A quick catch-up

We always have fun at our Family Home Evenings, and love to see many of you there each month. Dad did the lesson on Temples, and we took this picture to remind us about the importance of our family. We missed those of you who were not there for this picture!!! Come next time please. :)

I feel bad that this picture is sideways, but I can't turn it now.......so just tilt your head. We went to Lubbock TX. to see the Ure Family and to join in their lives there. This is Dad eating lunch with Tayson's Kindergarten class. We all did, but I had control of the camera. It was a fun thing for us all......the kids loved Tayson's grandpa.

We also went to the church Halloween "Trunk or Treat" party. It was in the parking lot of their Stake Center which happens to be right next to the Temple. It seemed a bit weird to be dressed up in Halloween costumes withe the Temple for our background. But we got over it pretty quick.......Who is that cute Cat and Dog???

No surprise that the Ures were all dressed for fun. Mia just would not wear her princess crown. The kids loved the party, and received lots of treats!

It is fun to have a Moss connection there in Lubbock. Tod and Jen Moss invited us over for a "Harvest Dinner". She had prepared about 8 different vegetables and a chicken as well. It was my dream dinner......love those veggies. They are a great family and we had such a good time and visit.

We made a few hikes this fall. Love this time of year!!!! The mountains were sooooo beautiful and the smells and sounds just add to this great experience. Love it!!!

We went up to Silver Lake and walked around the boardwalk there with Josh and his kids. Deena and baby Hannah were home for a little peace and quiet.

Samantha was baptized and Hannah was blessed on the same day..November 6th.

We are so pleased that we could be there to share that with them.

We are also pleased that Ginny was baptized on November 7th. What a neat experience it was for Von and I to participate in having the Missionaries in our home to teach her and to answer her many questions and to feel of her spirit. We are blessed to have her in our home.

After Ginny's baptism we invited all there to come and join us for some food. Ginny spent many hours cooking Chinese food for her guests. They loved it. She had many friends there to support her. It was a great evening. Thanks to our family for their help.

Yosemite with the Moss'

We had such a fun time with the Moss family in Yosemite NP. We met at the campground on Wednesday evening....after a 12 hour drive for us, and several hours from San Jose Calif. for them. What a great reunion! The boys and grandpa jumped right in with playing ball, and checking the area out. Becky and I started dinner and talked. Good times! The park is so beautiful, and the mountains are amazingly grand. The pictures to not do it justice. We went on several hikes.....longer than than the boys wanted most of the time.....but were very good about it and did very well. We hiked to this waterfall. In the spring this waterfall is about ten times bigger, but we thought is was great just the way it was.

The weather was beautiful and pleasant. For being the off season, there were a lot of people. I guess you can't expect to have the park to yourself. The boys sure love to hike and play with grandpa...and he sure loves to hike and play with them.

We took one day to go to the waterfall, taking our time to enjoy things along the way. Lots of big boulders and trees to climb and water to throw rocks in.

Our camp was a bit different from other camp grounds that I have been in. The tent/cabin was a three sided cement structure, the forth wall is canvas. It had a double bed and a bunk bed, and some selves. It also had elctricity. Then on an inclosed patio space there was a table and a place to prepare food. A firepit was also provided. Not bad at all!!! We had two camp sites right next to each other. We ate yummy food at the table, and played games there as well. The "cute" squirrels were all over the place. And by the time we left they truly were not so "cute" anymore. It became a battle of the fittest for our food. We didn't always win!!!

There was a wonderful and beautiful river and beach area by the camp site. Of course the guys all jumped in the freezing water. Becky and I took pictures and enjoyed the unbelievable view. The water was really very cold, but all the boys (except Isaac) went all the way in.

Because we went in September, we missed the impressive waterfalls that Yosemite is famous for, but we still had some breath taking views, and didn't lack in amazing things to see. Wow what a world God created for us to enjoy......and respect.

I took about 300 pictures! Everywhere you looked was something to take a picture of. This is the Half Dome that is so famous in the Park. Beautiful!! The family in the picture is not bad either.

We hiked around the BIG "Sequoia" trees that are part of the park. Some of these trees have been there for 2,000 years. We loved walking among them, and the kids could play and climb. There were fewer people here, and that made this so pleasant and gave me a chance to "feel the spirit of the trees". I loved it!

