Smart Family Reunion - July 15-16, 2009

Photos:

Daran & LoriAnn (the "navy blue" family)

Whitnee, Savannah, Scotty, Morgan

Daralyn & Shane (the "black" family)

Brooke, Rylee, Jordan, Amber, Kamryn

Kelly & Bob (the "maroon" family)

Matthew, Kori, Brenden, Ammon

Jaime & Brandon (the "gray" family)

Hadlee, Jessica, Miles

Jeff & Nicole (the "forest green" family)

Michael

We met at Moose Spring Lodge in Oxford and started our "Family Olympics" games. This was a combined Cousin's Camp and Family Reunion with a Family Olympics theme. We played lots of games - kids games and older people games. Many of the games for the older folk had a family history theme. We included Jeff & Nicole over the cell phone because we didn't want to leave them out. WE MISSED THEM!!!

Daran and LoriAnn fixed a delicious dutch oven dinner and a wonderful breakfast the next morning. After cleaning of the lodge, we headed to Twin Lakes for a day in Shane and Daralyn's boat.

Lots of fun!!! Our family gets along so good and everyone is so close. We took family pictures in their shirts. The guys weren't too thrilled to have to wear the shirts, but they did it for mom! Grandpa and I had "aquatic blue" shirts.....we just didn't get our photo taken.

I plan to do "Cousin's Camp" like this again.....lots of adult help, parents watched their kids, and parents bedded them down, too. We have actually 14 kids who qualify for Cousin's Camp now and that is a lot of kids for grandma and grandpa to watch and to trash our house!

The Hershey Kisses

This has been a busy summer for our singing group, "The Hershey Kisses". (We named ourselves that because of the addiction of all of our group to CHOCOLATE!!!) Our group has been together for about 4 years now, and we have a blast! The members are: Sopranos, Roxane Beutler and Lisa Sears; Second Sopranos, Katie Mumford, Janis Buttars (and Corliss Whitehead who is currently serving a mission); Altos, Kelly Ballif (my daughter!), Carol Beutler, and ME! Accompanists are myself, Kelly, and Lisa. Lisa also plays guitar and Kelly has done some accompanying on her clarinet.

We had a neat experience on July 10th. We were invited to sing at the "Noon Music in the Tabernacle" at the Logan Tabernacle. We put on a 50 minute program to lots of people who really enjoyed our music. It was so fun to sing in that special building. The accoustics were awesome. We got tons of compliments.....in fact we were invited back to perform on the "Encore" program on August 14th. What an honor! The tabernacle was packed full that evening. We performed "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and had a blast.

These ladies are the best singers from our area and I am just thrilled to be able to sing with them. We are all good friends and have such fun at our practices. We also perform for various Relief Society groups, Book Club groups, DUP Conventions, and we do lots of performing at Christmas time, also making sure to sing for the elderly at the Nursing Home and Heritage Homes. We have to turn down requests to sing sometimes which I feel badly about.

Yes, singing (and accompanying) the Hershey Kisses is definitely a highlight of my life! Our theme song is called "Chocolate" which audiences really love!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

The big 6-0 today.....oh man, am I old! Can't believe that I am now an official sexagenarian. (Now don't get excited. That is a person in their 60's.)

Tuesday we bought a new car from Claire Westover. I am calling it my birthday present. It is a 2006 Buick Lucerne and it is loaded! I've never owned a nicer car. It has seats that get cold or warm on your back and rear. And, this thing I really love, dual temperature controls in the front. So now Wayne can set his side at 71 degrees and I can set mine at 69 for my 24/7 hot flash that I seem to be having. The car is white with kind of a gray interior and looks brand new. We are excited! Our current car was a 1997. If we keep going the way we have been, our next car will be a 2019.

I'm not even depressed to reach 60. My parents died in their 40's so each additional year, or decade, is a bonus to me!!! Also, Happy Birthday to my ancient brother, Colin, who turns 66 tomorrow.

I Sinned In The Pre-Existence!

I am convinced that I did, and must have really done a good one, because God gave me allergies and sent me to live on a farm!

I sort of thought I'd get away without them this year because they started almost a month late. (I usually get them by Memorial Day) We had three straight weeks of rain which delayed them but also allowed those tall grasses to grow much taller than normal.

Well, to make a long story short, THE GRASSES ARE HERE AND DOING WELL, and my eyes are suffering bigtime. I took an allergy pill earlier this morning and have been wiped out all day.

Think I need to move to San Diego.......perfect climate, and no tall farm grasses! The problem goes away when I go to the city - even Preston! I could live in a condo in San Diego overlooking the ocean. I could even be packed and out of here by tomorrow................

Mother's Day 2009

Yesterday was Mother's Day. Not the easiest day of the year for me, I'm afraid. First, we go to church and hear all the beautiful tributes to mother's and that makes me feel guilty because I think I could have been a better mom in many ways. Despite their mother's debatable example, my girls have turned into good homemakers. They all like to cook, I think, and are good housekeepers. They are wonderful mothers, but I KNOW that they can't love their kids more than I did. It's also a hard day as I still miss my own mother very much, even though she passed away almost 40 years ago.

