The Dewey Quadrant

Sunshine, Pigeons and Grandkids!

2012-01-15T20:21:00.012-07:00

This week I've been chasing grandkids,
and they have been chasing pigeons.

I wonder if I had as much fun with my own kids...

We found a fun park nearby and spent
eighty-eight cents for a loaf of bread.

The kids love to hunt for treasures.
Usually they are feathers, but this day --
something really special!

I did not know Ben raised pigeons as a boy.
He easily caught a few to show the kids.

No animals were harmed
in this educational opportunity.

At the end of our visit,
I celebrated a 50-something birthday.
I think I got enough chocolate cake on this trip!

The Serious Bagel Visit

2012-01-10T21:12:00.010-07:00

Dave's family has a new dog. I made friends with him
and took him for a few walks.
Seriously -- no dog enjoys walks more than Sirius.

Papa Ben taught Nate how to feed koi.
It's amazing what a cell phone can do these days -- seriously.
Many people say these two look alike.
I'm saying -- seriously?

This photo op started out with Dave holding the baby.
Within 60 seconds I had this pose in my lens -- seriously.
And in 61 seconds, I had this one.
Wait, we lost Nate!
Uncle Sammie showed up Sunday afternoon.
This is not a serious look -- it's an evil eye.
Carolyn learned that one of my New Year's Resolutions
was to make bagels. She wanted to help me out.This was the most fun I've had in a kitchen in years.
For real!

We had chocolate cake every single night, experimenting with different recipes.
Just for the record -- This. Is. Chocolate. Cake.
Seriously.

The Best Babysitter

2011-12-24T10:25:00.004-07:00

Papa Ben is the best babysitter!

Happy, Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-26T04:49:00.042-07:00

We gather together...

to play with electronics.
And pray that they still our entertainers will be.
We made a token gesture to feed the birds...

before they fed us.
Our food was delicious.
And not just the turkey.
Jeff does sous-vide so he can use a blow torch.
We were happy to sample his endeavors.
There were a lot of cooks, actually.
We have done a lot more than eat, though!
Being here this week has been like
stepping through the Looking Glass.
The weather cooperated.
Six months ago this child wouldn't
get near the diving board -- and now look!
There were a lot of helpers to encourage!
It was hard to get enough sleep, though.

We've been smelling the flowers all week long...

and spending a lot of time together...

and smiling a lot.
Aren't these smiles precious?
Yes, lots of smiles!

Counting our blessings, one by one.

I imparted my wisdom,

and demonstrated how to crack pecans with bare hands.

We've all felt like royalty this week.

Living high.

We played some classic games!
Everyone was a hero!

And of course, there were engineering discussions.

I love my family.

And many, many thanks to Laura and Jeff, our hosts.

Photos: Another Conference Weekend

2011-10-01T16:40:00.016-06:00

I scanned some fun photos today.
It's totally random what I find.
Sam, Jeff and Steve visited us in Tokyo
and we went to Disneyland.
This was one of the happiest days of my life.
This was taken in NJ in 1981.
Dave and Sam wanted their heads buzzed for the summer.
Jeff wisely said no.
Our early years in NJ were forever ago,
but I still remember how much
Sammie loved his kindergarten teacher.
Jeff was a good little kid.With a clone for a son, don't you think?
There were a lot of pictures taken this day.
Our family likes ducks, that's for sure.
We can blame the duck theme on this man.
I found a note with this photo.
I thought the picture was of Dad in his coat.
No, it was of the Jeep which he had recently acquired.
Both were necessary in Adak, it seems.
We can blame others for
being fond of fowls...
I think Ben is crying fowl in this picture.
Many have forgotten he started his fatherhood
career with Little League.
I forgot I was young once.
And the kids were young, too.
Corinne was the cutest 5 year old ever.
I found several nice pictures of my parents.
And then there was this photo.
And this one.

I found a lot of pictures of Mike.

He hosted many family gatherings.

He never missed a family reunion.
(I can't say the same is true for me.)

He dragged many on hikes...
Although his kids didn't complain.

Except for his hair and glasses,
Mike hasn't changed much over the years.
Dad wrote, "Bliss" on the back of this photo.

Snow on Mt. Timp This Morning!

2011-09-17T08:51:00.003-06:00

Last winter's snow finally melted in the past few days.
No matter -- the new snow season begins today!

Nap Time

2011-09-01T08:29:00.004-06:00

My daughter-in-law asked me to make a pillow
for a little grandson going to a kindergarten with nap time.
I went right to work and bought one yard of fleece.

I had enough for a blanket, too. It all fits together!

Together Again

2011-08-30T14:46:00.003-06:00

Last Thanksgiving, a darling little grandson
dropped a doll from a set of stacking dolls
down an outlet for my in-house vacuum.
I was not worried. I knew the doll would come through.
In less than a week, we had the bottom.
I checked periodically for the top
of the doll, as recently as last week, in fact.

Today while Ben was vacuuming, he noticed a problem.
We both knew it had to be related to the top of the doll.
An hour later, after a dirty repair job
on the main canister, voila!

I am absolutely tickled as can be about this!

The Shoemaker

2011-08-10T07:52:00.010-06:00

I am researching the family of my ancestor James Radford Millard.
He was born in Biddisham, England, in 1827.I knew he was the youngest of 14 children, but while I found his parents,
I could not find him.
Yesterday I found him on this 1841 census, living with
the Parsons family at age 14 where he was apprenticed to be a shoemaker.
I know he was happy here. How do I know this?
In 1902 James Millard saw that the temple work was done for this family.
It melted my heart when I put all the pieces together.

While looking for someone else, I found James on the next census in 1851,
working on a farm.
In 1853 he left England, never to return. He crossed the ocean and plains alone,
but in 1854 he married a newly arrived immigrant and convert from Wales.
He and his wife had 5 children.
He worked as a shoemaker in Farmington, but he was also a farmer.
His wife died in 1872, but he served a States mission in 1876,
leaving his children home together taking care of his farm.
In his old age he served as a Patriarch.
He also did a lot of temple work, which I am carefully going through now.
Each day I am grateful for the faithfulness of my ancestors.

Fun in New York

2011-07-16T21:19:00.005-06:00

We are visiting Kyle and Camille this week.
We've hiked a lot!

We met a really hungry calf, but Kyle helped him out.
Camille is always ready to go anywhere.
She has mummertime shoes she wears when we leave the house.
We had booberry mancakes this morning for breakfast,
and we saw some mumble mees.
Kyle's school playground is fabulous,
and everyone enjoyed playing on it!
It happened to be built by Playworld Systems,
who have partnered with Ben in making merry-go-rounds.These two kids get along so well--
I made Kyle some new bedding, and Kyle let Camille share
a 5 minute nap!

Marriage Record

2011-07-08T11:51:00.005-06:00

The couple listed first were married in 1786 in
a little town in Wales called Newton Nottage.
I found their marriage record recently.
Their son-in-law joined the LDS Church in 1845,
after the death of his wife,
and brought their daughter to Utah in 1854.
This daughter, Catherine, is my mother's great-grandmother.

Tea Time

2011-07-05T21:08:00.001-06:00

I have a new granddaughter.
Guess which one she is!

Odds and Ends

2011-05-24T19:33:00.008-06:00

I have been called to be the Primary teacher
for a very special child.
I've been working on teaching aids for class,
which has been fun for me.