So much beauty, but the really great thing was just being able to spent time with the Moss family. Thank you so much for inviting us to tag along!! Playing, laughing, hiking, swimming, eating, talking, joking, getting really dirty, yes....all these things are better shared with the ones you love. We love you all!!!!!

We saw some wildlife that grandpa would want you all to know about.

coyotes, deer,.....and he saw a black bear on our way out of the Park Sunday morning (about 4:30am). And of course the huge, fearless, squirrels.

It Has Been A Long, Long Time

It has been a very long time since I have blogged, and there have been many wonderful things that have happened in the past few weeks. I want all of my family to know that I have enjoyed spending time with each and everyone of you. I am posting a few pictures to represent some of the adventures we have had. I wanted to share a picture of Grandma W. first. This was taken in July. She was having an OK day, and I think she looked good. She just had her 88th birthday on Sept. 1st. Happy Birthday Mom/Grandma. She is loosing weight now, and maybe not doing as well . Deb went with me to visit with her Tuesday. Thanks Deb.

We had a great family party on the 18th of Aug. It was a celebration of many things. We welcomed home Deborah and Stephen from China. We said "Good-bye" to Dan and Angie who moved to Moscow ID. the next day. We wished Josh and Deena "Happy Anniversary". We also wished myself, and little Ellie "Happy Birthday". We welcomed Ginny here, from China, to live with us. And we said "Glad you are here" to Rachel and her kids. It was a great time with food and games, and the Skokos' brought back presents for all from China. The little girls are posing with their new umbrellas. All the gifts were fabulous......mine was a real pearl necklace and earrings. Very nice!!!

Good food, fun and company

Rachel would be heading back to Lubbock TX.

Dan and Angie would be leaving for Moscow ID.
Glad that they could see and visit with each other before they went.

We are glad to have Deb and Stephen back. They had a good experience there in

China. Welcome home!!

We are happy to welcome Ginny in our home. She is here straight from China and is a graduate student at the University of Utah. A real joy to have around. She has cooked us some Chinese food, and loves to learn and do new things. We have had her on the bikes, playing tennis and on a hike as well. We are glad to have her be apart of us.

Good family times!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just had to include the Snoasis :)

The 19th, Dad and I drove up to Logan and helped to pack up the last of Dangie's stuff into the cars and trailer. Then off we went to Moscow. Lots of gas, stress, and hours later (16) we arrived at their new apt. I think it is very cute and know that they have made it cozy and comfortable. We spent a few days with them and got to see the university campus and walk around Moscow. I love the cute houses and think it is a great little town. We went to a couple yard sales on Saturday, and we went to the Farmer's Market. We will look forward to visiting again. We love you Dan and Angie!!!!

This was one packed trailer!!!!!

When we got home, we had Jake and Annie here. And so we were off again. This time to So. Utah, with Josh and Kids and Deb and Stephen. We had a 5 day camping and family history trip. I know that others have already posted information about this trip, but I wanted to share a few pictures, and add that it was such a great time. I was so thrilled to have family together once again. Love it!! Love it!! Love it!!

This picture is at Newspaper Rock. Everyone is trying to be one of the drawings on the rock. Very impressive!!

We camped in some beautiful spots, and enjoyed having our tent trailer along. But we were sure glad that Josh had his truck. He drove that truck in and out of some pretty tricky spots. And we would not have gotten some places without it. Thanks Josh!!

So glad that we could all do this!! It will always be one of those great memories.

Lastly, Deb and I had the opportunity to bring out the Snoasis machine and help the "Hale Family Theatre" throw a Hawaii party for about 600 people. We had a good time serving up ex-small cones with 8 choices of flavors. It was fun to see the smiles on people's faces and have them enjoy our little treat. I could do this every once in a while. Thanks for helping Deb. Hale Theatre is going to be kind enough to give us season tickets as a thank you. Good deal for us!!!!

Dad and I are very excited and looking forward to meeting up with David and Becky and boys next week in Yosemite, California. The fun just goes on and on.

4th of July week celebration

We have had some good times with family the last few weeks. So good to have Jake and Annie around for a few days. We enjoyed a family walk in the Crestwood Park. This is a park by our house that we did not even know was there until a few months ago. Don't even know what is under your nose sometimes.

