Family Picture 55 years

later.

We started the day with a wonderful breakfast at Gary and Lynn's.  

 Tom played Gary and Lynn's beautiful piano.

Richard read us some of his amazing poetry.

 

Then we watched some old family movies and took a few naps.

We ended the day with by going to dinner and discussing the disastrous presidential election season and whether they should do away with 3 point shots in basketball (Richard thought they should).

I always love the time with my family.

Throwback Tuesday . . . Family Picture in 1960

Dad, Mom, Richard, Tom, Lynn, Gary,
Charlene, Me

I love this picture.  The caption on it say it is the day Gary and Lynn announced they were expecting Chuck.    

"Wicker has

been the bane of my existence," said Gary, after I brought these home from D.I. ($5)

Why, you may wonder, is wicker the bane of his existence?  Because there are wicker baskets hanging from the ceiling in the DEEP (storage area) and he bumps his head on them when he is getting boxes down for me.  

I say:  If wicker is the biggest "bane of his existence," then he has a pretty easy and carefree life.

It was Natalie and Trent's

1 year anniversary on Monday, and we got to babysit our grand-bird for a couple of days.  I have to admit, she is pretty cute and pretty spoiled.   I felt guilty not holding her if I was home, so I did a lot of vegging over the weekend.  

Throwback Tuesday . . . 1949

A short

but very fun 1 night trip to Wendover with our high school friends.  First there was golf for the guys while the 4 women who were there went to lunch and talked for 4 hours straight.

Then a buffet dinner and the Beach Boys tribute group at the concert hall.

Doug and Duke were our car mates, and it was a very entertaining and lively discussion, somewhat reminiscent of the "Odd Couple".

We are blessed to be friends for for than 50 years and feel we can pretty much say anything to each other, and if you don't agree you set them straight.   Lots of fun.

Throwback Thursday . . . 1948

Annie turns 11

years old today!  

Following is my interview with Annie that was taken in December.

Something this year you are happy about?   Made the AAU basketball team again.

Favorite food:  Ice cream, Reese's peanut butter cups.  (This is a change -- it used to be watermelon!)

Favorite Lunch or Dinner?  Pizza

Favorite sport?  Basketball

What love about your family?  They love me.  Play sports with me.  Buy things for me.  Drive me around.  

Favorite color?  Yellow

Where feel most spiritual?  Sacrament meeting

Where do you think you will be in 10 years?  In college at BYU.

In 20 years?  Married with 4 kids - 3 boys (Jacob, Charlie, Colby) and 1 girl (Emma).   I would be 1 day older than my husband, be living in Utah, and have a dog.   

What would your perfect day look like?  Wake up, go to my friend Ava's house, watch a Harry Potter marathon, write a song about a chiwawa's, go back home and have a family basketball game at the gym with all the Idiarts and Nadaulds, go to Dairy Queen and invite my friends to come to my house for a movie party and me and Ava perform the Chiwawa song in front of them.  Then me and my friends get on a plane and go to Disneyland, go on all the rides, go back home to talk and hang around eating candy and soda.  Go to Olive Garden for dinner, but right before go to bed get on another plane and come to Utah to visit grandma and grandpa and friends and have a sleepover.  

Favorite movie:  "Once I Was a Beehive."

Favorite books:  Shiloh, Harry Potter (1st one), Secret Zoo. 

What celebrity would you like to talk to?  Michael Jordan.  I would ask him if I could play one-on-one with him and if he would let me win.

Who would you like to talk to who is no longer alive?  Grandma and Grandpa Anderson and Grandma and Grandpa Ashton.

As you can gather from the interview, Annie is full of life and love.   She is having her party tomorrow with 25 friends, eating waffles with buttermilk syrup, and playing "win or or lose it" games.  It shouldn't surprise you that Annie has 25 friends of all ages that she wanted to invite!

We love you, Annie, and wish we could be there to give you a big hug, but this picture will have to do.  Happy Birthday!

