Love is Real

In early December we helped Mark's parents move up to Pioneer Valley Lodge.  It has been so nice having them closer and we feel the timing couldn't have been better.  Sadly, Mark's mom fell and broke her hip on January 30th.  We have been spending a lot of time with them.  Mark's brother came up for several weeks - that was a life savor!  She is doing well.  Getting old is not an easy thing to do. We are learning so much with them through this process.  Life has a way of stretching us in ways we might not be expected to stretch.

Love is real and vital for each of us.  Mark's Dad has dementia and has been very tender during this time.  Even though a lot of it was confusing for him, it was so sweet to watch him light up when they could be together.  I think his favorite time of day was getting in the recliner next to her bed and just taking a nap together.  Many times Jason or Mark and I would walk into her hospital room and they would be there holding hands, singing old songs together.  Love is real.

Mom got to go home on February 17th.  We are hopeful that she will have the strength to make a full recovery.  She has been a real trooper through this whole ordeal.  Aging ain't for sissies!

Sooo, on the other side of the cookie we have some darling littles who have much energy and their own little agenda of what life means and lessons that they can teach us.  Molly and Owen got to come for an extended stay while their mommy and daddy attended their aunt's wedding in Oregon and then enjoyed some alone time for a couple of days.

We could just stop everything to watch these two do their thing.  So entertaining!

They both took their turns being on the sick bed :(

 We squeezed in time to paint nails and do a little shopping!

The duck pond is always good for a change of scenes.  

They have started calling the Mini, "The Hot Rod"

 Aunt Emily came up for the weekend and helped us make cookies!  

Aren't they the best Valentine treat ever??

{props to Em for grabbing her camera to catch some great photos!}

Now sadly we didn't get any photos of these two little cuties with their Papa!  He broke the most amazing Papa record by taking them to visit 3 parks and get pizza and slurpees all in one day!!

Movie Night

Molly is up at the crack of dawn ready to have some fun!  

It was barely 7 am and we had the Cootie Game well under way!

They love to cook!!  And eat!! 

And at the end of our time together, we were sad to let them go 

 but Mom and Dad were so happy to be back with their kiddos again.  

Yep ... Love is Real
And it is what life is all about.
Nothing else really matters.

A Very Unusual January

We have had a very unusual winter.  January has been unseasonably, record breaking, warm!  

On January 2nd things didn't look so very different

But as the days went by it began to look and feel very much like Spring!

I don't ever remember seeing so much green and feeling so much warmth from the sun

It was a very enjoyable January!  We had a few designer storms which brought

snow to the mountains - but nothing down in the valley.

We'll see what February holds.  I could get use to this kind of winter!

We have two very special birthdays in our family

during January. Molly and Owen turned 5 and 3 !!

We celebrated with a visit to The Museum of Natural Curiosity.  It was great fun!  My camera decided not to work once we got there so I  have a few phone photos.  They do have the most energy and curiosity and the day was just one of those perfect days you want to hold on to.

We sure LOVE spending time with our grand children.

The are such bright spots in our lives xo

I spent many hours preparing for two classes I taught at Winter Quiltfest

in late January.  I always enjoy spending time with quilters!  They are some

 of the best people on the planet.  I especially enjoyed weaving some discussion and 

challenge projects in about creativity!

A Little Catch Up

 Inspired by a picture in a magazine I saw last year, a few inspiring stories 

and an avid biking husband; I have been on the hunt for an old bike....

I spotted this one on the side of the road in front of an antique store in town.  

I called Mark to see if he would mind if I bought a little piece of "art" for our home :)

After doing a little research online we discovered she is a 

1937 Women's Pullman Schwinn Bike

 Mark replaced the tubes, pumped up the tires, polished her up and 

with the help of Jake - hoisted her up to her new home.

She looks grand perched on the mantle.

A great conversation piece.

A reminder to live a healthy lifestyle.

A reminder of stories of great women (in our family & outside of our family) 

who used a similar mode of transportation to serve and look after others.

***
A Salad Social 

Under the canopy of beautiful trees, by the beautiful river with the red sun setting in the sky...
(due to numerous fires in the surrounding area this summer)

We enjoyed a lovely salad social with adorable women in our neighborhood.

Warm hugs and lots of chitter chatter, we soaked up the warm summer evening.

Even the youngest little lady in neighborhood, Miss Olivia, came out for the evening.

Everyone went home with a full tummy, a happy heart, a cute handmade dish cloth and free produce!

We love our neighborhood so very much!

***

Cache Valley Century

 Eric, Jake and Mark were a threesome this year.
(Wishing Brady could have been here)

Ready to hit the road!

 While the guys were riding we had a tea party...

 Took naps...

 Tried on Great Grandpa's hat...

 Played cards...

and Owen finally got his quilt from Nana!

 

A before long, they were back!  The route was little different this year and  

I will have Mark fill in the details.  They had a great ride. 

Eric Eliason, Cory McBride, Jake and I formed a great team.  We started in Richmond this year as a large part of the ride came after we neared Logan.  We usually ride from home to the start in Richmond and then peal off at the end and ride home making 100 miles.  This year if we had done that we would have ridden only 80 miles as this year we didn't go all the way to Preston in the first half of the ride.  It was a flatter ride with less hills.  It was a beautiful day.  Cory was training for LoToJa and pulled us along at a good clip.  Eric is a horse too.  He pulled hard and fast.  It was great to be with Jake.  He pushes himself so hard.  He inspires me.  I was so pleased to be among good friends on a great ride in a valley I love.  I hope to be doing it for many years to come.  If I shave my legs next year I bet I can go faster.  Isn't that right Jake?

Stay tuned for more catching up to come...