Time for freezer jam once again.

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I think I love this time of year most of all.  It always brings me close to memories of my mother who so diligently bottled and canned everything she could afford to buy or was given to her.  The bent up and well used metal funnel is one of the items that I wanted of mothers. This funnel was used for everything:  peaches, pears, apricots, tomatoes, grape juice and jam.  We never had a freezer so mother didn’t do frozen jams she always did the cooked kind and then sealed the top with hot wax, which I remember digging out.  Mother never allowed me to help with most of the canning and especially the hot wax.  She was always afraid I would get scalded by the hot water or burned with the wax.  So I would have to admit that I was more the observer of the process, not the helper.  I loved watching her and more loved the talks that always took place as I sat at the bar helping my self to the freshly sliced and peeled fruit before it went into the canners.

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I also tended River that evening.  He played with the Legos and kept putting Bella’s toy on the edge of the table so Bella would have to stand on her two back feet to get her toy.

Our first grandson to be ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood. Congratulations, Jaden, we are so proud of you!

Neal and I were invited over to Maren and Greg’s ward to be a part of Jaden’s ordination into the Aaron Priesthood.  After the meeting we went over the their home and had a nice visit along with a delicious dinner hosted by Sylvia and Dan.  We are so proud of you Jaden and for setting such a great example for your younger cousins.  We love you!

Jordyn Lyn’s art work of her Utah trip memories.

 

Jordyn drew these two pictures during sacrament meeting.  I’m sure you will be able to tell by looking at them that these were snap shots of the highlights of her trip to Utah.  But for posterity, I’ll write it down. At the top left, the mountains that we camped in. Next,  Maren and Greg’s house on the upper right (notice the fountain on the right of the house).  Now to the tent on the left and below that the swimming pool (again, notice the beach balls floating in the pool).  Her details were wonderful.  To the right of the pool is the Trax train taking them down town to catch the Front Runner (at the very bottom of the page) that they rode with the Gertsons to Ogden and back. 

The picture on the right is the drive in movie screen in Stansbury.  They went out to the Gertsons for dinner and a drive in movie. 

Jordyn Lyn pretty much summed up her vacation with all of us in the two pictures above.

Now we come to the three pictures below.  These were our three attempts to get a family picture after church.  

First picture, Jamie didn’t make it back and Tucker being funny Tucker.  Second picture was the best but you notice if you look closely that Peyton was just on the edge of totally losing it.  She did NOT want her picture taken.  The third picture and probably my favorite show us all (the camera moved) a little tipped to the right and that is not a picture of Peyton laughing! That last picture was over the top for her.  One has to love the memories of family picture taking. 

Pioneer Day Commemoration

Linda and Dave Knight called us on Thursday and asked us if we were doing anything on Friday night.  We told them we didn’t have any plans.  They said the had two extra tickets to the Tabernacle Choir concert at the Conference Center and would we like to go.  What an incredible experience!  The Conference Center was nearly filled to capacity.  We had great seats right up at the front of the hall.  I don’t think I felt more love for the pioneers and for our country than I did that evening.  I hope they broadcast it on KBYU.  It would be worth seeing over and over again.

This was probably one of the few times that I didn’t have my trusty camera with me and I wish I had.  When we sat down, Neal all of a sudden noticed someone two rows in front of us and sure enough, he knew the couple.  I told the Knights that this was a common occurrence and a family joke.  Then Neal decided to find a bathroom and on his way back we saw him talking to another couple and then two more groups of people.  It still amazes me that no matter where we go, he runs into people he hasn’t seen for years and even more amazing, he remembers their names!  Oh, I just remembered, we were in Deseret Book prior to the concert and he ran into one of his old missionary companions!  Yup, some things never change.

I had to add this picture of Bella.  She is by my side no matter what I’m doing, even blogging!

Sunday go to meeting

I was happy that Jamie had her camera with her. Church is one place that I don't think to have it with me. If I go to someones home on Sunday I will take my camera for the just in case moments but didn't even think about taking it with me to church. I'm so glad that Jamie had her camera with her to capture these two shots. You can see that the wind was blowing and the sun was smiling right at us, but somehow we all managed to smile and act like it was a pleasant moment (which it really was). We actually had people stop who were going in to the building to wait until we were done. Nice day to capture a picture of Neal and I because it was our 21st wedding anniversary. Now you will all know what we looked like at the ripe old age of 66 and 67 and after being married for 21 years. Not too bad, huh?

Those thank you notes that mean so much to me.

The ones in red are the hardest to read so I’ll type what they say.  The first one:

“Gam, You are the best grandma anyone could have.  I love you sooooooo much that I don’t want to leave you.  I love watching you sew and I love being here with you!!  I will see you at Thanksgiving.  Thank you for everything, Love Jordyn”

The second one:  “Pa, You are the best grandpa anyone could have!  I love you soooooooo much that I don’t want to leave you.  I love to talk to you and being here with you.  I will see you at Thanksgiving.  Thank you for everything.  Love Jordyn”

Pictures from our hike that I had to add.