Throwback Tuesday . . . 1947

Gary has been

obsessed with the thought that the trees in our front yard are too big.   For years he has wanted to cut them up, but I refuse to do that.  Then all you see is the ugly underbelly of the tree, and the roots that are above ground would still be a problem.   (By cutting them up, I mean cutting all the lower branches off so the limbs are not low enough to get in the way of anything)

I'm just about ready to give an OK to have the bushes by the porch pulled out.  I've loved having the feeling of being in a forest when looking out front from both inside and outside the of the house.  But, it is not as attractive looking out of the window anymore because there is so much deadwood.

So as I sat I on the porch yesterday, I was trying to visualize the view without the trees and bushes.

Here is the view walking up to the house.  

Imagine the trees on the right and the big tree on the left gone.  

Here is the view sitting on the swing.

Here is the view sitting on the porch.

Here's the view from the living room.

Here is the view standing in front of the big tree, 

which is what the view would be when sitting on the porch with the big tree gone.

Here is a view of the front porch from the front of the house.

As I look at these pictures, I don't think I want them gone.  I'm afraid it would look sterile.  But as far as I'm concerned, cutting them down would still be better than cutting them up.   

Opinions?   

2nd Cousins

Today we went up to Salt Lake and had lunch with our 2nd cousins, Cheryl Dee and Marcia, from California.  Our grandmothers were sisters, which made our mothers first cousins. 

The first thing both of them said to me was that they keep up with our family activities on my blog.  I told them that was a little scary.  It makes me realize that I better show a little more well rounded picture of my life -- I really do more than bake cupcakes!  They wondered if this picture would be on the blog.  Of course!

When I was growing up and the family would visit Gary and Lynn in California, we would always stop by to visit their parents, Lottie and Dee, who lived close to Gary and Lynn.  Gary even served as a counselor in a bishopric with Dee.  It so happens that I just scanned in a picture of the bishopric for Gary's history.

Dee is in the middle, Gary on the right.

 When we went down to Christine's funeral in 1993, Charlene and I stayed at Lottie and Dee's home. They were always so gracious, and I remember Lottie showing us the family history mementos they had in the guest room.

It was wonderful meeting today for lunch, and I feel blessed to share not only friendship, but also our common heritage.

Throwback Thursday . . . 1946

I've held on to

these pans for, oh maybe 25 years.

 I tired them once, years ago, and it was a disaster.  I decided to try them again, and if they didn't work, I would just get rid of them.

I followed the recipe on the box, and though the dough still spilled out of a couple of them, they actually worked pretty well.  They make a very dense bread that can be used as an appetizer or a canape (I have no idea how to pronounce that).

 I surprised Gary with heart shaped ones topped with MUSTARD, salami, and cheese.  He loved them, mostly because they had MUSTARD.

Anyway, I now have a bag of cute star-shaped bread that I can top with whatever I want for a fun 4th of July appetizer.

So, I guess I won't get rid of the pans after all.

Throwback Tuesday . . . 1945

I've spent a

ridiculous amount of time setting up my 4th of July this year.

It all started when I saw a white cabinet at DI for $7.  I wasn't sure what I would do with it, but I thought it would be fun for something.

Then, I have the red candy machine that Trent and Natalie gave me.  Perfect for the 4th of July.




Then, last week while talking with Natalie and Trent, we remembered the U.S. Postage Stamp vending machine that we've held on to for 45 years.  I pulled it out, and it makes a great 4th of July decoration.

(Explanation:  When Gary was in high school, his Mom bought 10 of these stamp machines and placed them in businesses.  Gary's job was to refill them and collect the money.   I remember going with him numerous times to the Holiday Inn and other places to do just that).

Anyway, even though I have spent a ridiculous amount of time,

 I have also had a ridiculously fun time setting everything up.  

Today we had a luncheon for the 3 ladies we visit teach, so we set up a 4th of July table.

 Last year I didn't do 4th of July at all, 

But then again, last year the sunroom was decorated like this. 

Decorating for the 4th of July is much more relaxing.