If you stand back far enough, you can see the big picture...

Never before seen photo, pixelated for a quilt pattern.

Thanks to sister Luanna, for sending the sweet photo from many years ago, our trip to Statue of Liberty when she was a young teenager living with us one summer...

Happy Fathers

Non-denominational video here!

I have a garden, because my dad believed in gardening, and insisted we children did our share of weeding and harvesting.

I love music, because my dad loves to sing, sings REALLY well, he funded piano lessons, was encouraging, and played records for us.

I love the scriptures, because my dad read them aloud in a sober, soothing, awed and reverent authoritative voice.

I love Star Trek, because I watched original TV episodes with him!

I love my mom because my dad loved her first, and best!  He taught me what a good man does, how he is polite, a gentleman, a hard worker, a friend.

I wish I had a picture of my husband at age 18 sitting at a BYU science fiction con banquet table (featuring Scott Card) with my dad, talking about me.  Defining historical moments, right there.  John feels like that was when he clearly let my dad know that he was interested in me, in a very serious, permanent kind of way (before we started dating!).  It was important to me that my dad approved of my boyfriend/fiance/husband.

My children are funny, because their dad is FUNNY!
My children are tall, with good strong fingernails (most of them) and good teeth, because of the genetic code from their dad.

My children are articulate & word-powerful, because of their dad.

My children are nurturers, care-givers, sensitive to others, service-oriented, loving, kind, because of their dad.

My children have computer skills because of their dad.

My children are amazing and growing up and out of the house quickly, and that is ok...

...since I will be happy hanging out with their dad!

Thank you to all the dads in my life!  Love you!  Honor to you, and your fathers...

Happy Father's Day 2013

School Mural

"Before" pictures are important, to give you an idea of the dramatic change a mural can make...

Kind of cute, not very scary.

It was an early dismissal day for elementary students, so I didn't have the traffic flow through the lobby.  Except for curious teachers coming to admire my progress and comment.  I had a grimmace smile going, trying to not mind the interruptions and be pleasant.  Sometimes I hear someone has said something to me but it doesn't register or connect with my mouth to be social back in time.  Painting changes time, changes how I listen to people.  Hard to start talking when working intensely.  I started at 1:30, left the school at 6:30 pm, after applying 2 coats of sealer.  (Read my Ender's lost years book and ate cheesecake while I waited for coats to dry.) 

Most time consuming was prepping the wall that had been destroyed by duct tape. Not a plesant thing to discover sticky residue, paint pulled from wall in spots, down to wallboard cardboard unprimed yucky.

My favorite part:  on the far left are front paw prints, BIG, bigger than my hands-silly.  THAT would be a squirrel to fear!

Amazing Bible Study Students

Class ended a week ago.  All of these 8 students ( + 1 that had to leave early before photo) received credit for the year, New Testament. 

I had 3 seniors graduate from our class. We will miss them next year--at least 3 new students in the fall.  Sleeping in until 6 am is luxurious!

Congratulations!

Our family meeting spot:  Grandpa's picture.  He was inducted into the Aberdeen High alumni Hall of Fame.  You can't see it very well, but his Atomic Buttercup truck is on the rifht side, under the drape.

THIS was the moment, seeing Stewart, Max, Roxie (her head is just behind Stewart's neck) and knowing Suzanna was coming down the hall any moment--that I intensely missed our daughter, Emmalyn, and her sweetie.  Wished they were here with us.   Nostalgia, memories, repeated graduations (this was our 4th one)...that brought all the tears for me.

 

Grandpa John PHOTO-BOMB!

Lots of hugs.

One of the funniest things Suzanna did this week was Monday night, before graduation.  We were trying to family schedule-counsel, and she would insert at every pause, "Back to me" and talk about something else she needed.  Better than a birthday?  She was clear in her communication that she really would like us to get her flowers.  And we went to Johnny's Sushi after the ceremony, across the river and got their biggest Love Boat entre (that we consumed in minutes-wonderful stuff!)  For the record, Sam loves sushi.

Hair

Hair for under the cap!  Braided crown.

Bright fun cousin hair!

Billie got a haircut!

Three Johns with various beard lengths.  John-Dad's trimmed, J. Stewart's 3 day work growth, Johnny's longest it has been getting longer for authentic Pioneer Trek look...

Short buzz Max hair and Stewart hat hair...

LONG Roxie hair!

More cousin TALL hair!

Learning from My Children

Thank you, Emmalyn+Dean for an amazing mixer attatchment, the spatula mixer blade.  I just made the best frosting I have ever, ever made, using this cool tool and the recipe from May 2013 House Beautiful Coconut Cake, (okay, well I tweaked it, added cocoa powder for the birthday boy, but did everything else, buttermilk, heavy whipping cream, coconut milk, etc) letting cream cheese & butter mix for 5 minutes made super fluffy, wonderful, light frosting.  Adding salt was interesting addition, plus the 3 TBSP vanilla--thanks, too, for the Kirkland good stuff!

Happy Birthday celebrating John-Dad's birthday today with this 4 layer creation!  (recipe suggested 6 layers!  All the better to taste more of this great frosting!)

Meanwhile, as I let the cake cool, I finished up Suzanna's graduation white shoes.  The girls have to wear white dresses and white shoes.  Suzanna showed me some pictures on line of oxford bootie shoes, costing more than I have budgeted for this month.  Found a $5.00 thrift store bargain, spray painted white and then decopauged white& gray patterned tissue paper from Emmalyn+Dean's wedding.  Looks lacy.  Highly textured.  Hopefully she will be happy with them.

She was a great sport this morning as we walked 3 miles, up and down the big hill on the way to Church, from Herb's on the Curb to the sign on top.  Super steep.  Feeling the pain in my thighs as I go up and down stairs today.  All for Trek training. We have 2 weeks left to get ready!  Suzanna even took off running down the hill.