I also made 3 bathrobes for 3 dolls.

The river near our house is getting high,
and there is still way too much snow in the mountains.

Not everyone is worried.

I've also been doing a lot of genealogy.
James Radford was the grandfather of
my grandmother's grandfather,
a Mormon convert
and 1853 immigrant.
He was from Barton in Winscombe and lived to be 81.

James Millard was the other grandfather.

I love this stuff.

Can't Let Go

2011-05-09T09:45:00.008-06:00

I finished my Driver biography a couple weeks ago,

but I can't seem to escape it.
This was the first biography I have written
where I have inserted a lot of pictures.
This was my Grandmother Cannon's family,
and I guess she made sure there were great photos taken.
Ben has uploaded 5 versions of this biography because I think
I'm finished and then I find another great photo.
I found this picture this morning while looking for something else.
These are grandchildren of Charlotte and Wm. Driver --
my father and his sisters Maydae and Betsy,
taken in 1921, the year William Driver died.
Worth adding, don't you think?
Last week I had him pull it down and upload a new
version with this photo.
This is Charlotte Boulter Driver herself!
I've already started working on the next family,
but the Drivers aren't letting me go...
Sadly, he's in Africa,
so when he gets home I have one little job for him...

One of These Weeks is Not Like The Others...

2011-04-29T18:24:00.007-06:00

Last weekend, after finishing the Driver biography,
I decided to take this week off and sew.
I started with pajamas for granddaughters' dolls.
Please notice that I matched the stripes.

Nighties, with bottoms -- fun to make!

I love this fabric -- these are sun dresses
with jackets.

I tied a quilt for a new granddaughter.
I love this Indonesian batik
and have made several things from it.

Walmart sells this truck fabric.
I made 2 quilts for 2 little grandsons.

This afternoon I made brownies,three loaves of raisin bread,

which has become my new favorite dinner,
(with hot chocolate,)

and I experimented with a loaf of artisan bread
for tomorrow's dinner --
which means -- Yes, Ben -- I'll cook a real meal!
Next week: back to genealogy.

Track Hoe in the River

2011-04-21T10:20:00.008-06:00

This morning I saw a track hoe driving down the Provo River.
Provo City received emergency approval to
clean up part of the river near our neighborhood.
This track hoe operator was like a ballerina--
dancing all over the river.

There's a record snow pack in the mountains,
and I have never seen the river flow higher.
But log jams were making a mess.
Last night the men at the dam cut the flow
by 2 feet so the track hoe, which weighs 70,000 pounds,
could work safely.
How many Provo City employees does it take
to cut down a tree?
It just takes one, but the track hoe had to get him there.Sometimes they pulled the trees to the side
and a crew cut them up.
But most of the time they cut the trees in half so
they wouldn't get hung up downstream.

I was extremely impressed with their skill and bravery.For awhile two men both used their chain saws.
Let's hope all their efforts keep the water in the river,
and not in the streets,
or heaven forbid -- in my house!

Pink Flowers!

2011-04-12T11:35:00.004-06:00

My almost two-year-old granddaughter has taken
an interest in helping in the kitchen.
Her mother suggested an apron for her birthday.
I complied...

Three Decades of Photos

2011-04-03T17:00:00.010-06:00

I had such fun this afternoon scanning in photos.

I used to have 3 darling boys.
Now their kids are darling.
I scanned in several photos taken on that particular morning.
I am sure we were trying to get a good shot.
I think we gave up.
This is baby Cori's first birthday.
We still own the stacking Jack.
I loved seeing this photo --
it brought back wonderful memories of our years in NJ.
Tommy and Cori were two adorable little tykes.
This was a fun picture to find.
I remember taking this photo --
there were also several versions of it.
We lived in Clear Lake for a long time and had a lot of fun.
This photo was taken in our backyard.
There were uncountable photos of the kids and ducks,
which were a constant source of amusement.
Just for the record, baby ducks can go back to their
mommies without any problem.
This was Ben's 41st birthday.
Are you seeing the goose wallpaper, the goose cross stitch,
and the stuffed goose on the back wall of the kitchen?
Trends, I have seen them all...
And I swear, I will never hang wallpaper again.
I couldn't resist posting this.

This picture of Steve was taken in Tokyo.

Ueno Zoo -- we had a blast.
Sam had learned in Italy how to make the pigeons
fly on command. Oh, so much fun!

It is hard for be to believe that we moved back
to the USA from Tokyo 11 years ago.

Never Before Seen Pictures!

2011-04-02T19:08:00.016-06:00

During conference today I scanned in photos
from boxes Maydae's family gave me.

This is my family in 1961.
I'm 8, on the left.
I have never seen this picture before.
Mary and I are in matching dresses.

My Grandfather Cannon was the manager of
a sugar factory in Belle Fourche, South Dakota in the 1940s.
Isn't this a nice photo of him?Here's the entire photo. I have no explanation.
A South Dakotan native, I guess.
My Grandmother Cannon was a pink lady
at LDS Hospital for many years.
It appears that about 1940 my grandparents went to
The Flamingo casino in Las Vegas.
Maybe they went to see Rachel,
but got to town a little early...
Here's a younger version of my grandparents.
This was taken in 1914 at Saltair.
Daddy Cannon is in the center, Nana on the right,
but this was before they were married.
Hester, Grandfather's sister, is to the left.
Grandmother Cannon's sister Vilate is laughing.
I don't know who the other two people are.
These charming people are Joseph Fielding Burton
and his wife, Mary Ann Elizabeth Driver.
They are Grandmother Cannon's parents.
I will guess that this picture was taken in 1910 or so.
Joseph, known as Jody, was one of 30 children.
This is a younger Mary Ann.
Her dress is fabulous, but I wonder if the backdrop is real.
The bear skin she's standing on probably is.
This is William Driver. He was Mary Ann's father.
He and his wife Charlotte had 17 children.
He died in 1921, and I suspect this photo might have been taken in 1920.
I have spent the last 12 months writing a biography of him.
I'm almost finished!
This lovely picture of Mary was in the box of
photos from Aunt Maydae.
Maydae always called Mary, "Mary Elizabeth."
Great name -- and Mary is now embracing that.
Susan sent Maydae this photo -- perhaps in a 1988 Christmas card.
We all miss Virgil. He was a good dog.
This is Susan's family in 1979 visiting Nana.
Maydae had this totally adorable photo of Jill.Mike's family visited Aunt Maydae in 1983.
There were a lot of pictures of Mike and Joani--
This is another photo I have never seen before.

There is a lot of detail in this picture.
I believe it's Aunt Janet, so this was taken about 1924.
She is being kept warm by the stove.
Notice the safety pin on her diaper.

Ida Mae Cannon Smith 1916 - 2011

2011-03-26T19:39:00.017-06:00

It takes a great life to make a great funeral.
Well, we had a great funeral today.
Everyone loved Ida Mae Cannon Smith.

She was known as Maydae -- she was 7 before she knew
her name was Ida Mae.
Maydae was the granddaughter of pioneers.
Her grandmother Mary Ann Elizabeth Driver
was brought across the ocean by her parents
and celebrated her 1st birthday on the plains.
Her other grandmother was Martha Telle,
who came to Utah when the train line was complete
and married the apostle George Q. Cannon.
Maydae was born in Martha's home.

