TWO TRIPS IN NOVEMBER BRINGS US TOGETHER WITH FAMILY

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Aspen, Jillian and Charlotte

Our two trips this month were to Rexburg, Idaho and to Seaside, Oregon. The trip to Oregon was planned several months ago but the trip to Rexburg was a last minute jaunt. At the end of October, Deon called and said they were going to be in Las Vegas the first weekend of November and as long as they were that close (6 hours) they thought they would come on up to Utah again. Deon suggested that we take a one day trip to see our granddaughter at BYU-I, in Rexburg, Idaho. We jumped at the chance to go and be with Jillian and Charlotte. Deon and Gary arrived on Monday and we left Tuesday morning to drive to Idaho. Once we arrived, we checked in to our hotel and drove around campus, waiting until the girls got out of their classes. We first met Aspen at her apartment. She was excited to see us and to show us her living arrangements. Later, Jillian and Charlotte met us outside Jillian's apartment and we all went to dinner at a Bar-b-cue place. The girls were thrilled to have lots of food to eat for free. We had a great time visiting with them and, all too soon, it was time to take Aspen to her Stake President's office for a mission interview and drop Charlotte and Jillian off at their apartments. We picked them up the next morning and took them to Walmart to shop. Again, they were thrilled to fill their cupboards and refrigerators with food at someone else's expense. We were glad to do that for them as they have worked so hard to earn their money for college. We then drove Jillian and Charlotte back to their apartments, unloaded their groceries and said good bye. It was a quick visit but so fun to be with our granddaughters in their college environment.

 



















Our trip to Seaside (actually Warrenton), Oregon was to meet Andrea and her family at a home they rented for Thanksgiving. We left the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to fly to Portland. After renting a car we drove 2 hours to the coast. We stopped in Seaside for lunch and then drove down to Cannon beach. It is a beautiful beach with large rocks jutting up out of the ocean. We walked out onto the beach to take some pictures then drove through the darling little town of Cannon Beach. We were glad our neighbors, the Sneddons, had told us about that great spot to visit on the Oregon coast. We then drove up to Warrenton, about 10 minutes from Seaside, and checked into the home the Westovers had rented. It was a comfortable home that fit the 9 of us quite well. The Westovers arrived around 5 that evening and after unpacking, and cooking dinner, we played games...not board games but games on the television that connected to our smart phones where we would record our answers. It was fun even though we had to draw pictures with our fingers on our phones. Not easy for sure.

Cannon Beach

Wednesday morning we got up early, had breakfast, and headed down the coast to visit the Tillamook Cheese factory. It had been completely remodeled since we were there about 5 years before. There were some interactive displays that explained the whole cheese making process. Of course, you could still look down through the windows to see the cooking and packaging processes. We spent some time in the gift shop before buying ice cream for all of us. You can't leave the Tillamook factory without having their Tillamook ice cream, some of the best around.

Later that afternoon, we went to see the movie, The Grinch. It was then home to fix dinner and listen to the girls sing using their Karaoke machine. We love listening to these talented granddaughters of ours sing. They blend so beautifully and seem to love singing together. We ended the evening watching the movie Fantastic Beasts, an imaginative movie by the author of the Harry Potter books. It was a little hard for Paul and I to follow as we have not been big Harry Potter fans and have not read the books or watched the movies.

Thursday was Thanksgiving. After a few dinner preparations were made, we left for another movie, a Westover tradition.  We all wanted to see Wreck It Ralph which turned out to be a very clever and enjoyable movie. It was then home to put the turkey in the oven, make yams and cut up potatoes. Casey had brought tables and chairs, tablecloths and cloth napkins, and dishes and goblets for setting a lovely Thanksgiving table. Dinner was delicious as always. That night was a relaxing night of doing a 2000 piece puzzle and watching another movie. 

The 2000 piece Mickey Mouse puzzle completed mostly by Jillian

Friday was our day to go into Seaside and walk Broadway street. We played a group game at the arcade and then walked down to the beach. The sun was out for almost the first time all vacation so we loved being on the beach. We stopped for lunch at Tom's, a local restaurant that specialized in burgers and fish and chips. Paul loved his simple burger with only mustard, catsup, and pickles. It reminded him of the kiddie burgers he used to get at Wendy's in Russia. YUK!!!

At Tom's

Of course, we had to have ice cream from a favorite shop in Seaside

We tried to get into another movie that afternoon but the lines were so long and we would miss the movie by the time we got to the front to purchase tickets.  It was decided that we would go home and eat an early dinner then make the 6:00 shows. Andrea, Casey and three of their girls went to Fantastic Beasts II while Paul and I watched Instant Family. Maggie and Allison stayed at home. After the movie, it was back home to pack and get ready for an early departure time in the morning. 

