OHS friend party 2014 version

I am always the one with the camera.

And I had ever intention of getting lots and lots and lots of good pictures.

But I was having so much fun, I failed miserably at picture taking.

This is what I got...

We made arrangements to have our friend get together at the Red Barn in Mapleton.

Here are my girls with Mrs. Thueson.  She owns the barn.  She is also the (volunteer) Choir Director at the elementary schools in Mapleton and she is a dear friend of Summer and Sierra.  This is the first year that we have lived here that we haven't had one or both girls in Choir with Mrs. Thueson.  

It was a great place to have our OHS '88 friend party.

Live entertainment. 

Summer and Sierra are always game for a little performance. 

So, I had them listen to a bunch of my 80's tunes to see if they could really create the right mood for our party.  And they did create a great mood for our party even though it did not include any of my 80's songs.  I could just see everyone being drawn to the dance floor as the SASH started playing 'Forever Young' by Alphaville.  Great idea, but it didn't happen.  They did provide some great music for us and got lots of compliments.  All of my friends were impressed with their music abilities because none of them seemed to have any recollection at all of me having such musical talent.

We had a hot chocolate and drink area.  And Wade made food assignments for a Taco/Burrito bar.

It turned out great.  Plenty of food.  But, it seemed like most people were there to just visit.

Cari and me

 Kelli, Cari, and Janey

 Brad, Lisa, Wade, Rick

 Wade and Tom

This is Erica.  She is married to Tyler Anderson.  We have only met once before, but we are FB/Insta friends.  She now lives in the neighborhood that I grew up in and she does crossfit.  It was really fun to sit down and talk to her for a few minutes since it seems like we've been friends for years now.

Kelli and Jodi Jorgenson Nichols

I finally took a few minutes to eat at the end.

Nichole Ortega

And yes, those are Arctic Circle drink cups.

Mike Hawthorne and Kip Ellison

Greg Larsen

Diana Dixon Ellison

Amy Thomson Hixon

Amy and Brad Griffiths

We had lots of people that didn't get in any pictures.  So sorry that I missed them.

Everyone had a great time and it sounds like we'll be trying to put together another OHS '88 friends party for this summer.

We also had lots of requests to continue this January friend party, as well.

We'll see what the future brings.

Scout Trip to the Springville Fire Station

On December 30, Cole's Scout group went to the Springville Fire Station.

Rick works with these guys and made the arrangements for us to visit.

Clearly, Cole is thrilled to be posing for the picture while we wait for our tour to start.

BTW, Cole is the only one wearing his scout shirt and neckerchief, so you can spot him easily.  I thought they were supposed to wear those expensive things when they went on these type of activities. Gotta get our money's worth.

Last minute review of the rules. Cole is obviously paying close attention.

Rick is chatting with his friends.  (really nice guys)

Learning about the fire hoses and how much water the fire truck holds.

Learning about the tools on the fire truck.

The Scouts got to climb into the fire truck...

and out the other side.

Putting on the fire fighting gear.

It is a pretty good idea for kids to see what firemen look like so that they are not scared of them should they ever come face to face with them in a fire situation.

They got to see some of the things on the ambulance, too.

This bag has the tools for airways.  

When he opened this case, he asked if anyone likes to get shots and Cole's hand immediately went into the air.  That brought a laugh.  And it's totally true.  Cole will watch the needle go in every time.  He doesn't even flinch.  It weirds the nurses right out.

I will admit that Cole got a little preferential treatment on this trip.

The boys had all kinds of questions about the fire trucks with their lights and horns and being able to speed and run through red lights.  It was funny.

Then opened the doors and sent the boys out of the bay.

…and let Cole pull the horn.

Lots of fun at the Fire Station.

And I was super surprised at the behavior of these boys, they have quite a reputation, you know.

2014 Family History Project

I read about this project a few weeks ago and I've been trying to decide if I can/will be able to accomplish it.

I think I'll give it a try!

This is what I want to do…

Each month I have picked an ancestor that I want to focus on and learn more about.

Some of them, like my dad, I know a lot about.  Others, I know very little about, like some of Rick's grandparents.

So, I have chosen 6 of my ancestors and 6 of Rick's ancestors and assigned them to alternating months.

Each month we will gather stories and pictures of the ancestor, display pictures, read stories, and share memories of that particular ancestor. 

 Then, hopefully, we will have enough information to put together into a book and keep for my kids.

Here is the list of ancestors and their assigned month.  I assigned them months according to life events, like birthdays, or death days.  And I alternated between our 2 families each month.

I am happy to share the things that I gather, but would really love any input, pictures, stories, etc. from others, as well.

Here are the ancestors…

January:  Ethel Norton Dalton

February:  John Jalmer /Her Love E/

March:  Kent Norman Robison

April:  Zelda Sperry

May:  Morgan Leon Dalton

June:  Lillie Susana Jarvi /Her Love E/

July:  Norman Adelbert Robison

August:  Clead Blackett

September:  Faye Barney Robison

October:  Fred Edgar Hill

November:  William Adelbert Robison

December:  Uncle Dick

The pictures above are some of my favorites.  I hope to collect a few more to get scanned and onto my computer.  But, even better, I would love to get some of them printed up and displayed in my home.

So, we're starting with Grandma Ethel.  

Her birthday is January 11 and she would be 98 years old this year.  

Watch for more stories and pictures to come this month to celebrate Grandma Ethel.