Long Weekend Family Fun

 

We just had a wonderful long weekend...

Jon and Tiff came up with Ava and Josh on Saturday.

It was so good to see them again...Josh is now 3 and growing up so big....it was his birthday weekend. He loved the hot tub and wanted to keep playing forever!

 

 

 

 

They were excited to go see an outdoor concert at Winston Churchill Square with Disney music on Saturday evening.

Ava dressed up in her best princess dres for the occasion. She looked so cute!

Cam and D came over with Brooke, McKinley, Brynn, and Colby. They had fun together all weekend long.

They coloured outside on the sidewalks...not exactly sure what that's supposed to be!

 

We Had a great BBQ with all the fixings including Taber corn, thanks to Tiff!

Jon and Cam has some 'catching up' to do, so why do it shucking corn.

The kids started playing with the apples in the backyard and decided they wanted to make some apple crisp...but first they had to recruit the adults to help get the good apples down off the tree.

It was so funny watching Jon try batting them down...they would come down, but then get mixed in with the bad ones.

I was laughing so hard, it was like he was trying to smash a piñata!

 

Finally, Lindsay got on James shoulders and started to hand them down to Brooke.

Poor James...he is such a good sport!!

We did end up with some lovely apples from our backyard tree.

Grandpa had fun peeling the apples with Ava, Brooke and McKinley.

They really enjoyed seeing how fast an apple peeler works! Their apple crisp turned out delicious!

Joshie got a really great ice cream cake for his birthday!

He loves tractors and trucks, and he got several for his birthday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was especially fun letting the kids get to know Ivy a little better, she is getting growing up so fast...-almost three months already!

 

It's a good thing Joshie likes babies because he is going to be a big brother in a few months!

On Monday, we went to Sothgate Mall and did a little shopping and had some lunch. The kids loved visiting the Lego store...and are showing off their treasures. It was a great weekend to be together again!

Mark was away for most of it hiking the West Coast Trail with a few friends. It was a good experience for him...he loved the trail. Doug and I want to go back with him next year!!

 

Posted with Blogsy

A Utah Visit with a Phoenix Side Trip

 

 

Well, it had been over a year since I had seen my family in Utah, so Doug and decided it was time to go down for a visit. And since we are now 'retired', we jumped in our little car and took Hwy 93 all the way to Idaho Falls! Then hwy 15 down to Provo.

 

We took Beans with us...he's good at keeping us awake on those late nights! Lucky bear!!

Our first stop was at Karla's in Provo. It's always so fun to visit her and her family. She had just won the County 'Pig Wrestling' competition the night before we got there!

She had all of her family come for a BBQ..Josh, Justin, Erica, Jace and all of their significant others!!

It was so good to see them all again.

 

We celebrated her oldest son Josh's birthday while we were there...he has two little ones. His little girl Brinlee reminds me so much of Ava, she is sitting on my lap, and his son is in the brown shirt with Josh's wife, Amber. Erica is holding Justin's little boy, Miken.

It was so fun to visit and get 'caught up' with everyone!

This is her youngest son Jace and his girlfriend, Stefanie and Justin's wife, Chelsey...she is a great ball player! We went to their game Thursday night...wow, even Karla played!

 

 

 

Josh and Brian were anxiously looking forward to some of that delicious cake!

Karla just did a major renovation of her kitchen and she did most of the work herself...she really is Superwoman!!

 

 

 

 

 

After our 3 day visit in Provo we drove down to St. George with Arlene and Ron and stayed overnight at Kevin and Joeen's. They had most of their kids and grandkids there, too. We stayed up late into the night visiting and reminiscing. It was so fun to see them all again!

What a blessing it was for me to see and visit with my family. I love them and miss them so much and wished I lived closer...but I'll still keep coming down to visit. And maybe they will come see me!!

 

The next morning we got up and started out on our drive to Phoenix with Arlene and Ron. We saw some beautiful country on our trip, especially the canyons near Lake Powell.

 

 

We really enjoyed our visit to Phoenix...we spent a lot of our time in or near the pool, it was so refreshing!!

We also took time to catch a movie, which we loved...The Hundred Foot Journey.

 

 

 

A highlight of our trip was a session we did at the Mesa Temple. It is such a beautiful Temple, we felt such a sweet feeling there as we did some family history names. We are so grateful for Temples and for Temple work!

We enjoyed a lovely late afternoon boat ride on Lake Pleasant.

We love going out on the lake. It is always so beautiful there, especially as the sun is setting!

And we enjoyed eating out!! We had great visits together, but it seemed the week went by too quickly!

Reluntantly we left Phoenix and travelled back up to Logan. We stayed overnight there, and had a fun visit with K and Jackie and their kids, and Brian and Julie. I just wish I had remembered to take some pictures. We were so glad to see them again!

The next morning it was time to say 'good-bye' to mom and Ron. They have such a beautiful place there, with a lovely English garden.

We had such a good time with them!

Well, it was now time to head home. We decided to take Hwy 89 up through Logan Canyon to Bear Lake and on to Paris Idaho.

We stopped in Paris and toured the tabernacle there, it is beautiful. It was built in 1889 under the direction of Brigham Young.

Doug is with Br. Merrill, our tour guide. He and his wife own a historic home just a block away!

 

Br Merrill and his wife and Sister Rich are the service volunteers here.

