Grandpa Great!!!

My last post was Ron's birthday post, and the first few hours of his birthday started out wonderful, but in a few more hours we received devastating news. We were told that his dad, Grandpa Great had AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia) which is the kind of Leukemia that spreads fast. He was told that he had two months to live. It was such a shock to the family, because our Grandpa Great is the healthiest man I know, at the age of 78 almost 79.
I have very fond memories with this wonderful man. I met him when I was a sophomore in high school, in 1974, and have been with this family ever since, (39 years), it was quite interesting coming into a family of all boys, oh the stories they could tell. Grandpa being the biggest boy of them all.
 This man taught his 5 boys how to work, he is a very hard working man himself, he can not sit still for one minute. We have notice in the last few months that he has slowed up just a little bit, thinking "well he is coming up to his 80th year."
We love him and will miss him very much, but know the eternal plan and that we will see him again, Grandpa has a father that he has not seen since he was 17 years old, he has a son that I know he is excited to reunite with. It will be a very big empty hole for us here on this side of the veil.
I love this family that I came to share the last name with, it has been fun looking for picture to share here on this blog and to have gathered in one place.
To my only living earthly Father, I love you and will miss you, your oldest son, my eternal companion will miss you!!!
 Through the years with my second Dad.

First Christmas I spent with this family

 

Fun times at Lake Powell

 

Fun at the cabin

 

They loved to dress up

 

Christmas

 

Just arrived in Hawaii

 

Dinner in St. George, one of the many times

 

Getting ready for fireworks just this past July 4th

 

In their kitchen in SLC

 

We were in Florida together

Happy Birthday Ron!!!!

So I thought I would post this cute picture of Ron on his special day!  Been just a few years since this picture was taken, he has changed a touch. Gotten a little taller, put on a few pounds, a few more teeth, a hair well a few stands have come and gone!!
Some people say that our little Kaido man looks like his grandpa, there are a few similar features mainly the blue, blue eyes.

A little bit about Ron,
He remembers our vacations by the food he eats or restaurants that we go to, he is a food person, he loves to eat anything different. He will try pretty much anything.
He is not much of a sports watcher, or a hunter, I would say that maybe fishing would be what he enjoys most, if it is catching the BIG fish, say as in the ocean. 
He loves to read pretty much anything, book form or on his pad, phone or the computer.
He is very dedicated to what he is involved in rather it be church, work, family, pretty much anything he is involved in, he gives 100%!
He tells it like it is!
He loves his five children and their spouses and our 12 soon to be 13 grandchildren.
I am so blessed to have him in my life.
We, your family would like to wish you a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY and hope that you have a very wonderful day!!!!!!!

Life and a Vegas retreat!!

It's been a while since my last post, life has been normal for the empty nesters. Ron goes to work, to meetings, or when home, he is in his office working on bids, church agenda's and such!!
For me, I have started a little business "Forever Flowers" I enjoyed so much doing Sharies wedding flowers that I thought "why not make a little money on the side" in doing something I enjoy!!
I am on my 5th wedding now, (my 3rd was just the bouquet and boutonniere), but have enjoyed creating and occuping my time with something I enjoy. You can see all my flowers on my Facebook "Forever Flowers" page.,

