Happy Birthday Sweetheart!!

I sure hope that this day has been special for you.  You have truly brought much joy to my life and the adventure has been wonderful.  Today I want you to know that I love you dearly and thank my Father in Heaven for leading our paths to each other.  You have been a fantastic husband and the world's greatest father and grandfather.  Boy!! are our grandchildren lucky to have you for their grandfather. You are loving and caring and make each of them feel like they are the most important person in your life.  I love you for that!!  Thanks for being the love of my life. 

Happy Birthday Kelson

Dear Kelson,
I know that your birthday was last Friday and YES I have been thinking about you all week.  Thanks for choosing our family to come to.  You have brought many talents with you and hopefully you are developing them to improve your life. 

I remember well the day you finally arrived and as I stood outside of the operating room anticipating your arrival my heart was racing and I could hardly wait for the wailing of a newborn little boy.  Finally that sound came and my heart leaped for joy and then I could hardly wait to hold you in my arms. 

When it was time for you and Mommy to leave the hospital, you got to come to my house for 10 days as Mommy was not in any condition to take care of you alone.  I got to spoil you and you loved to sleep in my water bed.  I would have to rock the bed all night long or you would fuss and cry.  It was not to fun trying to keep that bed rocking and still try to sleep.  Finally the day came when it was time for you, Mom and Dad to go to your own home and then my heart was heavy cause my house was so quiet and my bed did not have to rock all night long.

I love you Kelson and hope that the world is treating you well.  Take care and hopefully we will get to see you real soon.  I hope that your birthday was extra special because you deserve special days.

Love,
Grandma

One Hour In Brigham City.....

Today my sweet friend was laid to rest in the Brigham City Cemetery and we went to her grave to say goodbye to her.  As we were driving into the cemetery, there was this little girl leaning against a tree crying.  Quickly we looked around and noticed that no one was there except for a man cleaning grass from around a headstone and another man doing the final work on the grave of DeEsta.  We had passed the little girl and Dick suddenly stopped and said that he thought she was lost.  We backed up and the sight was so sad as she stood there with tears running down her face. 

I jumped out of the truck and started to talk with her.  She was seven and from Logan and her name was Bethany Gunther and her Daddy's name was Jake.  They had come for the funeral of her great great grandmother.  She wanted to know if we could take her to the church where her family was cause she knew that they were there and if we would take her she would recognize her Daddy's car.

Being that the world is not safe anymore for some stranger to take a child in their vehicle, I called 911 and told them about this little girl and asked for an officer to come get her.  They asked me to please stay with her until help came which I reassured them I would.  Within just a few minutes an officer came and so gently talked with her and took some information from me.  I told him where the church was that the dinner was being held at and where the grandfather lived.  He put her in his car and buckled her in and we left. 

My heart was aching for this little girl and I wanted to hold her close and let her know that she was safe.  As I was getting into the truck, I had a warm fuzzy feeling and tingled from head to toe.  I know that DeEsta was standing there with Bethany and she was thanking me for taking care of her granddaughter.  Child and parents were reunited thanks to this wonderful officer.

We went on our way and headed to do some shopping at Kent's for a birthday dinner on Thursday.  As I was walking our of Kent's, I looked across the street and there was a car that had crashed into a building, a bumper in the middle of the road and another car sitting in the parking lot without a bumper.  All sorts of officers, ambulance and firetruck were coming.  One officer was the same one that had come to rescue our little friend.  What a busy day he was having.

We went for a short ride on the east side of town and when we were coming down Main Street to go home, lo and behold this same officer was talking with some woman.  She was really not dressed for our summer weather and must have been out in space a little.  She was dressed in a knit hat, a heavy sweater and was pulling two suitcases.  We had seen her earlier a few blocks away when we were washing our truck.

All of this happened in less than one hour.  Sure am glad that we have the officers that we do and thank them for the outstanding job that they do to keep our community safe.

Sweet Dreams...

What a perfect day we had at Grandpa & Grandma's.  Sweet Dreams everyone!!!

This Is The Place Heritage Park

Today we went to This Is The Place Heritage Park and had family day with Kelly, Canyon and Evan.  I have lived in Utah the majority of my life and never visited this fantastic park.  There are so many things to do and see that tells about the early pioneers that settled the Salt Lake Valley.  We only got to participate in a small portion of the events, but had a ball with what we did get to see and do.

This Is the Place Monument

Modern clothing vs. 1800's clothing

Pioneer bonnet

Riding horses

What lucky people we were!!! being on the same street in the park when they had the cannon candy shoot.

Look at the load of candy that these two picked up from the cannon.

Thanks Gramps for letting us use your hat to collect all this candy.  Boy isn't the dentist going to be happy when we go back for our check ups. 

Going for ice cream cones!!!

I think that Evan's nose is growing!!!

Madsen children at the Madsen Furniture Store

My great, great, great, great grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Johnson was the first person to have a saddlery shop in the Salt Lake Valley.  This is a replica of his shop and some of the items that were used in the shop. 

This is a picture of him and his seven wives.  Our family comes through the second wife, Mary Ann Hale.

Canyon ready for a shave and haircut.  Boy!! look at those scissors that this barber wants to use to cut his hair.  Canyon just about was ready to get out of the chair at this point, but was a good sport and let the barber entertain us.

Soaping the face...

Cutting off the whiskers....

Oh boy, almost done...

Let's check the teeth to see if any are loose...

...thinking that one might need pulled with this handy, dandy piece of equipment.

We had so much fun and can hardly wait to go back when Derek gets home.  We plan to spend the entire day as there is just to much to see in half of a day.  We will go early and stay till close!!!

This was a perfect day and ended with watching the fireworks in Brigham City.

Oldie Pictures....

Kelly just had these taken on base last week.

Love these pictures!!!

Little bare feet trying to tell a story...

I want to go shopping...No, no we are

 playing baseball!!!

Canyon get your gun...

Evan wants to go out...

Canyon the Great!!!

Tea party for two...

Happy Birthday Wendy

Happy Birthday on this your anniversary of your birth.  It has been fun to have you in our family and to have you for a daughter.  You have brought much happiness to our lives and we are thankful that you chose our family to be yours. 

I remember the first time that I met you, just before your 10th birthday, and how totally I fell in love with you.  You had the bluest eyes and the blondest hair and a cute little round face with a smile that would melt anyone's heart. I loved to fix your hair and dress you like a princess (now you have to fight the little PRINCESS for that title) then take you out for the day so everyone could see how adorable all my girls were. Ringlets, ruffles and lace were the going thing back then and that I could do well. 

Thanks for letting me be part of your life.  Have a very wonderful birthday and may all your wishes come true.