Maydae was born during WWI.
L-R: Betsy, baby Joan, Ida Mae, Janet,
and on the right -- Collins, my father,
always pretending to be coming home from the war.
Their parents were Ida May Burton
and Collins Telle Cannon.
For the first time, today I noticed a
resemblance between Nana and Corinne.
Daddy Cannon owned a woolen mill in Logan
before the Depression.
Dad and Maydae were often models for the sweaters.
Maydae belonged to a very loving family:
L-R, back: Betsy, Maydae, my mother Beth,
front: Janet, Nana, Joan.
In the mid-90s, Dad took Maydae to Turkey with him.
They stayed with me in NJ on their way out of the country.
I took them to Philadelphia before they left.
Upon returning from Turkey, Maydae told me she'd had a great time,
except that no one believed she was Dad's sister.
They thought she was his mistress.
To say she was not pleased would be an understatement.
Maydae's four children honored her wishes,
and made it possible for her to die at home.

Corinne and Hayley pose with their illustrious great-great-grandfather.

Corinne got in touch with her grandparents.
Afterward, Maydae's Relief Society cooked us a wonderful meal.

Reid and Joan, and Frank and Rosanne enjoyed the luncheon.

Annette and Susan caught up.

Rachel and Jonas confirmed the meal was wonderful.

Mary and Chris were happy to be there.

Maren sampled the dessert table.
She and Trent played a beautiful cello/organ duet during the funeral.

Betsy loved being with her grandparents, Janet and Pete.

Cousin Sid represented Betsy's family.

I was personally happy that Corinne could attend.

The last two surviving siblings of Maydae
are Janet and Joan.

Together Again!

2011-03-25T16:13:00.005-06:00

I have loved this portrait of my great-grandmother,
Martha Telle Cannon, since I was a little child.
This painting used to hang in my grandmother's home.
Never did I dream that someday it would hang in my house.
I inherited the portrait of George Q. Cannon,
Martha's husband, 7 years ago.
Now they are together again!

Most Dashing Groom Ever!

2011-03-17T20:25:00.003-06:00

No, Boo was not the groom,
but he enjoyed the reception --
especially the part where he dashed out the door!

Travis is the groom!And his bride -- so beautiful!

Cousins

2011-03-16T21:11:00.008-06:00

Nana and Daddy Cannon had 21 grandchildren,

and here are 7 of them.
We had absolutely the most wonderful time today.
Maydae was peaceful and comfortable in the next room.
There is nothing like family.

Mesmerized

2011-02-25T08:25:00.006-07:00

We love to watch the snow fall.There's a lot to watch today.

It's a good day to get to stay home.

Sparkles and Glitter

2011-02-22T10:33:00.005-07:00

I've been making doll clothes...

Times 3...
Glitter from the dresses is all over my house.
It's delightful!

Galaxy Far Away

2011-02-03T15:37:00.004-07:00

I found an interesting marriage record yesterday in the FHL.
This couple, Samuel Boulter and his wife Elizabeth Reeves,
joined the LDS Church in in 1848.
Their granddaughter Charlotte, at the age of 16,
married the presiding elder, William Driver,
and emigrated to Utah a few years later.
Charlotte and William are Ida May Cannon's grandparents
and bought her wedding trousseau.

7th Generation

2011-01-02T17:50:00.002-07:00

Will turned 12 yesterday and was ordained a deacon today.
He is the 7th generation in the Markham line to hold the Priesthood.
I am a proud grandma!

The Amazing Melzini!!

2010-12-31T13:38:00.004-07:00

Almost a half century ago, my older brother Phil
taught me a magic card trick.
I have loved teaching it to my grandchildren
as they get older-- so fun!
Here is Melanie practicing her magician skills.
We have had such a wonderful holiday in Texas with
many of our grandchildren.
Happy New Year to everyone!

Serendipity

2010-12-08T13:11:00.009-07:00

Completely by accident,
I learned that BYU has a scrapbook
my g-great-grandfather kept.
I spent an hour today taking 300 photos of
the articles and information he saved.
You can double-click on any photo
to get a closer look.William Driver emigrated to the US from England
in 1866. He opened
a successful drug store in Ogden.

The scrapbook had some ads for the store. He served all the people of Ogden...
He ran for various offices over the years,
and the scrapbook has many articles about
elections and meetings.

He did have enemies.
I loved this caricature and found it
fun that he put this article in his scrapbook.
William helped his brother Jesse
emigrate in 1875.

William returned to England as a missionary in 1879.
In addition to losing this son, he and his wife Charlotte
lost 10 other children. Seven survived to adulthood.

William used this ticket on his return across the US in 1880.

There is no question my father is
a descendant of this man!

Deep Fat Fried Turkey and Sweet Potatoes

2010-11-27T09:31:00.009-07:00

We had a fun day on Friday,
which was our Thanksgiving.

More company invaded us.
Sometimes the cousins tended each other.

Jeff and Steve doctored the turkey with
a delicious mesquite sauce.

Then Ben dropped it in a vat of boiling oil.

We have to sacrifice gravy
in exchange for the best meat ever.

This year we added fried sweet potatoes.

Chris joined us. He brought PIE.
Justin found a new admirer.
Two little ones had the first bites.

Then the bigger cousins feasted.
The kids played while the adults ate.

But they helped clean up.

Babysitting

2010-11-24T16:25:00.004-07:00

I'm tending for a little while.

The house is peaceful and happy.

Invaded!

2010-11-20T16:28:00.005-07:00

Grandkids came to play with me!
We went for a walk.

I feel like we've been invaded,
but in a good way.

An especially good way.

Photos of a MGR Installation

2010-11-11T06:47:00.006-07:00

Ben and his associates installed two merry-go-rounds this week.
I received these pictures in the night and decided to share.
The merry-go-rounds generate electricity.
The kids love them.
Ben has worked for 5 years to develop the technology
so these are fun -- not work.
If you can imagine, the students have never seen a MGR before.
I never saw playground equipment at all while we were there,
although I was told a few well-off schools had some.

Ben has teamed up with an American playground company,
Playworld Systems,
who built these latest merry-go-rounds.
Their motto is: The world needs play.
Isn't that great?

The villagers have a huge celebration
when a merry-go-round is installed.
Lots of poetry, speeches and dancing.

While I was in Ghana during our mission,
little kids would often rub my skin.
It was clear they were trying to rub the white off.
I couldn't believe it at first, but it happened so often that
I became sure that's what was happening.
When my nephew Chris Owen first went to Ghana last spring,
he brought home pictures of dancers with this white paint.
And then I suddenly understood a little better.The electricity from the merry-go-rounds
charges these lanterns designed for Ben by Energizer.
They will hold a charge for a month.
It's dark at 6 every night in Ghana,
but now the students have light for homework.
Test scores are rising.
Kids are reading.
All I can say is, what a retirement for Ben!
(Thanks, Chris -- for these photos!)

Ben in the Jungle, Again

2010-11-04T10:59:00.007-06:00

Ben is in Ghana this month.

His retirement consists of building merry-go-rounds
that generate electricity.
The villagers in Akyrematang were particularly excited to
be chosen for a MGR. They live a half mile from the nearest road.
Ben, who has been to the village several times,
told the headmaster he would arrive this morning at 9.
The waiting villagers quickly emptied the truck
and carried thousands of pounds of equipment
through the jungle.

I happen to know the West Africans think
we are handicapped because
we can't carry stuff on our heads.
Ben hustled to keep up with all of them.
He thought getting the parts to the village
would take most of the day.

