Moccasin and Grand Canyon camp out...Brrr!

Got to stop by a job where Paul and Bean are building a fireplace for the Kaibab Paiute Tribe.  I love to see how a master can take what looks like a pile of rocks and turn it into something beautiful.  I also got to meet the little town of Moccasin which is nearby.  

We left from there to go camping out on the Kaibab close to Jacob's Lake and near the view points of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  It was beautiful but pretty cold!  Paul is also a master at camp cooking and the food was great!  

This was a fun new discovery!

Halloween 2018, Eliza # 6 and Ryan?

Paul, Bean and I did the YSA Stake party and then on Halloween night we went to a movie since no one comes to Trick-or-Treat at our house anymore because of the neighborhood trunk-or-treats.  I did Halloween with 84 kids at school and then on the way home I caught up with Moss Christie and Eliza to wish her a happy birthday in a building Moss was measuring for work!  You do what you can when life is crazy busy!  We also got Ryan's birthday in there somewhere!

Mom's funeral and graveside and Corona Del Mar

A lot of flying back and forth went on during October to visit, help with, have the funeral and then lay Mom to rest in California.  We also managed to visit with lots of family and even celebrate Jay's birthday during all of this time.

Aunt Georgia's family put on a lovely luncheon after the graveside in California.  I didn't get many pics at the lunch.  It was so good to see Denny and Gordon's families at both of these places.  We don't see them much, but they are wonderful people.  Mom had a way in life of keeping everyone connected and funerals have a way of doing it after people are gone.  

Paul and I arrived several hours earlier than Janet and Marilynne for the graveside and took the time to go to Corona Del Mar - the beach of my youth and our first date.  It was such a nice chance to just relax amid all of the happenings.  And after it was all over we went to get Paul a new phone (he dropped his in a tide pool at the beach) and then visited the Cheesecake Factory for dinner.  

Paul was trying to take a picture of this little fish when he got his phone in the water at the beach.  

Together again...Mom and Dad

Together again...my sweet, loving, amazing mom is now with my dad again.  How wonderful for them!  They were sweethearts here for 56 years.  He's been waiting for her for quite a while.  She was 96 years old when she returned to her eternal home on October 14, 2018.  The months preceding her passing were filled with visits from loved ones.  We will miss her dearly, but what a blessing to know that we will all be together again.  It keeps us going through the tough times.  I'm so thankful for the wonderful mom she has been to me.  (This was my Facebook post soon after mom's passing.)  And then life got so crazy that I haven't been able to put down words until here it is, almost her birthday.  I wish I had been able to do it sooner.  I was actually at the airport the moment Mom passed.  

When I got word, I wrote this:  Sunday, October 14th, 2018 - Left for the flight for Pasco to SLC at 3:12 pm with Tony.  Marilynne called to let me know Mom was gone at 3:55.  I said my goodbye/I love you before I left.  We were hoping she would not have to linger much longer.  Saturday she was still with us and reacting to our talking to her and to music and pain.  Today she never "woke up" and her breathing was labored and rattling.  Friday she still had a few words here and there and facial expression to our conversation with her.  All in all, it was only a couple of weeks of this hard stuff.  She was such a great mom.  I'm so happy she's with Dad and Weed and oh so many others who love her.  Love you Mom.  Our prayers were answered that she could go as soon as it was in line with Heavenly Father's will and not linger and suffer.  We will miss her prayers for us here.  I know she will be working to hlep us from where she is now.

Here's what my Patriarchal blessing says about my mom and dad:  "You have been born to goodly parents.  A sweet and loving mother and a kind and understanding father...Our Father in Heaven kept you for many years in heaven until He could find the choice and wonderful parents for you.  Your mother and father are one of the greatest blessings that you could have."  And they truly were that.  

Janet and Tony had this lovely picture taken of Mom a few Christmas's ago.  

Me at the beach with Mom and Dad.

Easter/General Conference trip to see Mom 2018 - she was still doing very well then.

Marilynne, Janet, me and Denny.  Gordon is already there to welcome Mom.   

I got to spend some time with Mom when Janet and Tony had to go out of town.  Ian Toomey was there too.  I was pretty worried about going, but it ended up being such a sweet time to spend together.  

I put this picture last though it is a few years old taken while our sweet Lenae was still with us and Mom came down for a visit.  Knowing Weed is there to welcome Mom is one thing that really makes me happy. How nice for both of them to see each other again.  They are two of the best people I know.  

Catching some Fall

Fall is "in the air" and getting away from us.  We put together a picnic on a week night and make a trip to Pine Valley.  It's lower and just getting started there.  It was so nice to have all of the campers gone and just enjoy the quiet and fresh air.  We ate our picnic and then took a hike up the canyon and found some leaves starting to change there!  The sunset on the way down was spectacular too.

Saturday we headed up to Cedar Mountain.  In the higher elevations we were too late, but there was still some lovely stuff down lower.  It was beautiful and we enjoyed another picnic in the beautiful scenery.  The pics don't do it justice since they are drive by shots.