Party with the Tax Commission Folks

Since the seasonal work for the tax commission has ended, several of the temps got together for a summer barbeque celebration.  Terry really enjoyed the people that he worked with and wanted me to meet them.  A very enthusiastic friend that led everyone in stretches at 11:00 AM in the cubicles, had invited everyone to her house.  She said if was hot, you could bring your suit and she'd have her pool ready.

Even though they lived way out in Wilder, we were not expecting what we saw when we pulled up.  Terry's new fun friends are completely redneck.  They're very lay-back.  They do whatever they want and make their own fun.  It was a hot night and they turned on the sprinkler for the dog to cool off in, but several of the guest used the sprinkler too.  We never saw the pool, but it was something homemade.  The canal runs right behind their house.  Last year at their daughter's wedding most of the wedding party jumped in the canal fully dressed, including the girl's new mother-in-law.  That scored her acceptance points.  We met the geese and checked out all the chickens in the coop.  I should have taken more pictures.  We did have a nice time.  If Terry returns to tax commission next year, I'm sure we'll be back.  In a funny way, he fits in.

Beautiful view from their front yard (hazy and blurry).

View as we drove up - front yard and house.

Our hostess and her husband playing croquet.

The husband - reminded me of Cy, on Duck Dynasty (Yes, I've watched that show) - funny guy.

The front porch. A second dog, big and black, was on the porch, but went inside to cool off.

Box Elder News and Journal

That's our hometown paper that we always read in its entirety when we make a stop in Brigham.  It comes out weekly and besides reporting on Brigham, population around 15,000, you also get reports from the field - small farming communities in the western parts of the county with populations under 100, or under 50.  The edition we read this week shared a report of a Memorial Day picnic that was called to a halt because there were too many field mice in the field that they wanted to picnic in.  You can always get reports on who's granddaughter came to visit and sometimes what they had for Sunday dinner.

After my dad and sister read the paper, they both announced that they didn't know anyone that was mentioned.  Even my sister that still lives there part time said she often doesn't know anyone.  However, when I read the paper I came across a familiar name.  I was reading the court records to see what kind of crimes were being committed.  There were several people fishing without a license or taking over their limit of fish.  I found that my sister's bother-in-law was in court that week.  He was fined $120 for going 70 mph in a 65.  We had a laugh about only finding 1 person - a relative, and in the court records. 

Mini Reunion

It was hard getting good pictures on my little camera because there were bright windows everywhere. (I can't seem to get this picture where I want it, so it will just be here at the beginning.

 One of the things I love about my family is that many of us can operate on the fly - last minute, not much of a plan, no stress - and things turn out!  We had a mini reunion at my cousin's cabin and it was one of my most pleasant days ever.  Nine of us were there which was a perfect number to sit around a table and talk.  Initially, my sisters and I were just going to join my dad as he visited his sister, Carol (age 90), and our Uncle Frank (93).  Then Dad wanted to see the cabin that their daughter (my cousin) Chris and her husband had just finished up at Southfork (Ogden Canyon).  Chris offered to serve lunch, and somehow my cousin Steve and his wife Joan heard about it and came too.  They are all some of my favorite people!

Some of our lunch, courtesy of Red Butte Restaurant.

We have fond family memories of biking down from the summit, Monte Christo, or floating the river behind their cabin.  We had several family parties there.  The old cabin is gone, but Chris and her husband Scott have built a craftsman style cabin on the old foundation.  That family has a knack with style.  Everything is beautiful.

The back of the house faces the river.  The backside of the upper level is all the master suite, and the back porch is awaiting retractable screens.  There are two fans on the porch.  It will work in all seasons.

Front view.  The lower level that juts out is Scott's chef kitchen.  Upstairs on this side are two bedrooms and a bath.

Above, picture of the original cabin in the entryway.  Also, the deer that Chis's grandfather shot.

The reframed Budweiser poster that always hung in Chris's grandfather's store.

The original couch - stripped of white paint, recaned, and all recovered cushions.  Frank and his brother lit a jack-o-lantern under the couch and caught it on fire about 85 years ago.  It's survived beautifully.

Blurry, but Fredee and Nan looking at the history of Southfork that Carol worked on for 3 years.

The other side of the room with a big table that we all gathered around.

The bird room.  The shelf under the eaves is full of bird books and the wall you can't see has a grouping of botanical prints.

One side of bedroom #2.  I loved the painting.

The other side.  On the shelf under the eaves is a collection of rocks.