They had cleared the trails, put planks over the streams,
and in no time at all the equipment was at the school.
The installation will be a big event next week.
Ben is having a good trip.
I am so proud of him!

Bradley Makes A Visit!

2010-10-10T19:39:00.005-06:00

Brad brought his mom for a visit.
He didn't want much to do with me,
but he did want my camera.

He likes to walk around furniture.
He didn't care this was my grandmother's chair,
but he liked the caning.

I was a little hurt that he went straight
to Ben when he got home from church.
But lickety-split -- Brad took his glasses.We had dinner -- Bradley ate leftover blueberry
pancakes from breakfast.

Bradley thought Ben's merry-go-round
was a terrific idea!
It was such a pretty evening that we went for a walk.
We stopped by the pond to say hello
to Papa's koi.The koi said hello back.

When we got home, Bradley decided he'd
like to do a little swimming himself.
His daddy used to play with those toys, btw.

Snow This Morning on Mt. Timp!

2010-10-05T08:16:00.002-06:00

Mt. Timp this morning.

Collins Telle Cannon Photos 1910-1915

2010-10-02T17:35:00.006-06:00

Shortly before my father died,

he gave me a very old photo album and said,
"I don't know many of the people in this album."
The album was so old and fragile that I didn't even open it.
I remembered it this morning as I started to scan in photos
and decided to take a look.
What a treasure!
My grandfather Collins Telle Cannon was called to
serve in the French Mission in 1910.
The album, which crumbled every time I touched it,
included these photos.

Collins T. Cannon is on the left.
How many of us Cannons have posed
in front of a cannon?

Elder Cannon on the far right.
I was not surprised to see a resemblance to his father,George,
but I was surprised to see how much
his great-grand-son Mark resembles him.
What a serious pose!

This appears to be his room in Paris.
Elder Cannon is on the left.

Like any missionary, he took photos of famous sites.
Do you recognize Maxims?

A quaint site -- cobblestones, oxen and a wagon of wood.
The Eiffel Tower was only 20 years old in this photo.

Take your eyes off the statue and look at the pant cuffs.

I believe Elder Cannon is on the left.
Notice their foot ware and the cane.

Elder Cannon is standing in the back left.
This looks like a fun group.
The woman in the front right showed up in many photos.
I'm hoping she was an investigator.

How many photos of meals are there so far?
Is there any doubt that Collins Burton is this man's son?
Look closely at Elder Cannon's face, far left.
[No matter how hard I tried, I could not read the writing.
Double click if you want to try.]

Who else can see the resemblance to Erik?

I like the white shirt, white tie.

I had a few days like this on my mission, too.There weren't many labels on these photos,
but I think Elder Cannon is on the far right.
I especially like their hats.Dad put some labels in the album.
I left this one -- that's his handwriting, not Elder Cannon's.Is this the Paris we think of today?
A thoughtful pose.
I cropped a lot out of this photo,
but Dad thought it was taken on Christmas Day 1910.
I rarely saw my grandfather without a beret.
This is where it started, of course.
He did not keep the mustache.

I'm sure the elders had a fun day in the French Alps.
I believe Elder Cannon is 2nd from the right.Maybe they had too much fun!

Elder Cannon, second from left, with companions
on the ship home, May 1913.

I have to assume this photo is after his mission.
He's second from the left.
Please notice his shoes.

Dad identified the friend as Harry.
I cannot guess anything about the photo,
except I know I love the boots.
Perhaps there was some civil engineering involved.
I can't explain this picture at all, either.
Grandfather is on the right.
Did he have a past as a miner that I don't know about?

The faint caption identifies Ida May Burton on the left.
Grandmother Cannon told me Collins impressed her.
In this photo he is driving, she is in the front.
I did not scan this photo in backwards.
I don't know why the steering wheel on the right.
I suspect Ida May is barely 20 in this photo.
Collins was about 26.
The friend on the left is Anne, according to Dad's caption.
Collins is in the center and sweet Ida May is on the right.
I recognize Harry on the left.
Collins and Ida May are on the right.
Notice they are in the mountains all dressed up for a picnic.
That was how things were done in those days.
Nana seems to be having such a wonderful time.
I love her shoes, but I'm not sure I would have
liked all the buttons.

I believe a phonograph is on the left.
Collins and Ida May are in the back.
That other man isn't Harry,
so this is a different picnic in the mountains.

Collins in the center.
I am pretty sure Ida May is on the right.
I love those buttons!
I don't know the leg of beef story.
I'll ask Aunt Maydae.

Collins T. and Ida May married in 1915.
[Update: I spoke with Aunt Maydae.
She has never seen missionary photos of her father
and did not know this album existed.
I'll show it to her very soon.]

Cousin's Lunch

2010-09-18T18:09:00.005-06:00

I had lunch today with a few cousins
and my three aunts, Joan, Maydae and Janet.
There were also daughters from the next generation.
We had so much fun-- we laughed for 4 hours.
Interestingly, Susan and Laurie couldn't make it because
they both happen to be in Croatia.
I guess I missed the memo on that being the latest vacation spot.
Thanks to Annette for a great time!

Monster Mash

2010-09-09T16:56:00.005-06:00

We've had a piece of furniture that was starting to bug me.
I realized it was taking up a lot of space in the room where I work,
but it's biggest function was to hold a lot of junk.
We've called it the Monster for a long time, because it's so big and heavy.
It took me a week to empty out all the stuff inside, which included:

several boxes of floppy discs.
Which reminds me of a true story:
In 1983 or so, Ben bought a box of 5 1/4 floppies.
He carefully explained how much information they would hold and said,
"Julie, we will never have to buy another box of discs."
Ya, I'm still laughing about that.

The Monster had a pull out drawer filled with VHS tapes.

And it had a cupboard of my old records.
Look what I found.

A Little Skeleton in the Closet

2010-09-04T15:52:00.004-06:00

I found something interesting in the Family History Library today.
Nana's great-grandmother's origins have always been obscure.
Today I found this woman's 1820 baptism record
in a parish in Rye, Sussex, England.
Her name was Mary Ann.
She was the daughter of Sarah Turk.
It's the last line on this record -- double click to see it more clearly.
And now I understand a little better.
I love this stuff...

Beautiful Day!

2010-07-31T19:26:00.005-06:00

We are visiting Kyle in New York.
This morning he picked out a purple pepper.
It's for a purple pepper pizza on Monday.

Then we went for a walk.
Camille loves walks, even if she didn't do much walking.

Kyle had fun with legos.
I brought him a set with a door, something that pleased him.
Last night we went to a baseball game.
I had a great time, but of course,
the company was wonderful, too.

And guess who ended up with a foul ball!

Lucky Us!

2010-07-29T21:39:00.006-06:00

We made a quick trip to San Antonio.

The adoption was finalized this morning,
and Bradley was sealed to his parents this evening.

The guys had a great time together.

In case you don't recognize these people,
This is Vacation Dave and Kidless Carolyn.
The San Antonio Temple is beautiful!

Faster Than A Speeding Bullet

2010-07-22T21:41:00.007-06:00

Don't let his calm demeanor fool you --

This kid is omnipresent.
I don't want to think about how fast he'll move
when he starts to walk!
Big brother loved the dinosaurs.
Big sister is growing up way too fast.
We came to town for biggest sister's birthday.
She was baptized today.
I cried through the whole thing.

