Thoughts of the Past

My Aunt Laura Bowler passed away last week - Her funeral was on Monday. I have spend the week thinking of the past. The days when I was home with Mama and Aunt Laura. They are almost inseparable in my mind. Our homes were next door to each other our back doors connected with a well worn path. First it was just packed earth and later Dad poured cement. The property line is marked with a pomegranates and a lilac bush. We ( Laurie, Jane and I) spent many hours playing house under the shade of the bushes on the cool dirt beside the irrigation ditches. We lived in the time before TV and we spent most of our time out of doors. Playing in the yards and ditches of both homes.

We were as welcome in one home as the other. Aunt Laura was so supportive of all we did. She told us how beautiful and smart we were and always had time to listen with interest about our lives. Mama was this way as well - So how blessed we were to have two mothers who loved us unconditionally.

Aunt Laura is the last of my mothers family to pass. She was the youngest of 10 children. My mother was number 9 and she has been gone for almost 20 years. How I miss her still.

I am grateful that I was fortunate enough to be raised in such a large and loving family.

Time rushes by

I can't believe how fast time passes. I thought that I would be able to make a weekly post - but I find weeks going by without a word.

I guess I don't have as much to say as I thought. I am lamenting the fact that summer is coming to a close and I don't feel like I have done enough swimming, hiking, or traveling.

I haven't even bought a fishing license this year!

Grandpa Dave is doing well as am I. Just slower than we would like to be.

Our tortoise has almost doubled in size and does not like to stay in the yard. We have had to recover his twice this summer. Dave has glued a name plate to his shell so we do not have to keep bailing him out of the animal shelter.

Bob and Stanley are getting bigger and Lester thinks he is the biggest dog around. ( he is a miniature dauchound).

Daisy is still with us at 15 years old and Cindy cat will be with us a very long time as she is only 3.

This is what is happening at Grandma Sue house this week.

I have been learning how to make my blog more interesting but I still need some more instruction. This can really get to be a passion. I wish I had more time to spend on it.

We had a great swimming party on Monday to celebrate the last day before school started. I didn't get any pictures but we all had fun. Holly I made wonderful chicken enchaladias and Lisa brought and big salad and chocolate cupcakes. I made each of the children a back to school bag filled with school supplies and treats. It is so fun to see the Grandchildren growing and enjoying attending school.

Drew

Jaxon

Esplin Family Reunion

We had a great time gathering at Central on Saturday the 9th of August. Uncle Tom was there to greet us and provide us with cool drinks. Sitting under the shade of the summer apple trees as we visited and became re-aquainted with our nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.

The kids played in the water, rode 4-wheelers and enjoyed games of horse shoes and card games.

Uncle Jack cooked great burgers and hot dogs. Great fun was had by all!!

Time to update

I am not keeping up my blog any better than I do my journal writing. We are having a great summer sitting by the pool and swimming. Last weekend we (Dave and I) slept out by the pool in our lounge chairs. Saturday I did my ironing by the pool. I think you can tell that I love being outside!!

The babies are growing so fast. Rachael, Grace, Kate, and Jaxon can all swim like little fish. Izaic, Lindzee and Izabel have been swimming like fish for years. Abbie, Drew and Dallas are really good and floating in their tubes.

We are waiting the arrival of two more darlings to join our family in January. ( Lisa and Allie)

We had a great time with Laura and Devin Fletcher and Annie Jones. The spent a fun weekend with us. Annie and I had a great time laughing and talking all night. (We had Uncle Dave sleep on the couch). We went swimming everyday and just had a great time hanging out. I hope they can come again and bring all the girls.

I am posting this a work so I do not have any pics. I will try to add some when I get home.

Abbie dropped into the pool.
Travis, Jaxon and Bernice love to swim.
Rachel, Abbie and John.

More Swimming

It seem all we have done the last few weeks is swim. It is so fun to have all the kids over to swim. The little ones are getting used to the water and loving it. I think we may be able to get Abbie and Dallas swimming before they are a year old. They love the water!!

I had a great Mother's Day weekend. Most of the kids came over on Saturday for swimming and roast beef sandwiches. On Sunday after church we met at a park located near Lisa and played T-ball and kick ball. It was so fun to see the Moms and Dads coach their little ones on the rules of the games.

Today in School Board Meeting I am going to be recognized for 25 years of service to the Washington County School District. I have worked 25 year since we moved back to St. George. I worked 4 years part time before I was married, but it was part time work. I can not believe that I have been working this long. I really hope the next 5 years go by quickly. I am looking forward to be home and sewing and painting and reading and anything else I want to do.

Tonight Dave and I will be driving to Las Vegas to see Cher in concert. I am really excited. We haven't been to a concert in a very long time. I know Cher is old - but so are we. I will let you all know how it was.

I will attach some picutres of our tiny babies swimming.

Pool Party

We had a great party on Friday April 18th. School was out and I didn't have to work so we invited all our children and grandchildren along with Telly and Heidi Esplin (Samantha, Katherine, Dillon and Brooklyn). David and Misty Blazzard were here from Kamas for spring break with Aspen, Braxton and their dogs. Everyone enjoyed swimming and eating burger. It was really fun to have so many children and dogs running around.