Br. Merrill's grandfather worked on the Tabernacle.

Sister Rich, on the left, is a descendant of the Apostle Charles Rich, who lived in Paris Idaho and had 5 wives and 50 children. He now has over 22,000 decendants and each year the Rich family hold a family reunion here and over a thousand show up! Amazing!!

We enjoyed the beautiful drive home and met a man selling Jerky...buffalo, beef and elk. Doug excitedly bought a generous portion, and later realized he got ripped off...but whatever!

We also went up through Jackson Hole, Wyoming and ate at a place called Bubba's...a referral from the Jerky guy. It was great, so that made up for the overpriced Jerky!

 

Posted with Blogsy

A New Baby and a Retirement

 

 

Well, Lindsay and James little baby girl was born on Thursday, June 12...eight days early!

Her name is Ivy Alyse Johnson and she weighed 7 lbs 8 oz. and she was 221/4 inches long. She is long and skinny.

Her daddy and grandpa were very happy to finally meet her!

 

 

 

 

This little Ivy has dark hair and dark blue eyes that look right at you. It is so fun watching her explore her environment.

Lindsay is a very tender mother, and it brings back so many memories for me of when she was that little!

 

 

 

 

 

She planned her arrival well, and came just 3 days before Father's Day. What a wonderful gift for James...she is definitely a "daddy's girl".

 

 

Brookie and all her cousins just love her and have welcomed her into the family with open arms.

 

Ivy really took to her Uncle Jon, they enjoyed spending some quiet time together. Looks like he is ready for his new baby in November. In just a few weeks he and Tiff will know if they are having another boy or another girl. We are excited for them either way!

 

 

Ivy was given a name and a blessing on Sunday, by her father James. Joining him in the sweet event were her two grandfathers, Doug and Jerry, and her uncles...Jon, Cam, Mark and Sam.

We had a dinner out at our cabin at Wizard Lake after church on Sunday.

It was a great feast with all of James family and our family there together.

 

 

It is always such a blessing when we are all together!! The cousins had fun eating and playing together!

 

 

 

Doug has finally worked his last day of work at his dental office. His retirement was official this last Monday, June 30...

 

We had a retirement party for him last week and invited the people in our building to come and enjoy a Marble Slab "ice cream buffet" in the atrium. It was so much fun!

So Cameron is now officially taking over the practice!!

Doug won't have very much 'down time', as we have been called to serve in the new Temple Presidency in the Fall.

I am so excited for this calling in the Temple, mainly because we get to serve in the temple and be near our kids and grandkids!!

 

Mark had a first time event that was fun for him...he ran his first five km run. It was called the "Graffiti Run".

He's trying to stay in shape for his 'West Coast Trail' hike this summer.

 

 

 

 

 

He ran it with two other friends and they really got plastered with paint during the run...looks messy, but fun!

It has been a busy, but very memorial few weeks...we are so blessed!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Weekend Fun!

Last weekend we had to go down to Canmore to a meeting we had to attend. It worked out really good for us to stay at Jon and Tiff's on Friday night and then go up to Canmore with them on Saturday morning. We went for a walk in the morning and stopped and played at the park,

Joshie had so much fun swinging with Grandpa higher and higher!!

 

Tiff and I took the kids swimming while Jon and Doug attended their meeting at Banff Gate, where we have our time share.

It is always so beautiful in the mountains!!

Ava is a little water beaver, she just loves to swim, and had do much fun paddling around on her tube.

 

 

 

Joshie hung out in the big pool with me most of the time and I loved the hugs he gave me as we swam around together in the pool.

 

 

Tiff relaxed at the pool as well! She is 4 months pregnant now, but she sure doesn't look like it!

She is sure a sweet mom, we're excited about the new little one coming.

 

 

 

 

 

It was so good to be with Jon and Tiff again...I wish we lived closer to them!

Mark went down with us and always enjoys giving hugs to Ava, they developed a close friendship when Mark was living in Calgary...cute friends!

 

 

 

Back at home Doug and I have been working on a gardening project at the cabin. We decided to start doing "square foot gardening".

We made four upright containers that have 8 square feet in each one. We have planted beets, beans, lettuce, peppers, brussel sprouts, kale, arugula, and tomatoes. Finally we put up our old dog run around it to protect it from the deer that would enjoy feasting on it out there!

On Sunday we had a birthday party BBQ for our dear friend Myrna and her family...

Brookie is checking out the size of her piece of cake.

 

 

This is Mryna and her boyfriend, Toni, he is now investigating the church and hopes to be baptised soon.

 

They had some fun playing foosball in the basement.

 

 

Cam, D and the kids came over for dinner, and Cam entertained Brynnlee in the hot tub. It was so funny to watch her dangling her feet in the water to finally going all the way under...she is cute!

 

 

Grandma was there, and Bruce Wilson...dad cooked us up some good burgers and potatoes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our friends Ron and Eileen Hallett came over for the BBQ. Our kids always love visiting with them.

 

 

 

Ron woke up Colby so he could hold him, he is a baby lover! Luckily he has several grandchildren of his own!

He is a wonderful grandpa to our kids and grandkids!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lindsay is very close to having her baby now. After dinner, as D sat feeding Colby they talked about the "joys of pregnancy"...yes...it is worth it Lindsay!!

It was a wonderful weekend...full of family and friends....lots of visiting and good food!!

 

Posted with Blogsy