2010-07-16T06:09:00.006-06:00

We are visiting Bradley and his parents.

He is a cute baby, obviously,
but you can't tell unless you play with him
that he's 100% muscle -- no baby fat.

I think Bradley might win a spot in Guinness for the baby
who can get the farthest and fastest by rolling.

Go Fish!

2010-07-11T23:12:00.008-06:00

We are in Texas for Melanie's baptism.Of course we are having a lot of fun!

Grammy made sure to get her fill of Blue Bell before she left.

Nathan loves ice cream cones!

Matt prefers vanilla.

Papa Ben is not too picky, actually.

I enjoy playing games with grandkids.
Melanie is a whiz at Go Fish!
We can teach good sportsmanship when we play with kids.
That can be valuable for everyone.

Nathan found my camera.
Carolyn lost interest in the game for awhile and posed for him.
He took some surprisingly good pictures, giggling the whole time.

I spent some time getting fish to pose.
I love Dave's tank.
Go Fish!

Computer Down

2010-07-03T13:43:00.005-06:00

My genealogy computer died.
While Ben is getting the new one ready,
I have been doing other things,
like bake a peach pie...With Madagascar vanilla bean ice cream.
I made 3 pink bags for 3 darling little granddaughters.
Two more dinosaur bags for two little grandsons...
And a blessing gown for an expected granddaughter...

I'm having a great time.
Ben says my new computer is a romper stomper.
He's named it Worf.

Bagging Dinosaurs

2010-06-21T17:17:00.003-06:00

One of my grandsons loves dinosaurs...

Don't tell him about his birthday present.
It's a secret!

Rib Dinner

2010-06-04T06:12:00.012-06:00

We had ribs for dinner yesterday.

My secret trick is to smother them with sauce after they are grilled.
I let them simmer in their juices in a warm oven all day.

Mary seemed to enjoy the food.
She came to town to see her sister-in-law Betty.
Mary is wearing Ghanaian beads Chris brought her.
He just returned with Ben from Africa.

Betty is the current hero of the day.
She and Roy drove to Provo from California.
Betty brought a box of Chris's baby photos she's saved over the years.
I don't make ribs for just anybody...

The Forecast Said Snow

2010-05-24T08:20:00.007-06:00

I went to the temple this morning

and when I came out it was snowing!
(Why don't I take my camera to the temple?)
Ben will hopefully come home from Africa tomorrow.
His flight had problems yesterday.
(Better on the ground than in the air, I always say.)

He's looking forward to a root beer float.

I'm starting a pot of chili.

He bought me this Mother's Day basket before he left.
When the snow stops, I'll go brush off the leaves
and hope for the best.

Company For Lunch

2010-05-04T13:27:00.005-06:00

Mike and Joani are in town.
They came for lunch today, with Summer & Zoey.
Chris joined us.
My new kitchen furniture arrived ten minutes before they did.
The menu:
Roasted red pepper soup and Southwestern chicken sandwiches.
Not a bite was leftover.

Global Warming?

2010-05-01T09:20:00.002-06:00

The snow is really coming down right now --
actually, this is hail.
I think spring is losing.

More Snow

2010-04-29T07:56:00.002-06:00

Ben took this photo of the top of our garbage bin this morning.
I'm still betting spring is going to win.

Bike Ride, Complete With Avalanche!

2010-04-24T08:25:00.014-06:00

The bike trail through the canyon is now open again.

Tuesday I took Ben.
Today I took my camera.

There is always something interesting to see.
And friends to make.
Bet you didn't know the Romans built a fort in Provo Canyon...
The trail is beautiful.
The scenery on the back of Timpanogus is spectacular.

There was no sun on Bridal Veil this morning,
but it's always stunning to me.
These seed pods caught the sunrise.
They look like little chandeliers.
The trail is closed in the winter because of avalanches.
See the rocks on top of the snow?
Only one explanation.
There is even a big rock in one of these bushes.
There is always something to see in the canyon.

Not Without a Fight

2010-04-22T08:13:00.003-06:00

I thought spring was coming...
but winter is not giving up.

Marilyn's Funeral

2010-04-11T13:55:00.012-06:00

My mother's sister Marilyn died last week.
We all loved Aunt Marilyn.
She sang in the Tabernacle Choir for 21 years.
I have clear memories of watching the broadcast as a child
with my Grandma Mary.
We never heard the singing because Grandma was busy
pointing out Marilyn to us as the camera panned.
"There she is!" "There she is!"
And then Grandma would later tell Marilyn,
"I could hear you singing above everyone else."
Marilyn always told her that was not a compliment.
Laurie shared a story about her mother when Laurie was going through a hard time.
Marilyn said she had a favorite scripture.
"And it came to pass..."
Laurie said, "And?"
And Marilyn said, "That's all. It came to pass. It didn't come to stay."
It was wonderful to see family members at the funeral.
Joan & Reid, Sandy, Laurie, Bill, Nancy, Tom and his wife Annie.
Everyone recognized me, and since it's been a long time
since I have seen some of them, that was nice.
Independently, they all said I have my mother's eyes.
A second cousin who did not know my mother well said,
"Did you know you look very much like your grandmother Mary?"
There is no greater compliment.

Cousin John was there, too, and his wife Deanne.
Btw, I'm not the only one who looks like a parent...
We had so much fun that we are having lunch together tomorrow.
And guess who else was there?
Fifty years ago, Elder Ballard was Marilyn and Bill's bishop.
Elder Ballard made a point to come to Marilyn's funeral and speak.
It was awesome.

Short History of My Family

2010-04-04T14:11:00.030-06:00

This afternoon the photos told a story.
In 1974 I had a darling baby in Baytown named Davy.

Ben and I took a whole roll of film to get this one picture.
And Ben's head was cut off...

By 1983 we lived in NJ and had 5 kids.
Baby Cor was 2 days old.
Tommy loved his baby sister.
Mary made Tommy's lion.
The next year we celebrated Cori's birthday.

That fall we took more pictures.
Please notice Tommy's pucker.

In 1985 we moved to Houston.
During our time there, Ben took several scout troops to Philmont.
They stopped at some Air Force base on the way each time.
We dealt with a lot of critters when we lived in Clear Lake.
Ducks hatched in our yard all the time, and we learned
we could play with them and then send them off to their mommy.
Unfortunately, the ducks attracted snakes.
The boys became adept at killing them.
I sewed a lot in those days.
I made Tom's shirt and Cori's outfit.
Sewing was good therapy.
I guess that's an editorial comment.
Just before Dave left on his mission and Sam left for college,
we had this photo taken.
Sam's wisdom teeth had been removed 2 days earlier.
Dave returned from his mission after we moved back to NJ.
I will admit I about fell over in the airport when I saw how much weight he had lost.
Jeff and Steve have always been close.
They spent a lot of time together before Jeff left on his mission.

Jeff is hugging Corinne before he leaves for Germany.

Then Ben, Corinne and I moved to Tokyo.
This left these three guys at BYU.
Sam and Jeff were home from their missions and
16 year-old-Steve lived with them.
Dad sent me this photo after one of their visits to him.

One of the happiest times in my life
was when Jeff, Sam and Steve visited us in Tokyo.
Here is Jeff on the losing end of a stick.

Ben took us to a fancy dinner up in the mountains.
I can still remember how happy I was that day.
During their visit, we bought our first digital camera,
so I won't scan much for the last decade.

