Reflections of 2011

Monday, December 26, 2011

This is the time of year that I look back with cherish memories and celebrate life, health, family, and good friends.  Family is a BIG part of my life all year long.  There is nothing sweeter than being with family. We seem to grow closer during the holidays.

Last Christmas we broke the tradition of staying home and spent the Christmas Holiday in the Northwest. We were able to spend with daughter Michelle & her husband Brad during the holidays, in Troutdale, OR. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day was spent with son Paul and his family in Ashland, OR.  Son-in-law Brad Gerttula, was our pilot on Skywest as we flew to Medford, OR where son Paul Stone picked us up.  He drove us over to where he and Roxanne worked and then we all drove to Ashland,OR together.                                                                                                       

 We were also able to visit with long time friends Lynn and Ann Humble, who live in a suburb or Portland.

On January 1^st we attended granddaughter Nichole Catlett’s marriage to Justin Wamsley. What a beautiful wedding and reception it was.  Nichole was a beautiful bride. 

February 1^st we experienced firsthand “The Snow and Ice Storm of the Century” as we were driving from Missouri to Tucson, AZ to visit daughter Kim and her children. We were held up in a hotel room at Shepherd Air Force Base for two days and even then we probably shouldn’t have left as the roads were extremely dangerous. 

In April, our daughter Michelle and her husband Brad gave us an early Mother’s Day gift and Father’s Day gift by inviting us to go with Michelle to see our son Michael, his wife Carrie and their three children in Germany. It was a joy to be with our family in Europe. Michael and Carrie showed us as much of the area as possible, in the short time we were there. A highlight was an activity called “Tree to Tree”, where Michael, Michelle, Richard and Douglas climbed up wooden rope ladders to different aerial obstacle courses.  There were four different courses: Green, Blue, Red, and Black Diamond.    All of them got progressively more difficult. The different elements contain as many mental challenges as physical ones.

In June we made a trip to Salt Lake City for Grandson Josh’s McIff’s high school graduation. 

In July we flew to Salt Lake City for three different family reunions. We so enjoyed seeing several family members and watching the little cousins play together. One of our grandchildren said “I didn’t know we had such a big family”.  So cute.

We also met with a Real Estate agent who spent the day showing us homes for sale, as we were thinking about moving back to the Salt Lake City area. 

After return to our home in Missouri in July, we were looking on the internet and found a condo in the same Utah condo complex that we used to live.  We made an offer on it that very day.  It was countered and we accepted the offer by Sunday. On Monday, Richard was on a plane again to take the earnest money to our agent. He had to stay a few days until the inspection was done. 

August was a BIG month for us.  Our son-in-law Sean was in a serious motorcycle accident in UT. He spent 3 weeks in the U of U hospital, but we are happy to report that he is doing better now and is back working again. We also attended Grandson Ryan Sant’s Eagle Scout Award Ceremony, as well as his Mission Farewell to Argentina. By the end of August, we had moved back to Utah. 

November  From November 2^nd to the 14^th we were given an early Christmas Gift. A trip to Dusseldorf, Germany and Paris, France.  We were gone almost two week.  It was relaxing,fun, and  educational .  Seeing the Eiffel Tower was amazing.  We were able to go all the way to the top.

December:  We will be having different family members staying in our home from December 14^th to January 6^th. My Daughter Lori and her two girls Kadin and Kaia arrived on Dec 14th.  We had fun making decorating cookies, going to see the lights at the Zoo, attending a Dance Recital for Granddaughter Emerson Wares.  Lori's husband Sean got here on Dec 18th.  My daughter Michelle arrived here on the Dec 22nd and her husband Brad arrived on the 23rd.  Michael arrived in SLC on the 22nd and Carrie and the children, Douglas, Annaliese and Ava had came in earlier and was staying with her mother. On the night of Dec 23rd, Michael, Carrie & family, Michelle & Brad and Richard and I all went to see the lights on Temple Square.  They were so beautiful. 

December 24th, was extra special this year.  Michelle and Brad had gotten each of their nieces and nephews two gifts each.  They had put a lot of time and effort thinking about each child and what gift they might want.  We arranged for everyone to meet here at noon, and let Michelle and Brad give their gifts to the children so they could watch them play with whatever they had gotten them.  Michelle said it was her best Christmas ever, watching those little children play together.  Every single gift they gave was exactly what the children wanted.  It was a thrill to watch.  

Richard had invited three of his children and their families over in the afternoon.  Tiffany came with her three children.  Her husband Jeff was still in flight from Canada.  Wendy and Lance came with Tyson, Dakota,and Payten.  Charlie came as well as a very dear friend to Richard, Jan Mayer and his friend Beverly.  So we had in our home at one time 29 people with 16 adults and 13 children.  What a joy to have them all around. 

It is our Faith, Family, and Friends that sustain us in our lives, no matter what else is happening in the world. We are so grateful for all the friends and family that support and love us.