Since my last post we have enjoyed a week at one of our timeshare places, in Vegas, it was nice because it was close but yet still felt like time away. I was enjoying my time so much that I really didn't even take many pictures (I forgot my camara) all I had was my phone so I did manage to take a few with my phone.  Friday March 29th Sharise and Craig, Ron and I arrived in Vegas, Saturday was pool time, and of coarse we listen to a long presentation about timeshare, but we got a free lunch out of it that day and $100.00 to eat anywhere in the South Point, which was fine with us because they have a Steak and Shake (its very tasty) which was one of Dan's favorite places in GA on his mission. Easter Sunday came, it was a different Easter but nice, the four of us attended Sacrament meeting.  Then Dan and Chantelle and little Haiven joined us. Then the Isom joined us for a couple days and we all enjoyed the pools. Wednesday came and I found myself there all by myself. Ron had a meeting tues night that he needed to be to and the last of them left Wed morning.
So being the Sun worshiper that I am, took that oppertunity to enjoy the sun down by the pools, but not with out alittle bit of worry on the side. My mom had gone in to have a battery replace in her pace maker that morning, so I laid in the sun, wondering how things were going in SLC. Mom called a little after 1 pm, she was home and doing well, so that last hour or so of laying in the sun, was worry free!!!!!!  After the sun worshiping I decided I would take a nice long bath in the jacuzzi, ahhhhh that was nice. I then wanted to go to the Factory stores, so I went to the front desk to see if their shuttle bus went there, but nope just to the casinos. She did give me the city bus schedule and mapped out where to catch it from there and at the factory stores. So that is just what I did. It was a little bit of a walk from the condo to the bus stop but it was a beautiful day, not to hot but lots of sunshine, so I took a bus ride to the stores, and looked around for a bit, found a shirt I liked and then decieded I would head back. Ron was on his way back to Vegas, so I went to the spot the lady had told me, right in front of a 7 Eleven, I went in to 7 Eleven  just to make sure the bus stop was there, and the gal told me yes and said the # of the bus that was to pick up there. So I had about 15 mins before the bus was to come. I people watched while waiting for the bus. Well the time came and went and no bus. I had been standing there for about 45 min when a couple came and asked if this was the bus stop and I said yes that is what I was told, but I have been here for 45 min. The next scheduled time was coming up, well guess what, that time came and went. I really was not to worried because I knew Ron was almost there so he could just come and get me. But can I tell you that standing on a street corner (on the strip) in Vegas really is not my idea of fun!!!!!!! Ron called, I explained where I was, we offered a ride to the couple that ended up waiting with me, they were headed in our same direction.
The Ogden family then joined us, we then enjoyed the pools with them. On Friday went to the Hoover dam. What an amazing bridge they have built across that area.  On saturday we returned to St. George to enjoy time with those at home and to listen to conference. There is nothing better than spending time with family. I love it!!!!!
I have a few pic I will post of our fun times in Vegas.

Those are the few pictures I took, didn't get everyone that was there, my old brain needs to remember to take pictures!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Rae Rae!!!!!

I know it is the night of your birthday but it is still considered your birthday even if it is almost over.
I had the opportunity to watch spend time with the Ogden children this week while Desirae and Mark went to one of Gods many Paradise' and then ended up getting to spend her birthday with her.
Probably mentioned this before for but she always called herself the trial child being the oldest. I think we did a dang good job with this trial child if I don't say so myself. Her nick name is and has always been Rae Rae because when she first started talking and try saying her name that is how it came out Rae Rae and it has stuck with her to this day, most of her nieces and nephews have called her that.
Desirae always entertained herself from the time she was very small until she left home. (I'm sure she still does!!)

Being the oldest it came with many responsibilities, it gave her the ticket to be the second in command after her mother, of course.  She was a very responsible little girl, I could leave her in charge of many tasks and they would get done, all but for keeping her room clean!!  :) She now is a very organized person and her house top to bottom is organized. 

She loved to sing and dance and preform for any and all that would listen and watch. To this day she still loves to sing and play the piano and does a fantastic job of it.

She has grown to be a wonderful wife and mother and a very thoughtful daughter and sister. She is a preschool teacher and has had many 3 and 4 years old learning from her and the children love her to pieces.

I dislike the fact that her sweet family is not living closer,  but love the fact that we can call and text any time to keep in touch.

We are so very thankful that her journey with cancer is over and that she is still here with us to enjoy her sweet spirit, for many years to come. 

We love you Desirae and your sweet family, so thankful for the opportunity that we have of being  your parents.

 This is the sweet picture of Desirae last year on her birthday two days after her surgery!!!!

This is today, a year later!!!!!

