May I have your opinion?

Can one really be cooler than Jonas, with both the sun glasses and his paci?
No, that's not what I need your opinion on.

Big sister Macie and Jonas

Jonas with his beautiful sisters, Macie and Laurynn

Poor baby had a skin reaction to the chlorine in the pool. As soon as we realized it, Amy got him right in the bathtub to soak it off.

Sweet Miss Téa

Do you see what a hunk he's becoming?

The picture is Jonas' Great Grandpa. Logan's father's father. Not sure what year it was taken. Perhaps even before Logan's Dad was born.

I'd love your opinion here. Can you see any resemblance between Great Grandpa and Jonas?

Now I'm not saying Jonas does not look like Amy's family, too...but I don't have pictures of them. But I came across this old picture of his Great Grandpa and I was stunned by the resemblance. Perhaps you don't agree, and that's okay. Either way, would you mind letting me know?

Different eyes see different things.

Anyone missing a red strainer?

A few days ago Jill Thompson, from our church, happened to stop by. She brought in a red strainer she said she found on our porch.At first I thought, "Oh who was that very nice person to give me a new strainer?"

How did they know I needed one?

How did they know my old one looks like this?Then I thought...no wait, No one knows what kind of a strainer I have in my kitchen, not even Dennis. Why would they? I cook alone.

Then Den says, "Oh yeah, I saw that red strainer on our porch a few days ago."

And uh, why did he not bring it in?

Guess I have not been on the porch for a few days. My foot still hurts.

So who does this red strainer belong to and why was it left on our porch??

Den's mom, Den, and Jill T.

Where time stands still

There IS one place on earth where time really does stand still.
It's Family Camp in Dinky Creek, California.

I have pictures to prove it...thanks to Susan and Amy.

So they were taken this month. But they would have looked the same if they had been taken in the 1960s, when we first started going.

"The Barracks" where most of the families slept.
Unless your family was really big, then you got one of the 3 private cabins.

Families were only separated by these curtains. I could never sleep there now.


The kitchen. Those look like the same trays we used back in the 1960s.
The eating area. It did get this roof in the 70s I think, but other than that it is the same.


The showers. Yep, they're the same.

The campfire.
And campfire 2, which always had this "stage" so we could perform skits.

We would save our money all year long so we could buy candy at this store, just down the hill from camp. The door probably squeaks just the same as it did. On second thought, this store does look really good...Has this been updated? I don't remember those 2 potted plants being there.
I have not been back since 1980, when this picture was taken.
I'm holding my son Logan who is now 30.

Amy just sent me some more pictures that I will post later on. Even a picture proving Brock and Elora were there last week, too.
Then that will be it for another year.

Foot tendonitis

After the funeral yesterday, and going home to change clothes, this is where I went.

My foot was getting worse and I could hardly walk.
Ever since Saturday when I hurt it pinning that quilt together for our church service project, it just kept swelling and hurting more.
I just felt if I ignored it and kept moving it would go away.
I was wrong.

The bony old looking foot is the good one.
I was given crutches and told to stay off my foot. The doctor said I pulled some tendons and "it may take longer than a week to feel better."

I am not having good luck with the crutches. They make me put all my weight on my other foot which before Saturday was my bad foot.

I don't have pain as long as I don't try to walk. I know it could be so much worse so I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining. It's not like I have any little children to watch. I have no big children here either.

And as usual guess who was by my side yesterday...He left this morning to drive to LA to pick up his 82 year old mother. She will be staying with us until Saturday. I hope Den enjoys taking care of us both. Good thing he was thinking of taking the week off anyway.

Has anyone who is reading this had a pulled tendon in your foot? How long does it take to recover? Any advice?

Charlene's funeral

I only knew her as an older woman in her 80s. I thought she was beautiful. But the pictures I saw at her funeral today shows how truly pretty she was in her younger years. Charlene told me about 2 or 3 years ago that she always had "nice looking legs." She said she did not like her aging body, but she thought her legs still looked good!

Charlene and her husband who died many years ago.

Den and I talked tonight about Charlene's favorite lunch out. It would nearly make me gag every time she would describe it. IHOP's pancakes, with bananas on top, then ice cream on top that, and then carmel sauce and whip cream over that! She loved it!



They are standing as a family in front of the church her husband helped build.
The picture below is my favorite. Charlene was so proud of it and showed it to us before. I can't remember what the circumstances were, but she was with President David O. McKay. See her to the left of him? (I named my 3rd son after him.) He was our Prophet and President of our church when I was growing up (1951 to 1970 when he died) I found out today that he actually married Charlene and her husband in 1945 (I think that was the year).


Her son Perry started Charlene's eulogy today by talking about Christmas Eve 1920. Her 4 older siblings waited in anticipation of her birth as she was born on Christmas Day. Charlene's father had just died the previous April. Perry said baby Charlene helped heal her family's grief.

