People Joy

It doesn't get dark here until 10 PM.  I sat on our expansive lawn last night and watched the sun set.  It has been hot but the evening wind blew through my hair and cooled the rest of me in a very pleasant way.  It is good to stop for awhile.  Stop moving.  Stop doing.  Just sit.  It has been a very busy summer so far.

Sunset view from our lawn on Saturday night, about 10 PM.  

Last week our Sunol neighbors and good friends Bev and Ernie Trutner arrived for a visit.  They spent almost a week with us.  It was so fun to spend comfortable time, where nothing special was expected.  We talked, played dominos, did a couple of local tours and just generally enjoyed spending time together.  I feel a kinship with Bev and Ernie; they are pure in heart, kind and good.  In spite of that, I sense an aversion in them, especially Bev, to Mormonism.  We share spiritual thoughts and feelings but if they get to "Mormon-y", Bev shuts down.  I can feel it.  I have not addressed this directly with her but I suppose it might be a good idea to do so, sometime.  I would so like her to see what I see.

Bev, Ernie and me, outside an abandoned Penitentiary, one
of the tourist sights here.

Bev and Ernie at our farewell lunch at a local Mexican Restaurant.

Bev and Ernie left last Wednesday for home.  That was just in time for us to pack and head to Salt Lake for a Friday wedding.  The last of our Mongolian daughters, Marta, was married in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple Friday morning.  How I love that girl!  Marta is one of those wonderful people that has a laugh in her heart that is always ready to burst forth.  Her joy is life is contagious.  She is one of those people that makes life better for people.  It appears that she is marrying a good match.  The wedding and reception was filled with warm feelings.  I believe it will be a good marriage.

Marta with her new husband, Matt Hansen.

Marta and Matt in traditional Mongolian clothing.

Marta and Layne dancing the father-daughter dance.  She also
danced with her Mongolian father.  Both of her parents were
able to be here for the wedding! 

We stayed with Bob and Maryanne.  Bob is recovering from knee surgery so isn't getting around much.  Maryanne is a bit tired so things there are moving slowly at the moment.  We tried to get some little things done for them.  I wish we lived closer so I could help out more often.

We also stopped by Gerald's house.  He is wanting to rent out that house in Draper.  But it is full of furniture and personal things.  We plan to do our best to help him by packing things up when we are there.  It makes me sad to walk through his well-equipped home that stands empty of people.  I hate to see the household dissolved.  I suppose renting it is a good option since they spend little time there.  But there is a sadness to it for me.

We are home once again.  I'm hoping to talk Layne into watching the sunset with me tonight.  Tomorrow Reed and family will arrive.  After that we are off to California for a family reunion.  What a summer!

Full of Grandchildren

Several months ago, before we moved to Idaho, I told my pregnant daughter-in-law Jessica that I would return to California and take care of her six children when the time came to deliver her baby.  I also volunteered to take the children back to Idaho with me for another week, to give her some quiet time.  She and son Ben are the parents of a busy household of lovely children, none of whom is of a quiet disposition.  That promise rode in the back of my mind ever after, until the week of the delivery arrived June 3rd.

Off I flew that day, arriving Monday evening.  Jessica entered the hospital Tuesday night and delivered the baby Thursday, making June 6th the birthday of our latest grandchild.  Victoria was born with dark hair and lovely features, into the arms of a collective welcoming committee of 6 eager children and an excited mom and dad.  Oh, and I was there too!

Here is granddaughter Alexis jumping on the tramp at her
house in Palo Alto.  I took the picture so I could fool around
with it and make the picture below.

Here is Alexis as she appears above but with a different background.
She wanted me to add an angel's robe but that seemed a bit difficult to
pull off.  Fun to do!

I worried that I would not have the oomph to handle things at their home, but all seemed to go well.  The children adapted to my way of functioning without complaint and the time sped by, as it always seems to do, until the arrival home of Ben, Jes and Victoria Friday afternoon.

Here is our 22nd grandchild, Victoria, surrounded by
her family in Jessica's hospital room.

Jessica and Victoria, at home.

The kids and I packed on Saturday, and picked up daughter Jessica (not to be confused with daughter-in-law Jessica) that evening.  She had agreed to fly in from Seattle to help me drive the children to Idaho.  We went to Church on Sunday and headed to Audrey and Cliff's home in Mountain House that afternoon.  Audrey had the one day flu on the previous Friday but was well over it by our visit on Sunday.  We had fun with them and Reed and Dorothy that evening and fell into bed that night.  It was my idea to spend Sunday night with Audrey and Cliff so as to cut an hour off of our drive to Idaho on Monday.

