The Joy of Family

This is on the way to stake conference

Griffin trying to get back into needlepoint. Tammy Reid loved this.

Libraries SHOULD be a major part of summer!

My garden in full bloom! I’m loving the purple coneflowers!

Fenty and Griffin are the most likely to just be where I am.

My shasta daisies are blooming too!

On the way home from my communication council meeting there was a gentle, perfect sunset at about 9:20pm.

These gorgeous roses greeted me on Eliza’s driveway!

This is Willa’s phone showing a stack of us piled up at Eliza’s house.

I slept in Eliza’s bed with her which means I got to wake up with really cute company!

Aunt Ruby is good at listening and illuminating any person she is with or place she is in. Aunt Margaret is good at delight! It’s contagious!

Uncle Franz is just adorable. I can’t even remember the funny story he was telling, but it was so cute how it tickled him! He is still ranching—managing cattle and all the things.

Trittica Nielson! And Jim Shakespear with his baby daughter behind us.

My wonderful dad insisted that I get in this picture. Kirsta is so great to him. I love watching her visit with him. She sparkles and makes him feel so loved. And driving to Tropic and back with M’Li was the major and best portion of my day. I love how she sees the world with great appreciation and teaches me the best parts of her BYU geology class.

Aunt Ruby and Uncle Bart! Aunt Ruby gathered me and my sisters in a hug and called us her favorite kids. And I believed her! 

I heard coughing from the kitchen and it was Aunt Mignon quietly getting ready to warm up two giant tins of tamales, along with the pulled pork. I admire how she serves as a matter of course, even when she would do better if she were hooked up to her oxygen.

Marj, Mignon, John, Fred, Franz, Margaret, Ruby, Bart. So much goodness!

Here is a report about all the people that came:

Fred: M’Li, Heather, Kirsta

Ruth: Teresa, Brenda (and her friend Donita), and Debbie (and her new husband Kelly)

Lois: we missed them!

Doug: Ben and Trittica

Ruby and Bart: Suzy and Rick Dooley. Joe’s family was having a bridal shower for the girl their son is marrying soon.

Margaret and Franz: David, Shelly, and Jim with his whole family.

We visited and hugged for as long as we could and then burned a path back up I15 to get M’Li home for a garden tour at her house. When we got back, I picked up Barry and we joined the other guests at M’Li’s house for a tour!
I got to walk to Eliza’s ward with Frank and Juliet, who took turns having me push them up the hill in that cute pink Audi ride on toy they have. I sat on one of the last cushioned benches in the chapel. Eliza, Evan and Barry came in during the opening hymn and were horrified I was sitting so close to the front. They do run a small rodeo in sacrament meeting right now. I remember being there! I let Eliza and Evan continue the fun in nursery (that is their new calling) while I went to RS and sat by and visited with Elaine Brantley, who is my dear friend Brenda Lyman’s sister. They are both also descendants of Parley P. Pratt, so automatic familial affection is a given. People recognized me as being related to Eliza and told me how wonderful she is and how they miss her teaching their lessons. I loved that. She IS great!

The day ended with a walk home from church, popsicles on the patio, a rest and a wonderful wild rice and kale salad. Dessert was hugging Willa and Wyatt when they came over.