Her mother taught school so she got special permission for Charlene to begin school a year early so she could be near her mom and she wouldn't have to pay for her childcare. I'm sure her mom had to be very creative like that through the years, raising and supporting her 5 children, and never remarrying.

I sat in that chapel today reflecting on Charlene Miller's life... her challenges, her joys, her pains...many she shared with me over the past 6 years. I thought how we are not who we are in spite of our challenges...but perhaps because of them.

Dennis said he would describe her as "very very kind." I miss her already. I find myself wanting to call her up and tell her what a nice funeral she had today.

I've never seen this done before.

He must have loved Rootbeer Floats, because he wanted us all to have a token to get a free one at A&W. So we were all given one of these at his funeral:I've never seen this done before, but I thought it was a nice gesture.

He and his wife use to live in our neighborhood, and they would turn their front yard into a Haunted House every Halloween.
And coincidentally, his daughter works with Dennis now at the Medical Board.
While I was at the funeral yesterday, my right foot suddenly started hurting, and is more swollen today.

Somehow I must have injured it earlier in the day while helping with the quilts we are making as a humanitarian effort. Our church in just our little area has a goal of making 142 quilts to help with those who will lose their homes this year in California fires. But how does one injure their foot while sitting on the floor pinning a quilt together? I can't figure it out.

We also said goodbye to our "house guests" for the week, although they never felt like guests.
My brother Richard, his wife Wendy, Natalie, and also Hailey home from Family Camp.
We had some good times together this week.
Come back again soon!!!!!

I think he's only 15

It did not look like a fund raiser dinner at all.

But it was.

The decor

The Menu

The tables set for small and large parties.


Stations of bread, salads, and water, just like in a real restaurant.
And no paper plates or cups.
Thank you Dad and Susan for inviting us as your guests.
It was put on by Heritage Ward in North Stake...our church, just a different ward and stake than ours. They were raising money for the upcoming very large Young Single Adult Conference.

The food was really good, although the menu above was not real. I thought at first it was but when they came around and asked us if we wanted a red or white sauce on our spaghetti, I found out the menu was just a decoration!

But that's okay, everything was done up so nicely.

My favorite part was this young boy...I think he was only 15, if that...who serenaded us at our tables. I have to say, I really really LOVE his voice! I don't know him, but I learned his name is William Malcolm. I will be watching to see if he is in Buchanan's high school plays in the years to come. To me, his voice is a shoe in.

Here's just a cut down glimpse.

Something to think about...

Couldn't resist these pictures.

If you are not a Family Camp fan, then come back to my blog tomorrow.

If you do want to see more, check these out...

This one is not posed at all.
Logan was trying to eat his corn but Jonas' head was in the way, so Amy stopped eating her dinner to hold down Jonas' head. To me, this is soooooooo Amy....always thinking of others before herself.
Day 4 of camp and the kids just keep getting dirtier. I hardly recognize Rivy.

My nephew Jake with his girlfriend Katie Cleveland.
My sister Peggy next to Jake.
Fun to have my 3 brothers in one photo.
Of course Chris is my 4th brother but he's no longer with us.
Scott, John, and Richard

Natalie was trying to get them all posed for a picture of Logan and Amy's family.
Turns out she liked this one the best!

OH and had to include this one. The classic meal line up.
Hailey's Chickie grandma painted faces for 6 hours straight yesterday!
So this one is for Jason. Hope you recognize your little girl.


My niece Natalie with Macie.
Thanks Nat for taking all the above pictures!!

Some of the things they do at family camp

To me, the picture above says, "Family Camp, A New Generation"
That's Amy's mom holding Jonas during campfire time.

Will Jonas, my grandson, be taking his family to this camp someday?

They say nothing has changed since I first started going there back in the 1960s. I bet even the dirt is the same. My grandchildren are probably walking on the same little specks of dirt that I did.

Skit time
Amy and Logan

Volley ball with towels. Even the games are the same.
McKenzie and Kylie
My niece Carly with little "Tennis Ball" next to her and his Daddy Enoch. Baby #4 is due Sept. 1st

Dad and Susan

My brother John and his wife Suzanne.

Must have been my sister Robin's turn to work in the kitchen yesterday.

The Kitchen Rules. I wonder how long those signs have been up there.




Lots of sitting and visiting. Here is my sister Peggy with her granddaughter Rivka.

Logan pushing the twins around


Logan set up a hammock right outside their cabin. I've heard he lays in there at night and swings Jonas to sleep. Sweet Macie girl is in there now.
What is it about little kids and dirt?
It's like they can't get enough of it.
Hosanna and Rivka

My sister Heidi helping with the babies, along with Amy of course.

Hailey
This one's for you Jason.

My brother Richard and his wife Wendy, aka Papa and Chickie



I heard Téa is not liking the outdoors as much.
She's more content at home.
Have you seen a sadder face?
Jonas says: "I don't know why my little sister doesn't like it up here. I think it's the best. I plan on bringing my children here someday."