Memorial Day

I would have to start my Memorial Day post with a picture of my father, who is a WWII Veteran.  He served in the navy and he has earned to right to be in the generation of men that they call the "great generation"  My prayer is that as Nathanael serves in the Marines that he can equal the greatness of the "great generation" and stay true.  

We had the family come over for a bbq and so we put out the slip and side and a little wading pool and the kids had a blast.  They didn't come prepared with their swim suits so we wound up with a couple of streakers.  This is Preston lounging on the slip and slide, he kind of created a road block to anyone wanting to slip and slide.  But it is his slide, so he was the king!  :0)

Nathanael is filling up the pool while Brandon and Kelsie look on.  Kelsie got tired of a soaked diaper and so did Preston and they both shed their diapers and had a blast.  I was going to post the pictures of them but I was afraid I would get arrested for child porn, so I will keep them off the blog.  If you want to see the pictures Melanie and Lori, I will e mail them to you.  

We had a great time and we missed some of our family that couldn't come.  My dad was dressed in his white shirt today and although I didn't ask him why, I assumed that he dressed up because the day is special to him.  

Thanks to all those who have given their lives for us and for those who are will to place their life on the line to serve us today. 

HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY AND GRADUATION TO NATHANAEL

Today is my "baby's" 18th birthday and he also graduates from High School.  Wow, it seems weird to realize in less that 3 weeks my house will be empty of children.  Nathanael will be in boot camp for the Marines.  I have had a child in my home since 1977.  So today we will say Happy Birthday to Nathanael, and how nice that the whole school is celebrating by holding a big party tonight where everyone is going to wear purple robes and celebrate.

His famous monkey face

hmmmmmmm, don't think I can find words

(he even went to Walmart dressed like this, he is now one of the pictures in that e mail that goes around with the weird people at Walmart:0)

Happy Birthday,  We love you!

 I love the one at the bottom because his expression is priceless.  His graduation ceremony was real lame.  The school did not set up chairs so there were hundreds of people who couldn't fit in the bleachers just standing everywhere.  We couldn't see or hear very well and it was real disappointing that the school wasn't better prepared, but the most important thing is that he graduated! 

More Wedding Photos

Thanks to Lori and James Lentz, I have more pictures.  I am going to post them even though Lori has some on her blog that you have probably seen.

A little dark, but this was at the reception when they were eating the cake

Before the reception, getting everything set up.  This is the part where I was in bed trying to shake off being so dizzy I couldn't function.  Sorry I wasn't more help.  Thanks to a priesthood blessing, I was up and functioning again by the time the reception started. 

I love this picture.  Aaron and Lori were always like my twins since they were so close in age.  

Sally and Lori were the twins for the night.  They

both bought the same dress and didn't know it.  They are our twins with different mothers! 

Lori, Melanie and Sally.  Where is Angie?  

Sally, Briana and Lori.  Once again, where was Angie and Melanie?  That would have been so awesome to have a picture with all of the girls, including Tiffani.  Maybe someday that will happen.  As the family gets larger, that gets harder to accomplish.  

Preston and Aaron.  I don't think Aaron could have smiled any bigger if he would have tried.  

Aaron and Deryk.  Now I have to ask where was Spencer?  Spencer and Angie must have been hiding somewhere.  :0)

VerLynn, Aaron, Briana and me after the sealing.

Ashly and Kelsie

This day was a great day.  We missed Tiffani and all of her family, they were  the only ones in our family who couldn't be there.  We are so grateful to have great kids who turned out great in spite of their parents and they are doing an awesome job of raising their own kids.  We love you all! 

6 Down 1 to go!

Aaron and Briana Got married yesterday and I have some really lame pictures to show the happy occasion.  I can't hold my i phone steady enough to get a good picture and then when I had my good camera, I took some pictures, but none of them together and not very many.  So you will have to just get an idea with my very poor pictures.  Briana was a beautiful bride and the day was busy and very full.  The Speroni's must have spent countless hours preparing food for the reception.  I wish I had a picture of the buffet table and the wedding cake was awesome.  Liz, Briana's aunt, made the cake and her talent is unsurpassed in my book.  They did such an awesome job that most people that I talked to thought it was catered.  We wish Tiffani could have made it, all of our kids were in the temple that day with the exception of her and Nathanael. 