Christmas Cards, Giggles & Bangs

2010-04-04T10:21:00.021-06:00

I asked Mary Elizabeth for help with a date on this photo.
She told me it was 1974.
This is the only picture I have of Mary with her namesake,
Grandma Mary.
Mary said to me, "What a kind, kind person Grandma Mary is."
Is.
It's Easter, remember.
Oh, we loved her so much. My heart aches when I see her pictures.

I don't want to make this blog about me,
but I'm obsessed with something right now: my bangs.
I'm trying to grow them out.
Name one thing as trivial that is more agonizing.
I'm dying here.
So, I was amused to see the progress of my bangs through the years.
The above picture was taken in 1973.
I'm six months pregnant, not that it's not obvious.

This was taken in 1976.

This was taken about 1987.
Isn't my darling daughter adorable?
I made both our dresses.
That is, btw, my natural hair color. Or, was.

Of course, I'm not the only one who has changed
the hair around my face.

In 1989 Ben and I flew to Mexico City to visit
Uncle Bill and Aunt Marilyn who were serving a mission there.
This photo brought back wonderful memories of them,
especially since Marilyn is near death today.
I thought about her as the photo scanned in,
and then I saw the bangs.
Ya, I know. This is sweet.

This photo from 1997 was taken at Dave and Carolyn's wedding luncheon.
This is pretty much what my hair looked like
a few weeks ago when I decided to grown my bangs out again.

In addition to bangs, legs grow.
Maybe Sam's pride grew a little that day, too.

This photo was taken a few months later.
After doing time in the MTC, Sam flew to Italy via JFK.
Steev, Cori and I drove out to meet him.
Obviously these were pre-9/11 days and we waited in the terminal with him.

This was our Christmas card in 1975.
The next decade I sent out this one.
I'm pretty sure this was the following year.
I'm going through old photos Dad gave me,
and he saved all this stuff.
Of course, it was about this time Dave started growing out his bangs.

This was Easter Sunday 19 or 20 years ago.
Dave's bangs are now so long that he has combed them straight back.
Same with Jeff's. And Sam's...well...
Of course you recognize our visitors -- Douglas and Scott.
I'm not even going to comment on this photo.

I scanned in other random photos this morning.
Our family went to Disneyworld in 1988.
I can still remember how much fun we had.
I wasn't not smiling as much as I was waiting for Ben to take the picture.

This is one of my all time favorite photos.

In the totally random category,
this is Corinne at a Monkey Park in Tokyo in 1999.

Blast From The Past: Cousins, Uncles and Aunts!

2010-04-03T16:58:00.023-06:00

My conference project for the last several years

has been to scan in old photos.
Does this count as old?
This definitely counts as old.
Was Mike in love, or what!
Actually, he still is.

Mike and his family used to faithfully visit us in Texas
for Thanksgiving so they could buy Star Wars toys at our
Toys R Us for Christmas.
This is what happens in 25 years.
I took this at Dad's 85th birthday party.
Matt can buy his own toys now.

I believe this photo was taken in 1978 in Yakima.
I love to see pictures with Mom in them.
Usually she was behind the camera.
I don't want to say Mom had favorite grandkids,
but I will say she loved these children an awful lot.

Grandpa Cannon wearing plaid polyester slacks?
I am speechless!

I scanned in lots of photos of Collins' family.
He is laughing and having fun with the kids in most of them.
Does everyone know this is the brother
who taught me how to play chess and Memory?

And his sons grew up to be great dads, too.
Susan's family was not left out.
Isn't this a darling picture?
Susan wrote on the back that by the time they got all
of Sharon's toys in the bed, there was barely room for her.
I have an uncontrollable urge to giggle.
Jill, the convict, it seems.

This is Mary's family in 1983 in Missouri.
Those years provided great pictures,
but not great memories for Mary.
She actually still lives there.
She is just dreaming she lives on a beach in Texas.
No one pinch her, ok?

Chris was walking at 10 months, and no Cheerio in sight was safe.
Don't these darling children wash up nice?

I love this photo.
Collins, Susan and Perry went with HL, Mary and baby David
to the Los Angeles Temple.
In defense of my absence, I delivered a baby 2 months later in NJ.
Douglas, who flipped his truck.

This was a wake-up call for me.
This photo was taken in 1975, or so the date said.
I recognized Douglas on the left.
But how could Tommy/Steve be in this picture?
No Way!
Look closely.
That's David on the right.
Yes, it is...

Does everyone know what is happening in this picture?
This is an early blog moment.
Mike is showing slides in his living room.
Becky, Tom, Grandpa and Joani are spellbound.

I'm sure Gayla is playing with Douglas, and not trying to strangle him.

I found a few photos of Judith's family.
I couldn't believe it when I found this photo.
It was an old Polaroid. I used to own one.
Ben and I spent Christmas of 1972 in Austin with his sister.
This was before we were married.
Is Ben a handsome hunk, or what!!
He's with Michele, Stephen, who we deeply miss, and John.

This is my Grandma Mary.
She looks kind of serious here. Don't let the picture fool you.
The woman I remember was happy, funny and loving.I scanned this from an original taken during the War.
Baby Phil had more professional photos taken of himself
than the rest of us combined.
Or so the little sister in me believes.
Another photo of baby Philip during the War.
Mom lived with Grandma Mary,
and this photo was taken on her front lawn.

Me, my siblings, Erik, and Dad, just six months before he died.

Savannah was the first great-grandchild.
Mike was proud. Dad was prouder.
This is getting to be old hat for Tom.

The grandkids were pretty good about making the drive to
visit Grandpa.
I have no memory of his beard!

I scanned this in during Elder Ballard's talk.
Kay has always been a wonderful role model for me.

Aunt Marilyn made a copy of this photo for me.
Her father, my grandfather Thomas W. Innes,
served a mission in Ireland in the early 1900s.
He is on the far left.
Do all of you know Marilyn suffered a stroke recently
and is about to see her parents again, soon?
Aren't we grateful for Easter!

Benjamin Freeman Bird

2010-03-30T22:02:00.003-06:00

I have spent 17 months researching the life and genealogy of my ancestor Benjamin Freeman Bird. He was born during the Revolution and began his trek across the plains at age 72. His heritage goes back to the Puritans in Massachusetts and even one Dutch ancestor in New Amsterdam, before Manhattan was New York. If you are related to Beth Innes Cannon, he is your ancestor, too. I loved doing this research, but I'm also very, very happy this is finished. Ben just uploaded it. The link is here. Take a look!

All Good Things Come To An End...

2010-03-19T18:25:00.007-06:00

I'm not sure I mentioned that we ate very, very well.
On Tuesday we went to the Kyle Fire Department.
This was a big hit with everyone.
Will realized he's not too far away from getting a drivers license.

The kids loved Aunt Corinne.

Cheese!

Papa Ben spent quality time with the kids.

On Wednesday, we hiked along a dam.
Of course, we know what Grandpa Cannon would have said.
We did have a little fun with a few dam jokes.

A big hit was an Easter egg hunt.

Steve taught Matt how to play Boggle.
Is this a good time to mention I beat Steve in Memory?
But just the one time...

The girls got along famously.

They are carefully building an ant city.

If there had been an award for the best peacemaker,

Matt would have won it.
What a gem.

