http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naqX9iYE0V0
The attached video is one of my favorites. If we could all treat each other this way, the world would be such a better place.

When Brady was a little boy, he loved playing in the water. His love for playing in water continued to his mission when he sent home pictures of playing in puddles while it was raining. The picutre he sent home was of him, white shirt, pants rolled up, shoes off, walking through the puddle. Well, he is passing this love of puddles and rainstorms to his son. I think the picture speaks for itself. He and Erika are also passing along their love of the outdoors and camping. I am thrilled to see them having so much fun as a family. Thanks for letting me steal some of your pictures from your blog.

As you can see, Kit has won over Reese. She may not like many men, but Kit has won. He has always been such a great uncle to the kids. Whatever the age, he finds a way to connect. Right now he is unemployed so he has been helping Mindi by tending Reese.

Kit came up to Idaho for Memorial Day weekend. He and Craig went fishing and brought back some nice fish. Joeleen was here for the weekend, so we had a couple of dinners together. Kit hung out with his aunts and was very patient. On Monday, after visiting graves and lunch at Val's, he and Craig came home and dug out some dead quackies. They worked pretty hard and we were so grateful Kit was there to help. The next weekend, I had to help Craig with the last tree stump. I then realized how much I appreciate Kit and his willingness to help. Thanks Kit for all you do.

Beautiful Children

I just want to say what darling grandaughters I have. Reese is fitting right in with the girls as you can see in the pictures. I thought Reese was growing up fast until I look at Mycol and Riley. It is then that I realize how much they are growing up. Riley is now 13, an official teenager. Mycol will be 11 the end of June. I can't believe how fast the time is going. I love you all. Sure wish I could have been there for a day in the mall. And just so you know, I figured out how to upload pictures all by myself. Maybe there is hope for this grandma to be a little technical wise after all.

My Beautiful Daugher Jennifer

On May 21, Jennifer celebrated her 37th birthday. It was a hard day for her and for me. I can't believe that she is 37. It seems that I should be the one turning 37. She is an amazing daughter. She can cook anything, and will try anything. She makes her own lotion and is now into making her own bagels and yogurt. She has more energy than anyone I know. As a little girl, she would always wake up happy in the morning. I am very different than that so I always appreciated her happy disposition. She had her moments as a teenager, but didn't we all. I have watched her blossom into such a great wife and mother. She is always busy. She transports kids to events, helps neighbors, creats a beautiful home, has patience with the rest of the family, and is basically a great person. When Kit seriously cut his leg at work, Jen took him in and nursed him back to health until he could come home for awhile. When Mindi was moving from Salt Lake to Orem, Jen took her in until she could move into her apartment. I can never repay or express how much she has done for the family.

We have also been blessed with a wonderful son-in-law Steve. Logan, Riley and Mycol and great grandchildren. I love getting texts from my grandaughters too. All in all, they are a wonderful family.

Jen can bring a smile to my face when I talk to her on the phone. She is generous and kind to all of us. She has housed Craig and I so many times as we visit Utah. Our lives have been so blessed to have her as a daughter. Today, I give honor to our first born. I am proud to be her mother. I love you Jen, with all my heart.

Mini-Vacation to Colorado

I have found that I am not very good at creating a regular post. So I will try to catch up. In May we traveled to Fort Collins, Colorado for Erika's master's graduation. I want to just say how very proud we are of Erika and Brady. They have worked hard so both of them could go to school. Erika, we love you and are very proud of you. We picked up Brady, Erika and Crew and drove to Alamossa, Colorado for the big walk. We had an absolutely wonderful time with them. Crew, Erika and I rode in the back of our car. Crew is a great traveller. Our little mini vacation included stopping in Colorado Springs for a couple of days on our way back. We went to Cheyene Mountain Zoo for a day, ate dinner at an authentic German restaurant, visited Garden of the Gods, toured the Wind Caves and played Hearts in the evening. We attended church in our old Academy ward but the difference is that it does not include the Air Force Academy and it isn't in the same building. So, needless to say, it has changed. We went to the Air Foce Academy to show Erika where Brady was born. We walked through Arnold Hall and the chapel. When we arrived home in Ft. Collins, we went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse. It was my birthday so I got to choose. The restaurant was great. They had a guy who did balloon figures so we got one for Crew. Of course, we got Melman (sp) the giraffe for him. It was so fun to be with them all. Mother's Day and my birthday were kind of special because of our trip. I love being with family on holidays. We will make another trip to Colorado when Erika has Kennedy Taylor in August. Then next year we will travel to Colorado for Brady's graduation. I am hoping all the kids will be able to go and we can all be together.

31- - -How Can That Be?

On May 10th, we celebrated Kit's birthday. Craig and I were in Colorado so we didn't get to be with him but we celebrated "him" just the same. Kit is one of the most caring and loving people I know. He would do anything for anybody. His care and concern for us as parents is so wonderful. I am sure it wasn't the best of birthdays because on the Friday before, he found out he was losing his job. He went over to Mindi's for dinner and carrot cake, his favorite. Jen, Steve, and family came over later for birthday cake. I am so thankful that I have daughters who are loving and kind to their brother. Kit's birthday falls one day before mine. This year, it was on Mother's Day. I was in the hospital in 1978 having Kit, when I had my 28th birthday. He was a wonderful gift on my birthday and Mother's Day. He is multi-talented in so many ways. My house is proof of all his talents. I am quite frequently asked about the pottery in my home. I am proud to tell people that my son created the pieces that adorn my home. I know he is not able to let his talents grow as much as he would like, but he does have to make a living and pottery and wood pieces just don't pay the bills. I am grateful for each of my children, but on May 10th, my heart rejoices in the blessing of Kit in my life.