This is Aaron and James Lentz.  He came from North Carolina to be here for the wedding.  Aaron met him while on his mission.  (Kind of weird I have a picture of Aaron and him, but not one of Aaron and Briana)  We really enjoyed having him here, he was a big help and we wish he would have stayed longer.  

This was soooo cute,  Addison, Seth and another boy (on the left) danced up a storm.  This was before the reception started and when they were dancing, Seth and Ashly were right there dancing.  I didn't have a camera and it was dark so I don't thing it would have worked anyway.  The young adults dancing were so good with them, they included them and danced with them.  

I just noticed this picture,  I kind of have a picture of Briana and Aaron!  :0)  James Lentz and Nathanael in the picture as well.  

Porter and Melanie before the reception started

Preston and Preston

Spencer and Angie.  Spencer wasn't too excited about the picture opportunity, but I am excited because I finally have a picture of Angie and Spencer!  

This was the highlight of VerLynn's day!  For anyone who knows VerLynn well, you will understand this and laugh.  For those who don't, you will wonder what the heck.  He found these on the road on our way to the luncheon.  He slammed on the brakes, I thought something bad had happened, then he actually backed up and got out of the car as happy as if he just got a great Christmas present.  He had me take a picture of them and text it to Preston.  Preston knew immediately that VerLynn had scored "road kill"  

So, this ends my post.  And as you can see the pictures have a lot to be desired.  Maybe if every bone and cell of my body wasn't aching, I might have done a better job.  Thanks again to the Speroni's for providing a beautiful wedding reception that will never be topped or even equaled by me.  They really know how to cook and put on a feast fit for a king or a great couple who just go married and deserved the very best. 

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's day to my mom, although she will never see this post.  She is a great mom and she taught us all a lot.  It is sad to see her with alzheimer's now, but she accomplished much in her life.  She never sat still, if she was watching tv, she was also sewing or knitting, or crocheting.  The house was always clean and she stayed at home to take care of us.  She taught us the gospel of Jesus Christ even when my dad was not a member of the church for 17 years of their marriage.  She never nagged him about joining but she was a great example of the gospel.  My mom had 3 daughters and I only remember owning 2 dresses that were bought from the store.  She sewed all of them, and that was a big job because we grew up when girls always wore dresses to school, so we had several school dresses and then we had our Sunday dresses.  And you never wore your Sunday dress to school and you certainly Never wore a school dress to church because they were too casual.  She was a great example to all of us.

Me, Lorraine and Marti.  I am assuming she made those dresses, but I obviously do not remember.  (side note, who thinks I look like Megan in this picture?)

And how could I leave out my wonderful mother in law, although she is gone, I would like to honor her, she was a grand lady and a wonderful person

Lillian and Naris

Lillian holding Deryk on our way home from the hospital with him.  She loved her grandbabies

Wow, I just made this connection, this is Lillian holding Deryk's oldest baby, Brandon.  How cool is that? 

I'm thinking of going private

Sorry I have posted so many times in the last couple of days, but here I go again.  I didn't want to go private, but I worry about all the strange countries that are viewing my blog from other blogs.  Don't want any pictures to wind up in bad places.  Sooooo, I think the drill is that I have to have everyone's e mail addresses that want to view my blog in order to add you to the ok list.  So, if I don't have your e mail address, please give it to me.  I will wait awhile to make it private so that I can get everyone added

We are now official old farts

Shuffle Board, the official game of old farts.  

We played shuffle board last night and then went to the restaraunt at the resort to eat dinner to celebrate Lori's birthday.  VerLynn and I won, that make the official old fart title even more authentic!