Sunset

2010-03-15T21:21:00.015-06:00

We found a great place for a reunion.

Kyle thinks it's awesome.
Last night we took pictures.
We trusted the photographer.
Happy families are what it's all about.
Now I understand what the golden hour is.
The problem with the golden hour is
that it only lasts five minutes.
Being around good photographers inspires me
to be creative.
Being around good food
also inspires me.
We are hiking every day.
Tonight we had a birthday party.
I can't begin to describe the fun we had.

Everyone loves Corinne.

There is always something fun happening.
And something delicious.

Fun in Wimberly

2010-03-14T04:20:00.010-06:00

We are having a family reunion in Texas.
The kids have the parents all confused.

Hiking is fun!
Nathan found a good method.
Will and Jacob copied the idea.

Kyle is quite the trooper.
We built a cairn so we wouldn't get lost.
At least, I think that was the reason.
After the hike, some cooling down time was in order.
Let me just say that the water was cold.

Auntie Corinne found a warmer spot.

Uncle Steve taught the kids how to fence.

We had some dessert.

The cousins have had fun getting to know each other.
We had to laugh --
Did this baby already find the plug?

Jacob loves Corinne.
He let her help him with a loose tooth.This guy thought he was at a reunion for Uncle Mike.

Boo!

2010-03-11T12:04:00.007-07:00

Bradley's nickname is Boo.

He's a happy, fun baby.

Boo even wakes up happy.While his nickname fits, I have another:
The Ironing Board.
This kid doesn't bend.
His dad does, though.
Here he is giving Phoebe some quality time.

Bradley, Finally!

2010-03-10T13:38:00.004-07:00

Ben and I are in Austin.
We haven't seen Bradley for awhile.
He's doing great!
A momentous occasion occurred on our trip here.

Ben's MDX is four years old.

Two Degrees

2010-03-06T16:56:00.012-07:00

I had lunch with Aunt Maydae today.
She told me the best story.
Earlier this week she and some friends had dinner at the Lion House.
Maydae and her friends use the underground tunnels in SLC.
On their way home, they were passed by
President Monson in a golf cart, with a driver.
A few minutes later the driver came back, without President Monson.
The driver said,
"The boss told me to take you ladies
wherever you want to go."
Maydae was tickled and accepted the ride home.
I think this makes me two degrees from
President Monson's golf cart.

Spring is coming to Temple Square, too.
In a few weeks everything will be in bloom.
After seeing Maydae, I visited Aunt Marilyn.
She had a stroke two weeks ago.
She clutched my hand tightly during our whole visit.
I loved seeing her.

Photos From Susan

2010-03-02T09:07:00.008-07:00

Susan scanned in some old photos.
some of which I had never seen before.
Is this the cutest photo ever?
L-R Collins Phillip, Mike and baby sister Susan.
Do you just want to hug little Susan?
Can you see Max in Mike's face?

While Mike is almost 8 years older than I am,
after seeing this, he is now my baby brother.

Have you seen Rachel lately?
This is her grandmother Susan.

I'm thinking Mom paid good money for this photo.
L-R: Mike, Susan and Collins Phillip

My Grandfather Collins Telle Cannon operated
a woolen mill in Logan before the Depression.
Dad and Maydae modeled the sweaters.
This is a classic photo, and now I have a copy.
(And you do, too, if you right click.)

Where's Savannah?

2010-02-24T18:40:00.005-07:00

Joani is in the neighborhood,
helping Sally out.
I took lunch today.

Becky was there!
It was a two hour lunch,
I think enough time to catch up.
Mo was just a little bored,
but after awhile Becky took him home,
and Joani took Sally to the doctor.
I was the designated waitee for the school bus.
I renewed my acquaintance with Zach.

Sydney came in the door and raced to the piano to practice.
I was impressed!

Summer beat me at Candy Land TWICE.
And I lost Savannah.
I have no idea where she went.
It's good they didn't pay me for this job.

Cultural Education

2010-02-21T19:38:00.006-07:00

My strays are still here.
It's tough having young people around.
I mean, YOUNG. One day as Justin and Mitch left, I said,
"Have fun storming the castle."
Blank looks.
With encouragement from Kevin and Chris,
they are watching The Princess Bride.

I am seeing to their cultural education,
that's for sure.
They are trying very hard to leave.

Wild Friday Night

2010-02-06T11:50:00.008-07:00

Ben is in Ghana, but I am not alone.
Chris is still living here.
Two of his friends have temporarily moved in.
(Mary says I'm running a pet shelter.)
These three guys are all low maintenance.
Last night, since one of them is in dating "limbo,"
They opted to stay in.
I picked up some new chairs, and what did they do?
Redecorated for me.

To top the evening off, we played Mexican Train.
Then they watched one of my Star Trek movies.
Um, either they are trying to get in my good graces,
or they were very desperate for a good time.
All I can say is -- it worked for me.

Beautiful Snow

2010-01-23T08:07:00.002-07:00

Nothing compares to waking up to snow...
Except knowing there is more snow in the forecast.

Stained Glass Window Cookies

2009-12-24T10:30:00.009-07:00

We made stained glass window cookies today.
I made sugar cookies, using a simple recipe.
I first learned how to make this in 1972,
during a FHE group in college.
We used Life Savers.
Ben couldn't find those yesterday.
These are Jolly Ranchers.
Rock candy works well, too.It's important to bake them on a lightly greased pan,
and take them out of the oven as soon as the edges begin to brown.

They can't be removed from the pan until the candy is cool,
but if you wait too long, you will break the cookie.

In some cookies we put chunks of the candy.
Use a knife to break the candy.
I think these are really pretty.

Use a hammer, not your nice rolling pin,
if you want to use small pieces of candy.

The window in the cookie on the lower right
is from tiny pieces.

Nathan liked the cookies!

Yesterday we made gingerbread houses.
Melanie was quite creative and made a garage and car.

We also made Christmas stockings.
I made this for Chris.

Sweet Potato

2009-12-22T20:24:00.011-07:00

Bradley brought his parents for a visit.

Everyone loves this baby.It appears that Bradley loves everyone, too.

Sam had fun telling tongue twisters to Dave's kids.
One starts with,
"There's one smart feller who really felt smart."
Matt loved these.
I'm not sure I did, though.

We made syrup.
It's fun to make and even better to eat.
We put the syrup on sweet potato pancakes.
Yes, that's Sam in the background telling jokes with the kids.

Jacob likes my favorite mug.
He asked Chris to sit by him at breakfast and added,
"I'll be the one with the penguin mug."

Yesterday we went tubing at Soldier Hollow in Heber.
Lots of snow, lots of trail to slide on,
and NO lines. Even Nathan liked tubing.

Afterwards Will and I made a cheese log.
Yum.

I'm Never Going Home!

2009-12-20T05:58:00.005-07:00

We went sledding in Rock Canyon Park.
First we had to get everyone's boots on.
We all had a fun time.
Chris helped Melanie gain some courage.

And guess who taught Will to go head first.
I had a blast!
But I am a little sore.

We had a quiet afternoon.
Melanie and Matt helped me make Peppermint Bark.
We probably should deliver some to the neighbors...

My sister-in-law Joani taught me about crafts with grandkids.
Jacob had so much fun he said,
"This is so great! I'm never going home!"

Ho Ho Snow!

2009-12-17T10:33:00.011-07:00

Dave's family arrived late last night from Houston.

