"APRIL BIRTHDAYS! "

My oldest and youngest both celebrate their birthdays in April. In a zodiac book I once read it said, "usually the God's won't bless you with more then one Aries child." I was lucky enough to get two, and I mean that literally. Although Ashlyn is right on the cusp since Aries ends on her birthday. I don't believe in the daily horoscope thing like reading my horoscope to see what is going to happen, but I do believe that there is something to the traits of the signs that we are born under. For instance Aries personalities are independent. Both Doug and AshLyn are very independant. Being the first sign in the zodiac they venture out and are go-getters, often leading the way. Here are some of their strengths -Independent, Generous, Optimistic, Enthusiastic, and Courageous. Doug's birthday was April the 8th. He was the cuties little baby boy. He had platinum blonde hair and was so adorable. He had to put up with a young and very inexperienced Mom. We grew up together he and I. Thank you Doug for putting up with all the stupid things I did as a Mom and still loving me for it. I love you Doug! Happy Birthday!Ashlyn's birthday was the 18th of April. I didn't think I was going to be lucky enough to get a little girl after 3 rambunctious boys. But deep down I just knew I had a little girl up there waiting very anxious to come down to our family. She was well worth the wait. She and I have been best friends from the get go. I love you Ash! Happy Birthday!!The last two of our April birthdays were born under the zodiac sign of Tauras.Taurus is not the one who ventures out into the unknown and leads the way, Taurus is the one that will follow the leader and strengthen and build upon the discovered, in other words they are the one that will "dot the I's and cross the T's". Some of their strenghs are - Dependable, Persistant, Loyal, Patient, and Generous. April 27th was Rebecca's birthday. (I copied Rebecca's picture off her blog because it is so Rebecca) Rebecca became a part of our family even before she and Jeramy were married. When she was 16 she came to live with our family for a little over a year. She and Ashlyn were best friends. To Jeramy she was just another obnoxious, teasing sister, but after he returned from his mission he saw her through different eyes and with different interests. I'm so glad Rebecca is a permanent part of our family. I love you Beck! Happy Birthday!

Last but not least is our little Lily Bean's. Lily's birthday was the 29th of April. This was a very special birthday for Lil because she turned "8" years old. On the 2nd of May Lily was baptised by her Daddy. She was so excited! She said, "I have been waiting for this day my whole life!!! Keagan played the piano for the baptism she also accompanied Lily on the piano while Lily played the violin. They both did such a great job. Happy birthday Lily and congratulations on your special day, we love you!

"MARCH BIRTHDAYS!"

April is just about over and I am just getting around to putting on the March Birthdays. Sorry!

March the 17th was Deana's birthday. Deana or Dee as we affectionately call her is Doug's better half and what a great match they are. She completes Doug and our family. She is a great wife, mother, and daughter-in-law. She brings out the best in Doug. I'm so glad she is a part of our family! Happy Birthday Dee.

Then on the 25th of March it was my baby sister Debra's birthday:-) Can I just tell you it was great growing up the oldest of 5 siblings and kinda being their substitute mom at times, not that I could take the place of mom but I loved mothering them. Anyway...Happy Birthday Deb!

It's a WONDERFUL Life!!!

I looked out the window and what did I see...popcorn popping on the ....CHERRY tree:-) Some things stay with you for the rest of your life. Like primary songs:-)

Good Morning SUNSHINE:-)

Can you believe after our 10 inches of snow, yesterday and today we have SUNSHINE!!! Nothing like the good ole sun to lift the spirits. I'm walking on Sunshine, wooah and don't it feel good! I just got back from a morning walk and can I just tell you I don't know how anyone can NOT believe in a Higher Being! All of the trees are beginning to get their leaves and some have the most magnificent blossoms. There are tulips and daffodils and other spring flowers, signs of a new beginning everywhere. I think it would be much easier to make new years resolutions in the spring time, we should have spring time resolutions when your feeling happy and refreshed and full of energy, doesn't that make more sense? I know I would probably keep more of my resolutions if I made them in the spring:-)Look at this magnificent tulip, the vibrant red & yellow. Where could you find a more beautiful red? This isn't one of my tulips mine haven't bloomed yet, it was in someones yard when I was out for my walk. It's suppose to get up to 71 this afternoon can you believe it!!!! Yahoo!!!!!

What's Up With This????

This is what we woke up to this morning. Les measured it when he was out shoveling the drive way and we have 10 inches this morning! It's beautiful when your just sitting inside looking out at it but NOT that fun driving in it.