My blog expert

While Jamie was here, we ran to Costco to look at a lap top for me.  Something I’ve wanted for some time but had no idea how to go about picking one out nor how to set it up.  I worked in retail and I know that sometimes sales people will tell you what they think you want to hear or they will convince you that they know exactly what they are talking about when they actually no very little but don’t want to appear that way.  I know you’ve all experienced that.  So, with Jamie’s help I bought my first big computer expenditure.  This is a picture of Jamie setting it up and getting everything ready to go.  It is 7:30 a.m., I’m ready for work and had just enough time to enter another memory on my blog.  Honestly, I had know idea how addictive and how fun a blog could be.  I’ve always believed in journals and always kept one.  Blogging is my favorite way and I love it.

A fun time at the reservoir by Maren and Greg’s home.

The family went out to Maren and Greg’s for some family togetherness.  The reservoir had been opened so we took the kids to have a swim and play in the sand.  After, we headed back to the Cutler’s where we played games until 1:00 a.m.  Just like old times.  Nice that we didn’t have to be to church until 1 p.m. so we could all sleep in!  Thanks Maren and Greg for hosting the family.  We had a GREAT time!  Greg even played Catch Phrase with us.  When the family gets together to play games you can count on many times when we are laughing so hard that we just can’t catch our breath!  Those are the moments I LOVE.

I love these two pictures of Tucker and I

I was where?

This was one of those times when I seriously had no clue where I was.  I guess at 66 I have a right to be a little bit absent minded, but this may have been over the top.  Let me take a moment to recount.

Last week, we were really busy at work and we were short on office staff.  I told my bureau that I would run to Wendy’s and do the drive through and get myself a “kid’s meal” and be back in a flash.  I jumped in the car and drove over the Wendy’s, pulled up to the speaker and said, “I would like a hamburger kid’s meal with a coke.  The invisible person in the speaker said something about sizing and I said, “No, I just want a hamburger kids' meal with a coke!”  The voice asked me something else that I could not understand and I again said (with a little attitude in my voice), “I just want a hamburger kid’s meal with a coke!”  The voice said, “Thank you, that will be $3.26 at the window.”  I thought that was a bit strange as the kid’s meals have always been $3.12.  But I figured they had raised the prices and proceeded to the first window.  I paid the girl and she handed me my coke.  I thought the cup was a different color than usual and was bigger.  I also thought it strange that she had handed me my drink at the first window and didn’t tell me to pull forward.  I glanced ahead and noticed that there wasn’t a second window.  “That’s odd, I thought.  They must have close up the second window for some reason.”  The girl then handed me my sack of food and shut the window.  I wondered where my little frosty was that always comes with the order but was in a hurry and didn’t want to wait and I had a car behind me so I pulled forward and headed back to work.

I ran in the building, set my lunch down and said something about how I would have been faster but they were unusually slow at Wendy’s drive through.  There were three people in the office and one of them was Ron.  He looked at me and said, “Well, if you were at Wendy’s why do you have Del Taco?!” 

I think there is nothing more to add. 

Lynda Ann and the kids came by to say "Goodbye" to Jamie, Tucker and the girls.

Derek and Emmi had a leadership reunion in Salt Lake so Annie took advantage of the time and spent the evening with Tucker and Jamie and the girls. We ordered pizza and then everyone swam (well the grandchildren swam, the adults just watched). I watched Jamie's girls so she could keep working on my computer project. After the swim we decided that Ice Berg shakes sounded delicious, refreshing and fattening. Jamie and I ran to pick up Derek and Emmi and then to Ice Berg to get all flavors of shakes. They were delicious, refreshing and VERY fattening, but oh so good. The little ones watched a movie while the adults place Nickles to Nickles. None of us got to bed before 1 a.m. Short night for those of us who had to get up the next morning and go to work. Annie had also just finished working a three night grave yard shift so she was exhausted, but being with family always seems to rejuvenate you. Annie said that Emmi and Derek kept her awake on the drive home.

My two most favorite pictures of the whole weekend.

I don't know who took this picture of me and Boston, but I absolutely love it.

I had been upstairs doing some cleaning and putting away and came downstairs to get a drink and this is the scene I walked into. Both Tucker and Jamie were totally involved in the lap top programs. I asked them if they were emailing each other because I couldn't hear any conversation going on between them. It's to laugh.

Jaden turns 12! Our first grandchild to be ordained a Deacon and pass the sacrament

Maren, Jamie and I made a trip to Costco to get a birthday cake for Jaden. It was very fun to have the whole family together to celebrate his twelfth birthday. Of course everyone of the children wanted a balloon piece of cake. It was a lot of frosting but the cake was very good. We all sang Happy Birthday and it was the worst singing I've ever heard. Greg recorded it on his video and when we heard it later we laughed and laughed and had to play it over again just to make sure it really was as bad as we heard the first time - and it was!

I have to add here, that Maren had some lady in the store stop her and tell her that she needed to be careful with her baby that he didn't fall out of the cart. Needless to say, Maren was not happy, but she smiled and thanked the lady and we went on our way shopping.