First Concert

Ruth and Lincoln performed tonight in their first concert of the school year.  My pictures aren't great but you get the idea!  I don't know much about Highland High but their music program is phenomenal and Ruth and Lincoln definitely are at the top of their game when it comes to being a part of it.

Cemetery Visit

After a painful morning I decided that we needed to get out and go for a ride.  I have wanted for a long time to go to the cemetery and see the graveside of my grandparents and Grandpa's parents.  So we did!  It was a treat for me to see my grandparents headstones and then over to a newer area of the cemetery to see your Great Grandpa and Grandmas.  We were walking around when dad blurted out,  "I need to go, there are too many dead people."  It tickled me a little and I assured him that all the dead people were people who were just cheering us on!

This is the fireman's memorial for firefighters
who died while putting out fires.  

I Wish

I have had a memory in my mind lately that has brought lots of ideas that I wanted to share with each of you.  Yesterday while we watched BYU get walloped I was on the computer, Lincoln had ear plugs in and was listening to something on his phone, Ruth, Jane and Duncan at different times were looking at phones.  I grew up just as the television came into the lives of most Americans.  I still remember watching television when I was just a young girl.  Every Friday night my dad would watch the fights and my mom would sit on the floor with me and we'd play jacks by the television.  We all knew that when dad watched the fights none of us were to sit close because dad became a boxer and he would often help the bower on the television by punching out!  I grew to love mysteries as I sat with my parents and watched Perry Mason each week and as you know we are still watching Perry Mason.  Our first colored television came into our home when I was a senior in high school.  It was in a beautiful wood cabinet and on top was a bull that someone had given my mom.  There were I think only three channels you could watch.  ABC, CBS and NBC.   Each night the shows on the television would end with the news.  On one of the channels a commentator said each night, "Parents, it's 10 o'clock.  Do you know where your children are?"  I don't know when it started again in the morning.

Now I will tell you what I remember the most.  Almost year around--because we lived in Phoenix we sat outside in the front yard talking.  We'd have dinner and then my sister and I would do the dishes and when we finished we'd head outside to play with ALL the kids in the neighborhood.  It didn't matter what age--everyone congregated and we played ball, jacks, hide and seek, kick the can, or rode bikes, jumped rope, and played tag.  The whole time my parents and their neighbors sat in their front yards talking until it got dark.  Eventually the playing stopped and we joined our parents.  We talked a little but mostly listened.  That is where we heard stories of family members, challenges of jobs, politics, religion, and advice given that was seldom solicited!  In our house the television was seldom on unless it was something my dad wanted to watch.  We knew if we watched it too much we wouldn't have a television at all.  Those times helped me know that my dad was surprisingly smart and that my mom was even smarter and very patient.     It provided me with a moral compass that directed me through much of my life.

I truly enjoy some of Facebook.  I love having information at my fingertips from Wikipedia but still remember the first set of encyclopedias my parents got for our family and loved looking at page after page enjoying the pictures of places and people I never knew about.  Pinterest has given me the courage to try all kinds of things because of people sharing their talents.  Because of social media the gospel is at our fingertips to find inspiration with a touch of the screen.  But I also miss sitting around as a family with nothing pulling us away from each other.  I'm sure my parents felt the same way about television when the kids sat hypnotized for hours watching Looney Tunes.

I don't have an answer about how to change the world that has crept into our homes.  I know it is not good even though I know our children and grandchildren are.  I pray that each of you will use your knowledge of right and wrong to take steps back from the need to be always connected to things and again become connected to each other.   Your devices are welcome in our home but know that when you are here I will always pray that you will want to put them down and just talk!                                     

The Call!

Lincoln has been called to serve for 24 months in the Argentina Bahia Blanca Mission.  He will enter the Missionary Training Center in Mexico on January 7th.  Because of Erik Palmquist who came and stayed at the house with Grandpa, I was able to be there for the exciting moment!

Season Ends

Miriam has been a golfer for quite some time.  She just finished her last year of golf on the high school team.  I am sure she is ready for it to end so she can get on to her next project which is deciding where she will go to college next year!  I'm sure in the spring she and her dad will spend some time on the greens before he loses his golfing buddy!

Correction!

I didn't realize that Lincoln had earned every merit badge until this morning
when I talked to Amy.  That makes 137 merit badges.  So impressive Lincoln!

Back to School!

Katie was a part of the new student orientation this week.  Can't imagine anyone better suited to help people feel welcome and excited to attend the LDS Business College!  I am so proud of my college age grandkids who have gone out of their way to have positive experiences at college.  Thank you Rachel and Perry and Owen for leading the way!  Love you Katie.  Have a great year.

