and graduating!!!!!

She graduated from Automotive Technology at MATC! She was the only girl in her class this year, last year there were 2. She learned a ton and fixed plenty on her truck. It's pretty cool to say, "McKayla, can you put new brakes on the Suburban?" And she's all over it! Cool, the girls got skills. I was teasing her about her "hope chest" being a "toolbox" and not dishes and junk like that. Skills are skills!

She is also graduating from Lehi High School, although she really hasn't been there for two years. She is refusing to participate in the ceremony and all that but that's ok, we hate those 4 hours long things anyway. (Secretly grateful :) jk ) She allowed us to come to the MATC one, after some persuasion!

Congrats McKayla, we are SO very proud of you and your accomplishments and the wonderful person that you have grown into! Can't wait to see what you do with your life next!

The Spot To Be!

Apparently even through the hatred that FeeBee has, she still managed to get the last sunny spot with the guys in my office! This is where I find these guys in the morning!

Happy Mother's Day!

After we got home from our trip down south, Nick and Heather came over to wish me a Happy Mother's Day and had a wonderful gift to share with us. They had a bag full of goodies like homemade sugar scrub, a loofa, and a white something with a rubber band around it. So I opened that and this is what it was!!!!! A bib that said "Grandma Loves Me!"

YAAAAAAAAAAY! We were ALL so excited! The kids had all been asking and asking when they were going to have a baby! It's so fun to look forward to this next part of all of our lives.

It was great Mother's Day, especially for Heather, her first!!!!!

Happy Anniversary To Us!

Since we haven't done anything for our anniversary for a few years we were both ready for some R. & R. especially after the last month we have both had! I asked Travis if he wanted to go to Park City or St. George! His answer was " Is your bike registered?" Not too hard to choose, hot or cold? Off we went for the weekend. We met up with our old buddy Troy and his fiance Kristi in Mesquite. Troy was in our wedding and grew up with Travis! Of course they picked up right where they left off ten years ago!

We stayed in St. George but rode to Mesquite then on to Lake Mead, we wanted to see the new bridge that wasn't quite finished last time we were there. Nice and warm ride, 100'. The sun really was so nice!

This really is a beautiful lake.

The view from below. Of course we had to ride across it, major windy but very cool!

Then onto Vegas for a trip through the M&M store. We had never been in there and since they ARE my favorite candy it was time we cruised the 5 story store! Good thing we were on the bikes otherwise it would have been a tad bit more of an expensive stop!

Then we went down the street a bit more and hit the Coke store. Again first time and 5 stories of cool Coke products. I loved these glasses. The lady there showed us this new machine that will add any flavor to any Coke product, very cool. We thought they looked like washers and dryers.

The crazies on the street are always amusing, these guys had a fart machine and were having a blast with it.

This guy had a dog that matched him, weird. Seems like an expensive gig to me.

It's fun to be back in the city again!

It was a great trip except the part where we got separated right as it was getting dark in Vegas on our way back to Mesquite/St. George. Travis thought he was never going to see me again! It was pretty freaky considering I never ride without him. But we found each other after about 30 minutes and all was well. Great to spend time together and cut loose a bit.

We rode home in a wind storm on Sunday, Mother's Day, and then it turned to pouring rain. I was really wishing I had made room for my chaps about then. I knew I was toast when my boots started filling up with water. When we got home the girls had made dinner for us and the kids had some very sweet things for me for Mother's Day! It was such a nice surprise! It only took us all night to warm up and stop shivering.

Love those kinds of get-aways!

4th Grade "Willard Dance"

Isaac's teacher's husband is in the military in Iraq and only is home for one month of the year. So every year at school she dedicates a very sweet activity to her husband. For weeks they practice dancing and manners and they get all dressed up for a dance. They have a date and use all the skills they learned in being ladies and gentlemen.

This was his date. He let her go first in getting their food and drinks, then pulled her chair out for her and scooted it back in, and got up and did that every time she needed to get up, he danced with whoever asked him, and was a complete gentleman. He told me later that it was hard being a gentleman and taking care of a girl like that, it was exhausting! It was so funny the way he explained it. He has a great head start!

Trying to pretend like he wasn't into it. He had asked for weeks about getting a sweet outfit for it and wondering who he should ask to be his date.

This is our neighbor Katie and him dancing, he is putting on a show for the camera. I told him that she asked him to dance a lot because she was comfortable with him as a friend not because she had him picked out for a husband.

It was very cute to see the whole class be so sweet and kind to one another, especially at their age of thinking the opposite sex has kooties still!

Heading Home!

The kids were all out about 10pm playing in the snow at my mom's and they built this guy in the dark.

We stopped in Idaho Falls to visit with my Aunt and Uncle. I have always loved my Aunt Karen and enjoyed seeing her and my Uncle Jerry.