Lunch of course was fabulous, since Scott owns four successful restaurants in Salt Lake.  Chris had stopped at one brought everything we needed.  At the table, we went around the table and everyone gave a short report on their kids and families.  We finished with Dad, who updated everyone on Tad's family since they didn't have anyone there, and then Carol and Frank sharing some humorous advice/life philosophy. 
A couple things I'll remember:

• Carol saying she'd always felt akin to me for some reason, she didn't know why.  (Maybe because we were both teachers.)  She asked me about teaching and was a little upset that I have taught longer than she did.  I think WWII slowed the start of her career.
• She loved my hair and wants hers to grow just a bit so that she can have the same cut.
• Frank told us that every morning when they get up, he tells Carol that they have to be on their best behavior that day.  He said that their kids have plans and they just might end up in a home.  "Chris has a notebook and she writes everything down."
• Frank also told me that if he had known how great his kids were going to be, he would have had a dozen.  (They just had the two girls, and two grandchildren.)

 After lunch we retired to the lawn to watch the river, and the birds that Chris feeds.  We saw a teenager pull 3 nice sized fish out of the river just downstream from us, and I saw a hummingbird stop and stand on the feeder with its two legs.  I've never seen a hummingbird's legs before.  It made it look just like any other bird, only miniature.
Chris brought us scoops of vanilla ice cream with a few fresh raspberries and a small brownie.  The weather was perfect, the scenery, the food, and the people.  It was a delightful afternoon.    

Chatting it up on one of the three porches.

New shed that Scott built.

I meant to crop Fredee out since she was taking a picture of me while I took a picture of Dad and Frank.

Carol and Steve.

Sister and brother.

  

Trip to Brigham

Nan and Dad and I went on a short trip to Brigham today.  The trip was easy with very little construction or traffic, and an 80 mph speed limit.  There is nothing better than coming into the farms around Tremonton after nearly 4 hours with very little scenery.  We love seeing OUR mountains.  We recognize each rock formation and peak.  They look different from the Ogden mountains, or the Salt Lake, or Provo ones.  We also love Brigham's tree lined Main Street.  I almost tear-up every time I see it.  It's a sweet hometown.  At the end of the tree lined Main Street you drive past the old Indian School and on down the old highway into Perry.  It use to be lined with fruit stands and a pretty dangerous road with everyone pulling in and out at 55 mph.  Now there aren't many fruit stands and they have turn lanes into the popular places.  We drove straight to Maddoxs for lunch.  IT IS THE BEST!!  On the way back to Fredee's, we took a tour of the old Indian School.  A lot of it has been torn down. Some of it has been converted into apartments, storage facilities, and small businesses. The apartment buildings that we lived in when Dad taught there are still standing.  And there are buildings like this one where I attended nursery school:

Our play yard was on the right.

It's been many decades since the Indian school closed.  The city never figured out what to do with all of it.  Now there's a cool looking building nearing completion.  It's going to be an extension of Utah State!  They're going to develop all of it into their Brigham campus.  I can't wait to see it grow. 

Grandkids Day Number 3

This was our best day yet!  The last two days with the kids have been fun, but exhausting.  Now we have a routine down, and we end in a more relaxing manner.  We went to the MK Nature Center, Municipal Park, and my house.  I think the kids liked the Nature Center with the taxidermy animals better than the zoo.  The park was great, lunch was healthy (and they were hungry), and we were able to finish Hudson's blanket before his trip to Salt Lake.  We watched whatever was on PBS Kids while we tie, and it's pretty relaxing.

We started by walking down the greenbelt and taking 45 minutes to wade, throw rocks, and play with sticks in the Boise River.  I use to know how to do picture collages with Picasa.  I need to learn again.

 

Then we went to the MK Nature Center which was a big hit - bigger than the zoo!  We ran into a docent that let the kids make animal prints in molds with plaster paris, a woodchuck, cougar, and bobcat.  Then we went inside to check out more animals, activities, air conditioning, and a nice bathroom.

Putting their paw prints safely in the trunk.

And these exciting pictures from the kid's camera:

A snake skin

Stumpy's tail.

They still had some energy left to play for a while at Municipal Park.

And finally we went to our house for a healthy lunch and finishing our blanket making project.  I had some pictures of our lunch, but the kids didn't look happy.  (They were very happy being healthy, they were just tired.)  It was another success.

Hudson, happily wrapped in his finished blanket.

Fathers Day Family Dinner

All the kids went in and bought their dad a FitBit for Fathers Day.  It was the perfect gift for him and perfect timing.  Five of us are doing the Meltdown Challenge and working on healthy habits.  As our coach, Terry needs to be on top of things.  

We invited everyone over for a healthy celebration dinner.  I did baked chicken, some fruit and a salad.  Stace brought a quinoa salad that we want to post on our new blog with healthy recipes (that we haven't started yet).  Krystle brought some avocado humus with snap peas that were Terry's favorite.  Our dessert was frozen yogurt.  

There was a lot of visiting and the kids ran around.  Hadley pushed everyone to help with her blanket.  In the end we had a fun for all!

The kids table

She just got her ears pierced.  She earned it by reading books.

Kids on the patio.

 

She looks like trouble.

 

Our best behaved grandchild, Brynklee.

A couple of the fathers.

Hadley's finished blanket.

The only shot of the other dad, Mike.

Bry and I-guy on Fathers Day