One of the neat things we have done this summer is attend the Callister Reunion in Oak City. This was a fun time for those there, and our boys played a big part in having Grandma Callister there by "Skype". Most of those there had a chance to visit with her "face to face" using Skype. What a great treat for her. This is the first reunion she has missed in 75 years. Josh, Dan, Angie and I took a side trip to the cemetery to visit family grave sites. This is Joseph Platte Callister's. We are learning a lot about him from Jacob's and other's great interest in his life.

OK, So Dan and Angie gave me an early Birthday present this year. We went to a Peter Cetera Concert in Logan. This is kind of a scary picture, but we are there together enjoying the music and good company. For those who don't know Peter Cetera, he was a part of the wonderful group "Chicago" one of my very all time favorites, before he decided to go off on his own. He sang many wonderful Chicago songs, and some great ones of his own. Loved it!!!!!! Dan fixed us all dinner before the show and so it was a very awesome evening . Thanks again Dan and Angie.

A blurry picture of Peter Cetera, but the best I could do. Very good concert. He still has the voice....even though he is about 65.

The 4th of July weekend made for some fun family times. Because Jake and Annie were here, we planned time together. You can see that one of the things that happened was Ping Pong. Dad was in heaven to have his 3 boys there playing with him. This almost never happens. He said that they were pretty evenly matched as well.

We had our monthly Family Home Evening On the 4th of July. We missed having some of the regulars (Deb and Stephen), but had Jake and Annie there. We even had Jake give the lesson. He did a great job...thanks Jake. Amy and Tom brought some extras with them. Amy's brother was visiting from New York State with his wife and 4 children. It was fun to have them with us. We celebrated Andrew's birthday as well.

My three boys together. Handsome (if hairy) boys!!!!!

We bought a big box of fireworks and Caleb was the official lighter, and he did a great job. The fireworks were especially good we all felt. Lots of oohs and aahs. Good times!!!

On the 5th of July we all went up to Brigham City to see Jake play with some of the lokalgrown band members. He was wonderful of course, and it is always fun to hear him play. We have had a busy last few days, and are looking forward to some more good times in a month or so. Deb and Stephen will be coming home, we will maybe get to see Rachel and kids for a couple of days, we will move Dan and Angie to Moscow Id, go on a family history trip to So. Utah with Jake and Annie and others that can go, and we are excited also to be going on a trip with Catherine and Jim to some of the highlights of So. Utah. Sounds like another fun blog entry. We love all of you so much and are grateful for the Joy you bring into our life!!!!!

We took a trip to Moab/Arches, this last week. What fun we had with Dan and Caleb, Samantha, and Andrew. It was actually Angie's idea, but she ended up not being able to go with us....we missed you Angie!!!!! We camped by the Colorado River and the first night we ate very Yummy foil dinners that Dan made for us.

Next morning, bright and early, we hiked up to Delicate Arch . The kids where such good hikers!!! They where filming a movie there that morning and so we had to wait a few minutes till it was OK for us to be by the Arch. The filming crew got 10 min. and the public got 10 min. It worked out OK....the kids were ready to move on in that amount of time anyway.

Andrew, Sammy, and Caleb by the Arch. Such a pretty view. A nice way to start the day!

We had a good time camping in our tent trailer. We slept everyone in there except Caleb...he had his own little tent cause he sleeps better alone. It was nice to have the trailer....I loved it.

We did another hike in Arches and then everyone was very tired and very very hot. We just wanted to get cool. so close by the camp site was a nice sandy spot, and everyone but Maureen jumped in and had a blast cooling off in the Colorado River. This was one of the best parts of the whole trip.

The tent trailer was our only shade for a good part of that day. So with a breeze coming in the windows, we played some fun games. We played a fun one that Dan brought and Sammy won every time.

Next day we drove to Dead Horse Point. What a beautiful place! I had never been here before and I was very impressed. It is kind of like a mini grand Canyon. Awesome! The kids loved playing on the rocks by the visitor's center and trying to catch lizards.

One of the last things we did was to take a side trip (about 2 miles off the road) to see some dinosaur footprints in the rocks. Wow this was very cool. Everyone in the picture is standing in one of the footprints. In this spot you can see 3 sets of different dinosaur prints, and they say there are more. According to Dan, these were not even discovered till about 30 years ago. The kids thought this was very cool. We want to thank Dan for coming even though Angie was not able too, and Josh and Deena for letting us take the kids. It was a fun three days.