Well, technically, it was early this morning.
Jacob was beat.

The kids couldn't wait to go outside this morning.
Even Dave and Nathan joined the fun.
I bought boots. Please notice Nate's.
(Lands End, half price, free shipping.)

Nature provided the fun.
Chris did a good job keeping Jacob off the ice.

The last time Carolyn wore this coat

was on Mary's beach.
Will found a big ice chunk.
Matt carved his own chunk.
We really had a lot of fun.
We came inside for blueberry pancakes
made by Papa Ben.

After breakfast, Matt and Will found Crossfire.
Their dad and uncles used to play with this.

Peppermint Bark

2009-12-01T16:30:00.004-07:00

Last year I made peppermint bark with visiting grandchildren.
It was so much fun that I have saved these pictures to
share so you can make it.

Here's the recipe:
Peppermint Bark

Put 7 candy canes in a zip lock bag and smash them with a hammer on a wooden breadboard. Set aside.

Sprinkle 4 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips into a large jelly roll pan. Bake in a 200 degree oven for 10 minutes. Using a plastic spatula, smear the melted chocolate to the edges of the pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator, or in the snow, for 20 minutes.

Place 2 cups of white chocolate chips in a bowl and microwave for 60 seconds until melted. Stir in 1 teaspoon peppermint extract. Pour this on top of the chocolate chips and spread evenly.

Working quickly, sprinkle the crushed candy on top of the chocolate and gently press it in. Chill completely, until the chocolate is brittle, at least 30 minutes. Drop the pan onto a hard surface, breaking the chocolate into irregular pieces.

Thanks!

2009-11-26T19:32:00.010-07:00

Sally invited us for Thanksgiving dinner.

We agreed to go even though we knew Tom would be there.
I felt very welcome.
Sally put Ben right to work.
Joani was there.
James and Becky came, too.
Becky taught Mike how to send a text message.
I was the recipient.
Chris had a great time.
We told Grandpa stories. Sally would have passed.

Savannah and Sydney are fun girls.
Want to know how Savannah got her own bedroom?
She begged.

Zach, of course, is always great.

Mo, Summer and Sam are loads of fun.

Papa Ben's Grandson

2009-11-22T12:06:00.002-07:00

Little Brad spent some time with Papa Ben watching football yesterday.
Ben thinks he's a natural.

I'm In Love!

2009-11-21T15:28:00.008-07:00

I've been tending Brad.
I love this baby.
He knows how to eat,
and he can really burp.

Papa Ben took this picture.
He loves Bradley, too.

He's a very peaceful baby.

There has been talk that he's not so peaceful at night...
I don't know what that's all about.

He sleeps fine for me...in the day.This is the proud dad.
Sam is training for a half-marathon.
He ran ten miles yesterday,
all the way to University Parkway, up to 9th East,
south to Center, down to University Avenue,
and then 44 blocks home.
He said if he'd taken his cell phone, he'd have
called for a ride from downtown.

Cousin Chris came to visit.
Sam told Chris that he'd been told babies pooped a lot
and that parents didn't get a lot of sleep.
While he admitted that was true,
he said no one told him how satisfying it was
to be up at night with your own baby.Uncle Joe came to visit.

Don't drop him!
Melissa remembers when Joe was Brad's age.I'm going nuts over this baby.

I made him a star bunting.I cooked Thanksgiving dinner yesterday.

It was yummy.
I had pie for breakfast today.
I'm living well right now:
Family, food, fun!

Welcome, Bradley!

2009-11-16T17:35:00.010-07:00

Ben and I spent today playing with Bradley.
What a miracle this adoption is for our family.

He was bored with the whole affair...

Phoebe was very curious.
Maybe she was wondering why Bradley's
clothes were changed so often.
New babies have to figure out the basics.
New parents have to figure out the basics, too.

We are concerned that Phoebe is having
big sister issues.
Are you my mommy?
Where's the one with the big ears?
Check it out:
Ben Stephen, Ben Samuel and Bradley Samuel.

Hopefully the swing will mean some
sleep for 2 parents tonight.

Oh Baby!

2009-11-15T21:35:00.002-07:00

I have a new grandson.
His name is Bradley.

Beautiful Day

2009-11-14T09:04:00.005-07:00

It snowed in the night. I love the snow.

I find it terribly delightful to get really cold. . .

and then slowly warm up.

Four years ago today I came home from Africa.

The first thing I did was take off my shoes
and run barefoot in the snowy grass.

Snake!!

2009-10-17T12:00:00.003-06:00

I'm visiting Dallas this week.
I came home from a walk with the girls, who played on the
porch while I put the stroller away.
Guess what we found, literally at the feet of the kids?

Even after the shovel treatment, his jaw kept opening.
No one freaked out, although it was a little jarring.
Now it's science time.
So you know what we know,
12 inches long, no rattle...
Mommy is reading the result of her google search.
Young rattlesnakes are born between August and October.
They have no rattles.
They stay within the area where they are born
7 - 10 days.
And the quote from Mommy, "Wonderful."

Good Omens

2009-10-10T10:05:00.007-06:00

My roses are still doing well.
I hope this is an omen for good things to come.
My car has been a worry.
It's ten years old. The crunch this past week was its
very first ding, ever.
I was afraid the cost of the repairs would total it.
They came to $5000. The car is worth $7100.
State Farm's cut off is 70% of the car's value.
So the repairman added in the 36,000 miles on the odometer.
That bumped the value up to $9500.
No problem now.

Ouch!

2009-10-06T17:51:00.004-06:00

The cutest 17 year old boy ever ran his Jeep
into the back of my car at an intersection today.
I have a rice bag on my neck,
but I'm sure I'll be fine.
I just want a little sympathy, is all.

Another Blast From The Past

2009-10-04T16:25:00.013-06:00

Today's random photos came from a random box.
This is Willie -- a rare photo not taken with
a digital camera.

I have to assume this was a visit to Idaho Falls made by
Dad's grandkids. Dad must have sent me this photo.
Look who's here:
Matt (not Reed) and Terri, Sally and Savannah, Laura, Heidi and Reed and Caleb,
Jill and Marty and Sophie, is that Sydney next to Tom?
And it's always nice to see Gayla.
Isn't this a nice photo of Sam?
When? Where? I have no idea.

I wonder if Steve gave any thought that someday
he'd be the seminary teacher feeding kids breakfast.

I swear, Matt and Andy were the cutest little boys ever.
Who knew Grandpa Cannon did this?
Obviously he was proud of himself.

I think Margaret talked him into it.
I remember this. Christmas in Lake Jackson.
HL, Matt and Andy, Pauline, Dave, Jeff, my Dave,
Mary, moi, Carolyn holding someone, Laura, Corinne, Ben and Chris.
Dad took the photo.

I love these people -- Dave, Mary and Matt.
Mom took this with her Polaroid. The ID comes from her
handwriting, which melted my heart.
l-r Jill, Mark, Tom, Matt, Sharon, Becky, Reed & Laura.
That was Christmas 1980.

Grandpa took this photo.
It's Andy again, the great fisherman.

This is Steve about 1994 in New Jersey.

Cori and Applesauce -- they spent a lot of time together.
This is one of my most favorite pictures ever!

Doesn't Sam look nice on my blog today?

Dave had just gotten his license, a major life event
for any mother.

Isn't this a great action shot?
Notice Cori is missing a few teeth.