Stopped for gas in Pokey and this very unique sign was on the lawn. Classic and very descriptive.

Kenzie, this is usually what ends up when she is hanging out with anyone. Night Night.

Memories Of Dad!

This has always been an exciting sign since that meant that we were getting close to home!

This sign has been around forever at the General Store close to my parents home in Wilson.

The brand from the ranch, spear C.

Very true. This has been hanging up in my dad's shop forever.

This was the poem that I voted for the inside of the program but it wasn't very church appropriate so we had to pass. Also a poster that has been around since I could read it!

A snowmobiler at heart!

I love this saddle and saddle bags. We spent many hours riding horses together so this is very special to me with many memories!

This is the floor in the shop which is very cool and seems like it has been this way since I can remember.

Marine pride!

This went camping with us every time! It made some very tasty meals for us.

I saw my dad wear these all summer, he would change the pipe in the fields with them.

I don't remember too many times that he left the house without the thermos and the cowboy hat stayed like this always for hunting season.

This has been in his room for such a long time. It's an outhouse! Just his humor!

This also has been around since my childhood, don't we all feel like this most days?

These cupboards used to be in our playroom and when we took them out we all got to paint them ourselves. Aren't they lovely? Especially the detailing.

This hung at his Saw Shop that he had for years.

His baseball mitts he had during his lifetime.

Not sure how he did this but very cool!

I loved this treasure! His first mitt!

I used to call him this for some reason.

He built this for our dogs and hand painted it, he wasn't the best at spelling but he sure tried.

Someone had this made for him after his first Solo Flight in 1977.

These are some love notes that my kids and I left him one time that we were there visiting quite a long time ago. I noticed that they were still there on the back of his bedroom door! How sweet!

Lots of sweet moments to remember about my dad.

Broken Hearted

Our most recent picture together! This may have even been on his birthday, my birthday is the day after so we were able to spend our birthdays together.

My favorite picture of my dad!!!

Another favorite picture and memory!

I was more than broken hearted the day I received the call that my father had been killed in a plane crash earlier in the day. You can NEVER prepare for a call like that or everything that follows. It is still odd to think that he is not in this life with me anymore. I am so grateful for the precious relationship that I had with him. We were so very close always, especially when I was young. I was his only little girl and we did many things together that I have such fond memories of. I loved the endless times of riding horses, ice fishing, shooting guns, hug bear hugs, his strong voice, but mostly the fact that I have always been able to be myself and share anything with him. He was a man that experienced many things in his lifetime and made a better life for himself than the generation before him.

We snapped this family picture before my dads funeral.

Some favorite pictures that we wanted to have.

Since he was a Marine he had a Military Salute, they fired off rounds, had a flag ceremony, and then a fly-by above. Very, very touching!

Since he was a very unique man, we found a more suitable casket for him. This was handmade and just beautiful. It had hand carved animals and trees and special touches to it that really were for fitting for the kind of person my dad was.

My family, minus Travis, plus one of my brothers and his son and my cousin who came from Oregon. Other cousins came from southern California to support and say goodbye to their favorite Uncle.

Some old buddies were there to lend support, Gwynn, Kelly, and Janice. They were all so thoughtful in all that they did to help us through this awful time. Kelly is one of the best friends I have ever had, we just pick up where we left off whether it has been 2 months or 6 years. Janice worked at the church that we had the service at and was able to record the whole funeral for us. Thank you so much for a treasured friendship always girls.

We all thought that this arrangement was the cutest of all. We later found out that it was from a very special family that designed this just for my dad. So sweet.

Loosing a parent unexpectedly has been one of my greatest sorrows. I truly loved my dad and always will think of him and miss him. He has left a huge void in my families lives and will be missed greatly. I know the grandkids were all very effected by this, it was so heartbreaking to watch them grieve.

We did have a conversation about a year ago that went something like this.

Dad "Well, most of my friends my age are either dead or in a home being taken care of like they are a baby again."

Kelly " Well what should we do when you're in that situation dad?"

Dad "Kell, you have my permission to put me down if I start pooping my pants! I just don't want to be around anymore if I have lost all my dignity!"

Of course we both had a great laugh over that but honestly he wasn't the kind of man that would have liked a life like that.

He was 73 years old and still worked, driving the Start Bus in the winter and towing gliders and delivering planes all summer and fall and cutting and delivering wood to people in town. He had a great sense of humor as we found out how much he messed with some of the people that spoke at his funeral. Of course we all think that we needed a little bit more time with people that have passed away but unfortunately we don't get to choose when they are taken. I truly hope that he is a happy man and found some peace now that he is with our Savior. I'm so very thankful to have had him as my dad and in my life! Definately makes me think about taking more time to spend time with the people that really matter to me the most!

Could sure use one of those bear hugs about now! Miss you Dad!!