Charlie Boy - Jan 2010

Charlie is a wild man when he's jumping in his jumping rig. He can really get going and is hilarious to watch. I think it's a sign of an active boy - nothing we weren't expecting!







How lucky I feel to have this great connection with my grandson.




What a treat it is for me to be able to stay with Cam, Whit and Charlie for a bit. Whit is so good at letting me have him every spare minute. I even watched him while she went to run errands. He was on the floor on his blanky, face down with his hands under him (which is how he sleeps) and I put my hands under his pant legs and massaged his fat rolls and he went out like a light. So dang cute!

This is Charlie's favorite toy (it's from me)- a giraffe that laughs and plays 3 different tunes.

"Rusty" - Jan 2010

On my way back to Alpine from Hurricane, I stopped in Nephi to meet a gal and pick up a puppy for Mike. I had been checking out ksl for days at Cam's and found this adorable face and breed that I think would work in our lives. She was born Aug 20th, is a cockapoo/mix and is chocolate with littler tips that look reddish. I named her "Rusty."
Luckily Alyssa was available in Provo to go with me to a pet store and get her a leash and collar. Mike is going to love her!!

Hurricane - Jan 2010

After spending Wednesday -Saturday morning with Cam, Whit and Charlie, I dropped Jess off to catch a flight home for work and then headed down to Hurricane to see my mom and dad. I was so happy to see that they are mostly doing well. Mom's ability to do what she wants is as good as it was when she left and they are both healthy for the time being.

I don't do a lot when I am with them but they appreciate the meals being prepared and the extra things I can do quickly. The weather was beautiful and I walked each day in 50+ sunshine. Also had to take my ride through Zion's as I never get tired of seeing it's beauties. I am grateful for such loving, generous, kind, and righteous parents. Can't imagine who I would have become without them and their continuous examples.

Jessamyn's chosen family

Jessamyn has been viewing couples on the LDS site who are wanting to adopt. She had put in a couple parameters and then looked through 70 plus couples sites. She found two families initially that she wanted me to look at. They both seemed fantastic. After a few weeks of continuing to ponder and pray, she had decided that Brandi and Eric from Utah were her choice as parents of her baby girl.

While we were in Utah, she connected with the service and after some fanegaling was able to be put in touch with Brandi. They set up a meet and Whitney was chosen to go to this initial meeting to support Jess. I didn't mind one bit as I know that I can be over-the-top with questions and comments when I should be listening more.

Cam, Charlie and I met all of them at the end of the meeting and we liked them immediately. Jessamyn had received the confirmation she needed and so she told them right there that she wanted them to have her baby. We all cried! It was very touching! Now there is truly something to be joyful about with this pregnancy. Jessamyn is going to bless so many lives just as her birth mother has blessed ours. So great!!

Jessamyn meets Charlie - Dec 29, 2009

It's true! Jessamyn had never had the chance to meet her adorable nephew, Charlie. So we made a plan and drove to Utah on wings with no snow to slow us down. It was magical! Watching Jessamyn just soak him in was so wonderful. They got on famously!

And fun for me is the fact that because of all the times Cam put Charlie on the webcam, he knew my face and voice immediately. Now that was a great feeling!!

December 2009 - Christmas

Berta was hospitalized on her 94th birthday, the 18th of December. She has had a lot of pain and we couldn't control it so there she went. They did back surgery and actually solved the pain problem. She was weakened by the ordeal and is currently in a rehab facility to see if she can get strong enough to move somewhere else. I don't think she'll be able to go home again. Sad day.

Christmas Eve was spent up at the Crawford's. Mike ended up going to the hospital as his mom had just contracted puenomia. Jess and I ate with Jerry, Denise, Morgan and Peter and also the missionaries (two of my favorites ever) Elders Holtom and Clawson. After the elders left, the rest of us acted out the nativity. Denise had beautiful costumes for all of us. Jerry was the narrator and we sang many a song along the journey. It was beautiful and touching to me. I'm so glad Jess was there to share it.

Christmas morning was nice with Mike and I being home with Jessamyn. None of us had much money to spend, so we didn't. Mike made Jessamyn a groovy, sharp knife and he made me a black-handled kitchen set. Jess was extravagant with me and got me a new fairly inexpensive camera so I would quit using hers. She is sweet! For friends and family I made magnets on cool paper that said, "Be of Good Cheer!" (Denise's favorite saying) That along with homemade raspberry jam that was put up in the summer. Desperation breeds invention!! So it was a cheap and happy Christmas. We ate our traditional Cheese Bread on Christmas morning and celebrated the Savior's birth.