What month is it?????

Les keeps telling me we should be thankful for the moisture we're getting and I am, for the moisture in the mountains...but couldn't mother nature just let the sunshine here. Before I retired the weather really didn't bother me that much because I was always inside and I was always busy so the weather was the least of my worries. But now I can actually go places or work in my yard and the weather is really started to tick me off! In fact it sucks. It rained all day yesterday and all night, I threated to stay in bed all day today and not even get up if it continued, which it did, and I didn't. Ash and I were going to make a trip to Rod Works and Tia Pan Trading this afternoon and so look what happened!!! It's not fair :-( I hate you mother nature.
My tulips trying to poke their heads up. Dang snow.

You Know You've Had Enough Snow When...

I've had enought!!!!!!!!!

I'

More SNOW today! Ugh

March Went Out Like a Lion!!

I'm not even going to put a photo of the 8 inches of snow we woke up to this morning because I'm sick of it!! I keep thinking of that TV commercial, "It's not nice to fool mother nature." Hay, who's fooling who?!?

I'm Edith Ann and this is Tommy and we're three years old!

Doesn't these pictures remind you of Lily Tomlin when she use to play the character, "Edith Ann"? Yesterday Les and I spent the day furniture shopping and at Furniture Wear House on Road Redwood, (Redwood Road for those of you who are not familiar with their commercial) we came across this chair and couldn't resist getting our pictures taken in it :-)

A Great Likeness!

While sitting in Church a few Sundays ago a young BYU Student named Morgan Charles sketched Les while he was conducting the services. I thought the likeness was really quite good what do you think?

Grandkids Are The Greatest!

Thursday Ashlyn was at work and received a call from the school saying Lily was in the office crying because her neck hurt so, being a retired Nana :-) I got to go pick up Lil and bring her home with me. Driving to the school to pick up Lily thoughts came flooding back to years when I was a working Mom. I don't know what I would have done without Grandma Barrett who was always there for my kids when they were sick, before and after school, or just plain someone they could count on when Mom and Les weren't around. Thanks Grandma B. you were the greatest! Back to Lily, I picked her up and we went to the store to get some Motrin and a lunchable, as we came into the house Lily said, "Nana, I love to come to you and Papa's house. It's always so fun to hang out with you guys." That put a smile on my face for the rest of the day maybe even the rest of the week and warmed my heart. We laid on the couch together, Lily with a warm rice bag on her neck and watched Madagascar Escape 2 Africa. "I like um big, I like um chucky":-0 my favorite part. Could anything be better then this?

IT'S SNOWING!!!

UGGGGG!!!!!!!!:-(

"February Birthdays"

February 12th 1971 I received an early Valentine when Jeramy made his way into the world. Wasn't he a cute little boy with his blond curls. He will probably kill me for putting this picture on my blog:-) Jeramy was "38" this last birthday.Another picture Jeramy won't like but I do so there. You can see today that the money we invested in Jer's teeth really paid off. Dr. Gee did a great job on straightening Jer's teeth:-) Jer was a fun kid to raise. He loved sports of all kinds and we spent lots of time on the soccer field, baseball park and basket ball court. He enjoyed and excelled in school. He was and still is a terrible tease, but he always had a pleasant, positive attitude and personality. Jeramy probably his senior year or just after graduation. He looks like the studious person her turned out to be:-)
Jeramy is a great husband, dad and son! We love you Jer, Happy Birthday!
February 26th Isaac celebrated his 7th birthday. He is a chip off the old block and very much like his dad. He loves to tease his brothers and sister just like Jer did. He loves school, sports and has a great little voice.

This is a picture of when Isaac was here for Christmas a year ago. He is a great young man. Happy Birthday "I" man. We love you.
Last but not least Sam turned "17" on the 27th of February. I love this picture it shows what a happy little guy he was growing up. Sam is a great young man. He enjoys the theater and is in a theatrical group at school. He also has a great voice and enjoys choirs. He likes school and is a great older brother. Recently he had the opportunity to fly to California to spend some time with Grandma Welch.
Grandpa and I enjoyed the afternoon with Sam last weekend by going to a movie where as we were watching the up coming previews Sam said, "I can't believe I'm sitting here watching this with my grandparents," To which we thought the same thing. Then we went to lunch where Grandpa Les scared the heck right out of us by getting food caught in his esophagus and ending up in the ER. Happy Birthday Sam. Your growing up to be a terrific young man and we love you.