Saturday, we were up at 5:15 to get on the road back to the airport by 6. We took Charlotte and Jillian with us as they had flights out about the same time as we did. Our flight was delayed an hour so we had lots of waiting time at the airport. When we arrived in Salt Lake, we immediately drove to Provo to attend a BYU basketball game. We spent the last half of the game sitting with Todd and Kailee and her family. BYU lost the game, much to our dismay. Later that night, Paul stayed up late to watch the BYU/Utah football game. We were leading until the fourth quarter when Utah scored 4 touchdowns to win. Heartbreak.  At least it was a blowout as was expected.

Other happenings of the month.......

The day after we returned from Rexburg, Kailee brought up Aria and Avery for us to babysit. She and Todd, most of her sisters, and her mom were going to spend three days in Las Vegas to see the Backstreet Boys. They are in love with them and this time got front row seats. We loved having the girls with us although it was the first time we had had both of them with us overnight. It took a bit of getting use to their schedules but we managed. We did come to realize real quick that we aren't as young as we used to be.

Aria playing with her new toy

 

Loving her cheese sandwich at Dairy Keen.

She was fascinated with the train.

The ball is almost as big as her but she loved playing with it.

Jon and Mindi had to be out of their home by the middle of the month. It had closed at the end of last month and the new owners gave them till the 16th to be out. That gave Jpn and Mindi a couple of extra weeks but on the last day, they needed help in cleaning. We went down on the 15th to do just that. We were glad we could help. Before going to help them clean, we went the Carly's school to see her in a school performance of 'School House Rock.' It was done really well and reminded me of the many years of teaching school and attending school productions. Carly was glad we attended.

During the month of November we watched lots of BYU basketball games and a couple of football games. We watched the first basketball game with Todd and Kailee and their two girls. It was fun to see Aria really get involved in watching Cosmo and dancing the music. 

One Saturday, we went to a basketball game at 4 and then a football game at 8:15. It was terribly cold at the football game but we won so it was all good. For dinner before the game, we went to In 'N Out and ran in to Kyle Sorenson who was just getting off work there. We had a nice conversation as we ate dinner together.

The Sunday before we left for Oregon, we had Vlad and Olya Boloshov and their daughter, Elisa, over for dinner They are our friends from Russia and are here going to school in Idaho. They came to Provo for an interview for an internship so we were able to get together. It was fun to be with them and catch up on all their news. Olya is hoping to get accepted into BYU here in Provo and Vald hopes to get an internship there as well. They love being in America and all the opportunities living in America brings.

And then there's Aria and Avery.........

So Darling!!!

FALL WAS IN FULL SWING IN OCTOBER

October always brings fall leaves all arrayed in reds, oranges, and yellows. This year was no exception. As we drove home from the airport at the first of the month, the colors on display in Parley's canyon were stunning. Our own backyard was quite beautiful when our Autumn Blaze trees turned their deep red. When the sun shone on them they looked almost fluorescent. One Sunday, we awoke to a skiff of snow on the ground and the contrast of the white ground and the colored leaves was amazing.

The day after we returned from California, we met Jan and Bob Holiday for lunch here in Heber. Jan and I meet for lunch a couple of times a year but this time we decided our husbands needed to join us. We had been wanting to try a local restaurant so we suggested they meet us at the Main Street Social restaurant. The brisket burger was delicious but it, along with fries, was way too much food. We enjoyed our visit with the Holidays catching up of each others' lives and families. Of course, BYU sports surfaced as part of our conversation as Paul and Jan are avid fans. 

We decided it had been way too long since we had had any real quality time with Jon and MIndi's family so we invited them to go to dinner with us, our treat. We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived at Jon and MIndi's home that all the children were there, except for Jaiden who had a football practice. We went to Chuck a Rama buffet. The food there isn't always the greatest but it's a place where everyone can find something they like and they can eat all they want. This is a good thing for our growing grandsons. The restaurant wasn't busy so we got right in and had a room almost to ourselves. We didn't feel any need to rush so we spent a long time eating and visiting. We stayed so long that Jaiden joined us after his practice. It was good to see everyone. 

Olivia and Carly enjoying Jon's rental car - a Mercedes.

We attended the funeral of a 13 year old boy in our ward, Bindy Clark. He was the oldest of quadruplets. Just after he was born, he experienced a blood clot in his brain that left him handicapped....unable to speak or walk. We taught his 2 brothers and one sister in our 11 year old primary class so we wanted to go to the funeral to show our support. We were so rewarded for our attendance. The spirit was so strong as Bindy's mother gave tribute to him. She said their family was who they were because of Bindy. Testimonies were born of the plan of salvation, life after death, eternal families and the atonement which strengthened ours. It was a very touching event.