36 Great Years

Dave and I were married 36 years ago today. It is hard to believe that many years have gone by. We have a great time together! There have be some hard years but all in all we have had a good time. We are looking forward to more years of fun together.

I don't have picture of us on this computer, but here is one of Dave with one of his best friends.

I'll add some pictures tonight.

The Justesen Girls

Lisa and John had the girls' annual portraits taken this weekend. They are really growing up. Grace is 5 getting ready for kindergarten this fall. Rachael is 3 and can't wait to have more of her mother's time with Grace in school. Abbie Sue is 1 and doesn't stop smiling. She is walking and getting into everything.

We had a fun weekend. Friday I took the big dog to a photo shoot. A friend of ours was setting up a shoot for people that post to istock.com a place where people can post photo that can be used for publications etc. They are paid so much for each picture that is downloaded. It was fun Bob was too tired to get out of the truck - but Stanley and I had a great time. He was really quite well behaved. The photographers will give me some the pictures and I will post them.

Saturday and Sunday we spent most of the day in the yard and by the pool. Everyone took a turn coming to swim. It was really fun. Dave and I have great tans. (No pictures will be available).

Trip to Arizona

We had a great weekend. Dave and I took Holly and her two boys, Jaxon 3 and Dallas 5 weeks, to visit their Great-Grandparents. We had an enjoyable ride down. We made all the usual stops for treats and the bathroom. The boys are very good travelers. Jaxon loved the bridge over the Colorado River at Lee's Ferry. We walked out on the bridge and watched Condors flying above the river and people in boat on the river.

When we arrived and Grandma and Grandpa's house they had dinner ready as always. Grandma Mae is always ready to feed us. They thought the boys were darling and Grandpa spent a lot of time just holding Dallas and watching him.

Dave and I got up early and went to the shooting range. Holly and the boys spent the day with Grandma and Grandpa. Holly said it was nice to just visit with her Grandparents one on one. How fortunate she is to be able to visit with them as an adult. I don't know how that is. My maternal Grandparents were gone by the time I was 6 months old and my paternal Grandfather died at age 50 and my Grandmother Esplin died when I was just 10 years old, so I didn't really get to really experience having grandparents.

Our children are very lucky to still have Dave's parents here to visit with and see their children. My parents have been gone for many years. ( Mom died in 1989 and Dad died in 1998) - but the kid have some memories of them.

Our grandchildren have gotten to know their Great Grand Parents which most kids don't have the opportunity to do. Izaic, Lindzee and Izabel are old enough to really know them.

We got up early on Sunday and loaded the truck to go to the range for another day. I wish we could have stayed longer. Holly tended the children at the range with the help of our good friend Connie Murdica. She had her 3 year old Grandson with her so the boys had a great time playing in the dirt with the dump trucks Dave bought them. It was a long day and then we started home about 4 p.m.

We enjoyed the shooting and I won the 3 gun championship for the Southwest Region. Dave shot okay. Our friend Lou (Connie's Husband) won the 4 gun.

We didn't get home until after midnight so Monday was a very hard day - but we had such a great weekend!

Sping in St. George

I love this time of year! The fruit trees have blossoms and the tulips and daffodils have been up for over a month. The days are warm and the nights are still a bit cool. Dave and I have heated the swimming pool since February. We come home from work and enjoy the afternoon sun while we eat our dinner. We are getting very brown. Later we enjoy swimming and watching the TV we have poolside.

This week we have planted vegetables in the flower beds around the house. There were places that the plants had died so we just pulled them up and planted tomatoes, peppers, egg plant, squash. I also planted some pots with tomatoes and peppers. We will see how our little garden grows.

Dave and I will be leaving for a weekend trip to Arizona tomorrow. We are taking Holly and her two boys. Dave and I shoot Benchrest Rifles and we are going to a competition. Holly will spend some time with her Grandparents and other family member while we are busy.

I will try to post some pictures of our yard and the grandchildren.

I had a great weekend. Dave and I spent the day Saturday, working in the yard and cleaning the house. I ironed and watched movies. We watched Jaxon and Dallas while Holly and Travis went out for a few hours. It was so fun to hold and cuddle that sweet baby Dallas. Jaxon and Grandpa had a good nap while watching Robots. Later in the evening Andy and Allie brought Drew and Kate over to swim they had such fun! The kids - Andy included love the water.

Sunday all our children and grandchildren gather at our Church for the blessing of Dallas Dave Weston. He looked so beautiful in a royal blue shirt and tan shorts. He was wrapped in a dusty blue shawl that I crocheted. His Uncle Andy was the mouthpiece with his uncles, Robert, Alex, and John attending.

It was wonderful to have all our children and grandchildren together. We all live close, but find it hard to get together unless there is a special occasion.

I have been reading other family blogs and decided it was time to create one. Hope I can get others in my family to do it too.