SPRING REALLY IS ON IT'S WAY!!!

Can you see those tiny green shoots popping up through the mud and leaves. Even though we woke up to snow this morning there really is hope that spring will be here before we know it. YAHOO!!! It also shows me I need to get out in my yard and get my flower beds cleaned out:-)

The Draper Utah Temple Open House

Isn't this Temple simply Magnificent!!! Monday afternoon we went with Ashlyn and the kids to Draper where we picked up Dave from his work and then drove to the new Draper Temple open house. We meet in the stake center first and watched a video about temples, I couldn't help but shed a few tears as we listened about the saints and their sacrifices to have a Temple in their day. How they had to leave two of their beloved Temples behind as they were driven from their homes. How they sacrificed and worked and sweat to build the Salt Lake temple which took them 40 years to complete. And now we have temples around us just minutes away from our homes and we take them so often for granted. We were then bused to the Temple were we were able to walk through this beautiful edifice. The materials used in the building and the craftsmanship are breath taking. The cherry wood, the hand painted wall murals, the colors, the stone work, everything about it shows perfection. Nothing is to good for the Lords house. And can I tell you that even though this has not yet been dedicated to the Lord you could absolutely feel the spirit there. Keagan, Jake and Lily loved it and expressed how they couldn't wait until they were old enough to go there. I watched as AshLyn explained all the rooms and things to Lily. It was a great Family Home Evening event! Wish the rest of my family could have been there with us, that would have made a great experience even greater!!Ashlyn, Dave and family at the open house after the temple tour.Nana and Papa, I hate seeing pictures of me because I am looking so old. I told Jeramy there was a little old man who was helping to keep the floor clean and he had a dust pan and broom sweaping up the crumbs people had dropped. Jeramy laughed and said, "Little old man hu"? I don't feel little and old!:-)

January Birthdays

Wow, I'm behind again. Here it is the last of February and I'm just putting on the January birthdays. Tandy celebrated her 14th birthday January 12th...this was a photo from last years birthday. I don't have a recent picture. Tandy is a shy energetic sweet young lady who loves school, friends, video or WII games and her horse. Tandy is wearing the top in the photo above with the top that goes over it, along with the the whole gang:-)And Tristen was 9 years old on the 27th of January. This was also a photo from last years birthday party. Tristen is all boy and enjoys doing boy stuff, sports, video and Wii games, bugging his big sister, and doing things with his Dad, school and friends. Happy Birthday Tandy and Tristen!

My sister Nancy celebrated her "29th" :-) birthday on the 16th of January. Happy Birthday Sis. And last but not least, Les celebrated his "56"th birthday with his family down in Vegas this year. Happy Birthday Les. I know, you don't have to say it, there is a striking resemblance between Les and his Dad.

The Perks of Being a Retired Grandma :-)

Day before yesterday because I am "RETIRED," I was able to go to school and watch, and take pictures of Jake doing his presentation on Volcanoes. He did a GREAT job and even got an "A"! Good Job Jake!!!!

Jake explaining what he's about to do.

The project was a great success with the class and Jake as well. It appears learning is much more fun in this day and age then it was back when I was Jakes age. Kudo's to Ashlyn and Dave from being hands on parents, active in their childrens education.

I WILL MISS THE PEOPLE!

On my last day at work the office through a party for me. They really did spoil me!
I WILL truly miss the people I work with, but I WON'T miss getting up at 5:30 each morning and traveling to work on the sometimes snowy roads. I WON'T miss sitting at a desk for 8 hrs a day taking calls from people who feel it is my fault that their insurance didn't pay as much as they were expecting, because they have a deductible or co-insurance they have to pay. I WILL miss the kind people who are grateful that I called their insurance for them and help them get their bill paid or we were able to give them help with their bill.
Katherine one of my best friends, Natalie and Kristy.
My Boss John McBride who was the greatest to work for. He never bossed.
The three amigo's, Tina, Katherine and myself. My Mom and sisters came to wish me well, Bonnie, Deb, Mom, Nancy and me in the back. Thanks to everyone who made my day such a great one:-)

COULD SPRING BE JUST AROUND THE CORNER?

As I looked out the window the this morning to my surprise what did I see? I saw buds on the Aspen tree! Look at the tiny little white pussy willow looking things coming out of the buds. It made me smile and gave me hope that this cold and snow won't be here much longer. It also reminded me of a loving Heavenly Father who gave us such a beautiful world to live in.