So many people comment on how great our kids have turned out, so we must have done something right. I often joke that we brought the wrong ones home from the hospital. (I wonder how my own biological children are doing?) Yes, the Lord just blessed us with special GOOD kids who turned out regardless of how their parents raised them.

Daran taught me to always look on the positive side of things. I recall his comments when coming home after school to a mom who was "couch-ridden" because of complications of pregnancy with my youngest......"Hi, mom - have you had a good day?" He even remembered to call and wish me "Happy Mother's Day" last night.

Daralyn - actually the child that I do claim. She went to school for the same reason that her mom did.....to have fun! Daralyn is beautiful - inside and out! So sweet and willing to give to and help her siblings and friends in many ways.

Kelly - the child we wondered if we'd live through raising - and now probably our most loving child. I think Kelly finally decided it was okay to be a girl. She hated getting her hair done and loved to climb trees. She had us worried sick at 2:00 a.m. when she was out delivering cookies to ask a guy (Bob) to MORP. She "didn't think it was that late."

Jaime - our resident blonde. Always good for a laugh with her comments. A 4.0 student at school with the nickname of "Not So". Brandon literally "robbed the cradle" with this one - she stayed for free in our hotel room the night before her wedding - but the only thing I'd change about her now is moving her closer to home! I miss her!!!

Then there is baby Jeff - the one the siblings say was spoiled rotten and got away with everything! They are probably right. A harder worker there never was, though. I used to say he was his father's slave-driver. He didn't like to stand around not working while his dad talked! He now has a clone, his nephew Matthew. But, Jeff turned out great and is soon to be our first doctor in the family.....too bad he didn't go out in geriatrics!

I love these kids!!! Being their mother has been the greatest gift in my life. I only hope they remember this tribute when it comes time to put mom in "the home". All I require in their homes is a room of my own with a t.v., bathroom handy, regular meals, and no stairs!!!

I'm Not Gloating.....Just Really Proud!!!

In our school district we have had a competition for the Fine Arts for 10 years which I have been co-chairman of along with a good friend, Mary Jane Penrod. It is known as the "West Side Fine Arts Competition" and has 5 divisions the high school-aged kids can enter in.....Piano, Vocal, Instrumental, Art-Painting, and Art-Drawing. The 1st and 2nd place winners receive savings bonds and plaques. This competition has been held in our small choir room in the Fine Arts Building for 10 years but will now move to our beautiful new auditorium which should be completed this summer.
During the past years I have tried to encourage my older piano students to enter the competition. Some have willingly done it, some consented almost at the point of a gun, and some flatly refused. Anyway, I have had several of my piano students score very well so this is the reason for this boastful blog!
2000 - Jaclyn Cox, a former student, took 2nd Place
2000 - (I don't take credit for this but my son, Jeff, took 2nd place in the Instrumental Division with his Alto Saxophone)
2001 - Cami Mumford took 2nd Place
2002- Cami Mumford took 1st Place
2004 - Candice Whitehead took 1st Place
2006 - Lacy Ralphs took 1st Place
2007 - Brynne Cook took 2nd Place
2008 - Josie Dansie took 1st Place
2008 - Brynne Cook took 2nd Place
2009 - Lori Mumford took 1st Place
According to my math, that is 5 1st Place winners in 10 years.....maybe I will brag! You see, I don't have a music degree from a university and I charge $25.00 a month for lessons while several of the 2nd place winners pay around $75.00 a month from accomplished teachers with music degrees. I have found that the judges don't necessarily look for the most difficult piece played, they just want the piece played well and that is what these students of mine have done.
So, forgive me for bragging but I am proud! I plan to do the competition for another year when we are in our new auditorium (with a BEAUTIFUL YAMAHA CONCERT GRAND PIANO.....9 foot 6 inch.....which will be a thrill for anyone to play) then turn my position over to someone else and hopefully go on a mission with Wayne.

The Week The Cows Left Home

Monday, February 2nd, our dairy cows were sold into the dairy buyout program, and since then life with my retired dairy farmer, Wayne, has been interesting. Here are some of the things that could be heard around our home on Tuesday, the first full day of his retirement.....

(Wayne - 5:00 a.m.) "I can't get back to sleep". (Carolyn) "You could go start cleaning out the den!" (Wayne - 8:00 a.m.) "Are we going to have breakfast?" (Carolyn) "It's not noon yet! We never eat until noon." (Wayne - 10:00 a.m.) "The phone is ringing." (Carolyn) "I've answered it for 32 years.....it's your turn now!" (Wayne - 12:00 noon) "Isn't it time for lunch?" (Carolyn) "We just ate breakfast! I'm never going to lose weight!!!" (Wayne - 5:00 p.m.) "I think I'll go to the road show practice with you." (Carolyn) "I think you're bored!" (Wayne - 5:05 p.m.) "Are we going to eat dinner first?" (Carolyn) "I think I'll look for a job."

We have managed to keep very busy this past month - a city council meeting, four adult education classes on Isaiah, four temple sessions, a couple of movies, two trips to Salt Lake, numerous road show events, and a 7 day vacation to Las Vegas and Southern Utah. We do miss our cows, however. I wonder how long that will last?

Enjoy some photos of Wayne in one of his final milkings, and the cows being loaded into trailors for the trip to Preston, then on to an appointment with the "grim reaper" in Salt Lake.