September 11th

Aunt Amy's ward was doing a Court of Honor and it turned out that it was on Lincoln's 18th birthday.  She volunteered to decorate the cultural hall for it asked if I'd like to help.  It was great fun to do the various projects and I loved how everything turned out.  I spent the day before making 10 different kinds of brownies (like what we did for Grandpa's retirement party.).  Everything went so well and many helped her clean up afterwards.  Lincoln spoke at the program when they recognized him for his 133 merit badges and when he finished they gave him a standing ovation.  It was a very nice event and I'm glad that I could be a part of it. 

Grandparents Day!

It was a wonderful treat to be able to go to Duncan and Eden's school for lunch.  I have to admit (not trying to brag) but grandparents are the best.  I loved seeing the kids faces light up when they saw their grandparents.  Eden and Duncan made my heart swell when they saw me as well.  Can't imagine a better feeling and I'm sad for those who aren't able to be close to their grandkids.  I wish I could see everyone of them all the time!  Thanks for the wonderful opportunity Aunt Amy and for taking care of grandpa so I could go.

Panda Express!

This little girl was crying so Eden and I asked her 
to be in our picture!

Happy Birthday G-son!

Lincoln

is

18 years old

today!

Caleb was Baptized!

Caleb turned eight last month and on Saturday he was baptized by his dad.  I'm so proud of you Caleb for making such a good choice to follow the Savior's example and enter the waters of baptism. 

Happy Birthday G-son!

Perry

is

22 years old

today!

Done!

After!

Before

Today Ruth got rid of her braces!  I'm sure she was doing a happy dance all the way to the car! 

That's a Wrap!

Today Lincoln finished his Sailing Merit Badge.  Next adventure--a mission!

California Duncans

Caleb and Ava and their parents were busy over the Labor Day weekend.  They participated in the ward welfare project at the Church's vineyard where they were cutting grapes from the vines for raisins and then enjoyed a hike and the raingutter regatta for Caleb. 

Caleb's Boat

The Raingutter Regatta

Update

It has been a while and wanted to spend a few minutes to give you an update on dad.  He is wonderful.  He is often funny and still makes me smile when he is watching television and laughs at something he hears on the television.  He is so affected by music and often in the morning I have started putting on music instead of the television.  Music touches his soul in ways that amaze me and I am often brought to tears when I see the tears run down his face as he listens to a song he loves.  I have to admit I have reintroduced Alison Krauss and Anne Murray to him so we can both be touched!

Dad no longer knows how to use the bathroom without help.  That was the case with his bowels for quite a while but now he doesn't know how to use the bathroom at all.  I am finding that I have to take him to the bathroom and stay with him until he is able to pee.  A couple of times he has had accidents but fortunately the Depends make a world of difference and the clean up is minimal.  It is so fascinating to see what happens when the brain shuts down and also painful to know that it will only get worse.  As Graham is now potty trained I realize that I am doing the potty training thing knowing that dad will never remember what he is supposed to do.

Getting his pills down has me the most worried.  At bedtime he does fairly well but in the morning it often takes several minutes of trying before he is able to swallow all the pills.  I have tried different ideas but I know we aren't far away from him totally refusing and then serious issues will begin.  Along with the struggle with the pills is his lack of interest in food.  With the exception of his M&Ms.  I guess we'll find out if you can live on M&Ms alone!  A few bites of cereal, some juice and about half of a slice of English muffin is breakfast.  A hamburger or something like that for lunch is what he eats the most of and I think that is because we eat in the car and he can't get up and walk away.  Dinner is the hardest.  I have tried so many things (especially food he always liked before) but a few bites and he is done.  I bought some ice cream bars and after coaxing him as long as I can to no avail I give him one of them which he will eat about half most of the time.  I honestly believe that if I didn't feed him he wouldn't ever question me about it.  I think dinner bothers me the most because from dinner to breakfast is a long time and yet he picks at breakfast in spite of that.  The last thing I wanted to talk about is the fact that his teeth and gums are in such bad condition.  The gums are inflamed now and the tarter is significant but there is absolutely nothing that I can do to help him with it.  He would literally have to be put to sleep to have his teeth cleaned.  That won't happen!

To close on a somewhat positive note I want you to know that I love that I can take care of him.  I can't tell you how much I have learned about myself and how much I have grown to appreciate the wonderful memories we made the last 49 years.  Those memories help me remember why I do this every day.  Dad is loud sometimes but mostly he is mellow and appreciative of things around him.  I'm in awe when every once in a while he will say something so amazing to remind me that he isn't quite gone yet.  Even more is I have learned that prayers are answered and there are so many people helping us through this process.  On both sides of the veil!

#132

This is a picture of Lincoln in scuba gear.  This activity completed the requirement for the scuba diving merit badge.  Next Wednesday Lincoln turns 18 and his scouting will be complete.  I hope that he takes everything he learned during these past 10 years in cub scouts, webelos, and boy scouts to make the most of embracing challenges that will come his way and when needed the things he learned will become clear to him so he can help others.