Daughter Jessica and I organized the kids early Monday morning and we were off to Idaho in Ben and Jessica's van.  Six children, from age 1 up to age 10, were all arranged in their several seats, with movies to fill our hours.  Jessica and I had a great time talking all along our way.  I anticipated that the trip would bring its share of challenges, but the kids were perfect!  Perhaps the movies and the pre-packaged lunches and snacks we prepared were the secret.  We arrived in good time Monday evening with everyone in good spirits.  My good friend Nikki Larson and her special needs daughter, Heather, arrived that same day from California.  They also spent the week with us.  What a house full!  Layne had supper prepared and all seemed right with the world.

Then I began to feel quite awful.  Awful deepened into truly terrible.  I went to bed.  Layne and Jessica put the kids to bed.  The night was filled with yucky-ness.  By morning the worst was over but I was wiped out.  Grandson Zach as well as Jessica got sick in the night.  It turned out to be...you guessed it...Audrey's one day flu.  Jessica pulled herself together to catch her flight home.  Layne was left to manage our little gang and he did a great job.  By Wednesday I was almost normal so we were able to do some things, in between nursing the various sickies, as the flu moved among us.  So, instead of the daily adventures I promised the kids, we spent most of our days at home.  By Thursday Layne was feeling pretty terrible.  Our run with the flu ended at last with him.

Grandson Jonathan, at the park in Idaho.

I wouldn't want you to think that it was all work and no play however.  We did manage to fit in some fun stuff with the kids:  a trip to the park, swimming, a water balloon fight, Father's Day surprises, a scavenger hunt, shopping, story telling, movies, volley ball, and various outdoor fun.  Not bad considering the flu was ever present.  Friday Ben flew in and everyone left Saturday morning, including Nikki and Heather.

Layne and I with our BJ kids just before they left for home.

Whew.  We made it.  I was sad and glad to see them go.  It was such work to keep things going smoothly, but what a great bond we all had.  I feel such tenderness about those children after spending so much time with them.  So, in spite of my worries, I feel the time invested was worth it.

Now for a nap.

A Little Road Trip

I went on and on telling Layne how much I enjoyed driving from Boise to Salt Lake a few weeks ago.  Maybe all my carrying on warmed him to the idea of us making the same drive this past week.  Except we took his old Toyota truck instead of our much more comfortable Envoy.  You may remember my complaints about driving that truck from California to Star at an average of 50 miles per hour.  It took us an hour and a half longer to make that fairly uncomfortable trip.  So I was dreading another truck ride.  But in order to pack up some shelves that son Gerald said we could take from his Draper house, we had to use the truck.  For all of my complaining, it turned out to be quite comfortable.  Plus, Layne drove much faster!  Maybe I'm too much of a California girl, but I like to get things done in a hurry, if at all possible.  I know I need to slow down and Idaho is just the place to teach me that lifestyle.  But I haven't got it yet.  So I was happy that, in 6 hours, we arrived at my sister Maryanne's new home in Draper.

Maryanne and husband Bob have done an amazing job of making a newly moved into house look like a well settled in home.  It is lovely.  She even included touches of red in our guest room and bath.  Can't beat the color!  We had fun hanging with them, taking in the view from the tops of the mountains, accessed from their back yard, and sharing some family history.

Here is a picture of my grandmother, Margaret Halfacre,
copied from Maryanne's collection.  

We also visited Layne's twin brother, Lynn, and his wife Camille.  We had a sweet time with them, promising that we would get together much more often now.  The Galbraith men are an interesting lot; they consider themselves close, but rarely talk and almost never see one another.  Layne is perfectly happy being alone or with a crowd; with family or without.  He keeps his love for them in his heart and seems to feel little need to actually connect.  But I'm pressing him to press the family flesh a little more often and hold out hopes that we will.

Cliff Conlon and his daughter Lori.

Audrey sent me this picture of granddaughter Allegra's thick,
curly, red hair.  Can you imagine any hair more perfect?

This Sunday (today) we enjoyed the company of our Colorado friend, Cliff Conlon, who brought along his Boise daughter Lori for a Sabbath dinner together.  I love having the chance to be close to wonderful people.  Most people are, it seems to me.