During one week when Todd needed to be out of town, Kailee got real sick with the flu. Todd delayed his flight out until the red eye special but he was real worried about Kailee being able to make it through the night with the children. Before he left he got the children down to bed and Kailee felt like she would be ok for the night. We promised we would check in with her first thing in the morning. When we did, we found that Kailee was extremely tired. We told her we would come down and watch the children while she napped. When we got there, she had just put Avery down for her morning nap. While she slept, Kailee went back to bed and we took care of Aria. We had a fun time playing into her obsession with the movie 'Cars.' She insists she is Lightening McQueen and is the fastest car around. We did get here away from her cars long enough to make some chocolate chip cookies. She loved that, especially when she could take licks of the dough. When Avery and Kailee woke up ,we took Aria to In N Out for lunch before heading back up to Heber. We left Kailee with some homemade chicken noodle soup for her dinner.

Loving her burger as In N Out

Mid month, we got a call from Charlotte who wanted to know if she could come spend the weekend with us. She wanted to attend a missionary homecoming for one of her MTC companions who, too, had to come home early due to illness. On Friday, Charlotte took the St. George shuttle from Rexburg to the SLC airport where we picked her up. We then drove to Provo to be with Derrill and Irene to celebrate Derrill's 80th birthday. We met them at Oteo's. It is advertised to serve Mexican food with a twist. It truly lived up to its name. We were served street tacos - one with salmon, one with steak and one with avocado. They were quite good but different from any Mexican food we had tasted before. It was fun to be with Derrill and Irene and Courtney and her family.

The next day, Saturday, Paul went to a BYU game in Provo and Charlotte and I drove to Park City for lunch and to watch Jaiden's football game. He was playing in a championship playoff game. Charlotte and I went to lunch at Zuppa's and then to the game. All of Jaiden's family were there, including his Mom and brothers, his grandma and his great grandma. Of course, Jon was there with Carly. It was a good game and Jaiden's team won making them eligible to play in the championship game the next weekend. Charlotte and I returned home, fixed chicken enchiladas for dinner and then watched the movie, Solo.....a Star Wars sequel. We were glad Charlotte was with us so she could explain what we didn't understand. Her family are Star War buffs and we are not.

Jaiden had a really good season playing both offense and defense

until he broke his thumb. For the game we saw, he played defense only

and often was able to sack the quarterback.

Sunday morning, Charlotte and I got up early and drove to West Jordan to attend the homecoming of Sister Green. She gave an incredible talk where she spoke about the attributes of Christ and related them to each of her companions. She referred to Charlotte as one who possessed the attribute of diligence. She talked about how Charlotte was upbeat and wanting to do nice things for others, even when both of them were down in bed. I was glad to have been able to be there and see the love these two have for each other. That night Todd and Kailee joined us for dinner and to decorate Halloween sugar cookies. Charlotte loved playing with Aria and holding Avery. They loved her too.

Decorating Sugar Cookies

Monday, Charlotte's shuttle back to Rexburg didn't leave until 6 in the evening so we had the whole day to play. We left around noon, went to lunch and then to see the movie, Jane and Emma. It was about Emma Smith and her relationship with a black woman, Jane. Jane was a convert to the church who traveled from Rhode Island to Nauvoo on foot because she was refused passage on the river boat because of her color. It was a touching movie. We were glad to have been able to spend the weekend with Charlotte.

At the end of every October, Heber City puts on a Cowboy Poetry and Music event. In all the years we've lived here we haven't attended. This year was different. Stacey Despain, the wife of a couple we were assigned to minister to, was singing so we decided to go hear her. The event is held at the high school and takes place on three different stages there. Other events are held in and around Heber through out the Cowboy Poetry weekend, including a cowboy church. We attended on Thursday night. Stacey was really good. We were glad we could support her and also see what this Cowboy Poetry event was all about. Not our thing but it sure is loved by the locals and outlying communities.

The day before Halloween, I met Janet Harmon at Magelbee's Fresh for lunch. It was her birthday earlier in the week and so I treated her to lunch. She told me all about her 75th surprise birthday party held in Spokane that her children threw for her. Wish we could have been there. She also told me about her health scare. She went for her annual physical and found that her blood sugar was terribly high. The doctor told her she was a walking stroke waiting to happen. Janet immediately cut our all carbs. Her blood work is better and she's lost 10 pounds.



The day of Halloween, Paul had to go in for another removal of some cancer on the top of his head. It was a quick visit and the doctor seems to think he got it all but said Paul should come back in every 6 months or so. We hope this is all the skin cancer for him.




And then there was, Halloween. As we have done for the past two years, we went to Todd and Kailee's home to hand out candy while they went and did some trick or treating with Nicole's family in Springville.  Afterwards, everyone came to Todd and Kailee for grilled hamburgers. It was a good way to spend Halloween. Of course, Aria had to be Lightening McQueen. Luckily, Kailee was able to find a costume for her.

We asked everyone to send us pictures of their Halloween costumes and this is what we got. Jon and Mindi always take the prize and this year was no different with them posing as Guns and Roses singers. Pretty authentic looking. (The cigarette is fake, by the way)

And then there is Aria and Avery...………………...

Aria loves to play the Book of Mormon matching game.

She's a sitter now!!!!