 

LOVE YOU!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRITTANY

Finally getting to this birthday blog for Brit the night of her birthday, My house has been a little busier than normal, so I haven't been able to do this until now. But would like to wish Brittany a very happy birthday, even though she had to spend it in the hospital with her little guy.
I made the trip into the ER with her last Saturday late evening and being that Kaiden's O2 was in the mid to low 80's they admitted him to the hospital, to start this long week stay in a box with a crib and a bed. With a diagnoses of RSV and metapneumovirus.
A shout out to this birthday girl, who was wanting nothing more than to have her little man discharged today for her birthday and it didn't happen.  We are hoping soon.

Brit has always been one who could bring life to the party, with her many impressions of movie quotes, my personal favorite the wicked witch from  The Wizard of OZ.
She was a very active child and one that I had a hard time keeping up with. She has a few just like her, I keep telling her that if I knew that a mothers curse really worked I wouldn't have cursed her quit so hard with having children just like her.  :)
I really wished I had been better at tracking her when she was little with the funny things that she would do and say, but unfortunately I was not, and she has her baby book so I can't even look them up right now of the ones I did. She also was a little child who would crave anything that said sugar on the package, she was a candy lover from the start.
One day she was challenged to eat a bowl of brown sugar, and she did and yes it made her sick!!!
She was our cute little strawberry blonde, sunkissed face, gruff little voice girl.

She is very patient with her active little ones, is a great wife and mother.
She has certainly earned her mothers badge the past 8 months with Kaiden starting out in the NICU for 11 days, having retracting problems along the way, a trip to the ER then. Having a couple seizures and a nights stay in the hospital and now this 5 day stay so far.
Brit we wish you a very Happy Birthday, we love you and are so grateful that we get to see you on a daily bases!!!
Love You
A couple of real recent picture. 

 Brit cuddling her little man

Today holding Kaido has he was playing with grandpa

 



Happy Birthday Danette

I love this picture of Momma Danette and her crazy kiddo's.  It is so fun seeing your children grow and become a parent. Seeing all the different personalities that come in that next generation. Danette was my calm, mild manner child, she loved to spend time alone in her bedroom, so thus living on her big farm with nothing around her but space and animals is the way I could see her living.
When she was young she loved animals and every creeping crawling critter she could find.
The funny thing about her was she loved going without shoes year round (grateful we moved to So. UT) but she was the shoe queen, she loved her shoes at the same time. She always wanted to go shoe shopping as a little girl, but when we would get there she could not make up her mind on which shoes to buy, which made for very long shopping outings. 
Danette is a very good mommy, she is patient but yet firm with her cute kids.
We all wonder where her kids came from because as I stated before, she was the calm one of the family and she has two very active kids and I am sure that Miss Annie will follow suit right behind the other two. (Must be from the Mclane side)  :)
It is hard having them live so far away, but it does make for some very fun vacations.  :)
Thank you Danette, for always being an example to everyone, you have a great family and we miss you everyday, but we are so happy that you are happy and healthy.
We LOVE you!!!!!

Happy 25th to our man cub!!!!!!!

I am just a little late in posting this birthday blog for Daniel Son, but it is still January so I figure I am ok.  It has been so fun watching him become a Daddy! He and his cute wife have a cute little munchkin that looks and acts just like her daddy did. 
When Daniel returned home from his mission (Atlanta GA North mission) he started up his window cleaning business,  he has built it into a great little company that is providing for their cute family.  But Daniels big passion is videography, he has also started up his own production company. (Cyprus Rock Production)
From the time Dan was very young he has loved to video tape things, he would write little plays and then recruit neighbor boys to come and act out his play, or he would have his younger sister staring in his plays or talk shows. He now is writing, staring in, videoing and editing many different things around St. George! He is doing a great job, my favorite little clip that he has created is this (find" the new partner") He has a very creative mind, his brain is constantly in motion thinking of new creative things to write or video tape.  He took first place this year in the Christmas Short film competition, writing and editing the short film. If you go to  vimeo.com/cypressrock and look for  "The Gift"
We as his parents are excited to see where his talent will take him. We feel blessed to have him as our Son, we love you Son!!!

                   Took this picture from their blog page, I love it!!!