Graduation Pictures

 Yesterday was a fun day.  Lynda Ann and I drove down to Provo about 4:00 p.m. to meet Mallory and Tucker.  Tucker was not only willing to drive to Provo and take graduation pictures of Mallory but also (and this is BIG) willing to do it on the campus of BYU!  He does hate BYU but he loves his niece enough  to wander around BYU for a couple hours taking pictures.  He took lots and lots of pictures.  Some at the Bell Tower, which is Mallory's favorite thing on campus, and then other fun places that Mallory had picked out.  Many of the pictures she was wearing her cap and gown and then without the cap and gown and then a few more that were casual.  The camera loves Mallory and her pictures turned out spectacular.  The pictures that I'm posting are ones that as I followed Tucker, were taken with my phone.  So they are not as professional as the ones he took.  Tucker is great at making you feel comfortable and at ease in front of the camera.  Here are a few that I took:

Had to get one with the Y on the mountain behind her.

Just enjoying the moment.

The bell tower in the back ground that she loves so much.  

Headed to a new area on campus.

One of my favorites

These one taken for Emmi

Another one of my favorites

More casual pictures

And, of course, Brinkley did some posing.

I don't know how many pictures Tucker actually took but these are a few that I was able to capture.  We were on campus until sun down and then the four of us went to the pizza place and had dinner together.

Lynda Ann got this great shot of the Y all lit up on the mountain.  

What a fun evening and a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to Tucker for taking time from his busy schedule to take all the pictures.  Fun for Mallory to have all the memories recorded.

California Here I Come

 This morning was our last few minutes with Peyton before she headed by to California.  What a beautiful young woman she is and we were so blessed to have her with us for a few days.  So memorable and fun for me to spend a whole day with her shopping and lunching.  Now that Tucker is living here in Salt Lake, maybe we will get to see the girls more often.  Love you Peyton!!  Hard to smile when you are teary!!

I thought I would add this.  Peyton was challenged to do an ice water dumping.  So we filled a bucket of cold water and ice and Brock got to be the one who threw the cold water on her.  We did this at 10:30 last night and believe me it wasn't all that warm outside.  She is a good sport and did it for a worthy cause, of which I can't remember.  No surprise there!

Easter Sunday

 Easter Sunday came in as a gorgeous Spring day.  The night before Tucker, Neal, Peyton and I colored Easter eggs for the annual egg contest.

Neal and I went to our meetings, which were only one hour.  I don't remember ever doing that for Easter.  Always for Christmas but not for Easter.  When we got home Tucker was busy making cookies for our dessert.  We had the tables all set so it was just a matter of getting the potatoes in the oven along with the ham and cooking the carrots and letting the dinner rolls rise.  Maren brought her famous pasta salad (that everyone loves) and Lynda Ann brought strawberry pies and funeral potatoes.  Dinner was delicious and everyone was nice and full.  Jeff, Lynda, Mallory, Andrew, Hayley and Alex represented the Gertsons.  Maren, Greg, Jaden, Brock and Boston represented the Cutlers.  Tucker and Peyton represented the Maxfields and then Neal and I.  We had expect Maddie and Greyson and his girlfriend to come but they never showed up.  They were missed.  After dinner we did the egg contest.  Lots of fun pictures:

Everyone showing off their eggs.

And Jaden's egg was the winner for 2025!  

Of course I had to pop in!

The Easter egg contest is always looked forward to.  Kind of like Christmas.  The anticipation is huge and then it is over with so quickly.  But always, always a fun time.  After the contest we had dessert.  Pies, cookies, cream puffs and ice cream.  Neal also bought everyone a chocolate egg to take home.

We played games until about 11:00 allowing me to do three loads of dishes in the dishwasher and then off to bed for a good nights sleep.

A couple more random pictures from that day.  

Getting my Andrew hug!

As we were coming back in the house from saying goodbye to the Gertsons I notice our tree out front with the light shining through.  It is in full bloom and absolutely gorgeous!

So grateful to be with our children and grandchildren.  Thank you all for making another Easter celebration so beautiful, fun and full of love.

Fun Day With Peyton

 Friday was the day set aside for Peyton and I to go shopping and have lunch.  We headed down to the Outlets at Traverse Mountain.  On the way we stopped at Star Bucks for Peyton's drink and B&B for my hot chocolate.  It was a cold morning and a perfect one for a hot drink.  We had such a good time going in and out of the stores and trying on one outfit after another.  Peyton was able to find some great "Utah" looking clothes (that is what she calls them).  About 2:30 we decided to grab lunch.  There was a ZAO right by the outlets so we went in there for lunch.  Delicious Asian food.  

You can see by the packages that we were successful shoppers!

Peyton and I had such a great time and I loved being with her and getting to know her even more.  She was so loving and so fun to be with.  Thanks Peyton for a very, very fun and rewarding day with you.  Love you!

I had to take this picture.  When I saw this cart I had to laugh and it so made me think of my mother.  When I was growing up and in junior high and high school, mother had two groups of women that she met with once a month.  My sister, Annette, and I name the two groups.  One was called the Sinners and the other we named the Saints.  The Sinners was a group of ladies in the ward who got together and played card games.  The Saints were a group of ladies who got together and stitched, crocheted and/or quilted along with a lot of gossiping.  I also know that some of the ladies did drink coffee.  I'll let you decide for yourself if we misnamed them.  Maybe it is worse to get together and gossip than it is to play cards.  All I know is that mother looked forward to both of those evenings and liked the neighborhood ladies she met with.  When I came across this cart at the outlets I had to stop and snap a picture.  Lots of memories were generated.

The day before this outing, Tucker, Mallory, Peyton, Neal and I went to Noodles and Company and had lunch together.  I think I may have already posted this but twice is okay.

Last night and today Tucker is taking graduation pictures of Peyton in different outfits and then this afternoon will be taken pictures of Brock for his graduation.  Then next Thursday Tucker will be taking pictures at BYU of Mallory's graduation.  Good thing he is a photographer.  I'll post pictures as I get them.

Fun Visitor for Easter Weekend

 We are so very excited to have Peyton with us for the Easter weekend.  Tucker is living with us for a couple months until he finds an apartment to rent and gets settled permanently here in Salt Lake.  We are thrilled to have him back with us and very excited to have Peyton come for a visit.  Lots of fun things planned for this weekend.

Beautiful granddaughter!!  We sure love you.

A Temple Outing

 This last Saturday, Mallory, Lynda Ann and I went to the Timpanogos Temple.  It was a perfect day except for the sad news that we had received from Susan that morning.  Her son, David, had passed away from Stage 4 Colon Cancer.  David was 42 years old.  Our hearts ached for Susan but somehow I found peace as I attended the temple.  Peace knowing that Heavenly Father knew of the pain and sadness that we were all feeling for Susan but also knowing that we had a testimony of the Plan of Salvation.  

As Mallory, Lynda Ann and I sat in that beautiful celestial room, I realized that the temple is a place where we can come to understand what the Lord would have us ask, and it is a place where we can ask, in silence, in joy and in earnestness.  The power of Christ is there for all of us to drink deeply and receive powerfully.  How deeply grateful I am for a mother who joined the church and instilled in me the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thanks you two for a wonderful and memorable day!  Love you both so much.