Summer time fun with the Grandkids

We enjoyed lots of interaction with our grandchildren this summer.

Oscar and Ceci spent 3 days with us over Memorial Day weekend while their parents explored Boston.

Great picture Oscar!

It was baseball time in Heber City.

That extra tall player in the back is my grandson, Ray.  His team won the championship!  His brother Henry also played ball during June.

One family of Arizona grandchildren spent the month of June in Utah.  They enjoyed concerts and food at Heber City Park.

We went shopping at the local toy store in Heber City and Sadie found a big version of her favorite little bear.

Warren just chillin' at his cousins's house.

Opal's flower garden just keeps surprising us.

Time to check out the new rocking bench on the porch.

Cousins are fun!

Arizona and Utah grandkids on the steps.

Sometimes you just have to change it up!

Another evening at the Farmer's Market in Heber City.

They also spent a day in our Provo home.  Grandpa decided to spend the day with us.

There was movie viewing.

Warren asked that I make cookies.

And Opal loves the play kitchen.

In July, more Arizona kids came to town to help us celebrate the 4th of July.  Hi Julianna!

Oscar and Julianna enjoyed being builders at the Provo City Library's Builder display on the fourth floor.

I got to spend an afternoon or two watching Oscar and Ceci at their house.  Of course, grandmas always pass out popsicles.

We watched Pioneer Day fireworks at the Orchard.  Our DIL, Nichelle, handles the events at University Place Mall.  The Orchard is a grassy fun spot on the north side.

Heather came from Arizona for a Law Camp at Brigham Young University.  She always wants a shaved ice while in Utah.

TJ came north for his final time at EFY.  He graduated from high school in May.

We were back in Heber City for a Demolition Derby with the Utah and visiting Arizona grands.

Everyone was highly entertained.

The boys were mesmerized by all the action in the arena.

We picked Heather and TJ up at the end of their BYU fun times and returned them to Arizona.  We stopped at the Navajo Bridge and had a photo shot.

They found an assortment of sunglasses in Grandpa's Tahoe and modeled them for me. Cute kids!

And finally we met up with our beautiful baby girl in Arizona.  She makes us smile!

A summer of grands

I haven't blogged much during summer 2015, but I have enjoyed some great times with my grandchildren.  Heather was the first to arrive.  She likes a long Utah visit.  She rode her great grandmother's bike on the Provo River Trail and spent time running and practicing her volleyball skills at the Provo Recreation Center.

She is a reader as well as a writer so enjoys alone and quiet time at grandma's house.  She also took a book to read as she waited for the Stadium of Fire 4th of July event to begin at the BYU Cougar Stadium.

This sweet girl said that "Fireworks are too scary,"  She and I remained at home and she was soon fast asleep.

The newest baby is growing up so fast.  We are both happy when she comes to spend some time with grandma.

TJ, the tall one in the middle, arrived in time for the4th celebrations and brought along his best friend, Branson.  Provo East Stake was getting ready to take the youth on a trek at Martin's Cove in Wyoming so Heather, TJ, and Branson decided to sign up, too.  TJ and Branson had already trekked in Arizona but were up for the challenge again.  Heather was too young for the Arizona trek but just right for this one.  I spent some time sewing some pioneer style clothes for her to wear.

Some of the older grandchildren joined our Foote Family Association of America bus tour which included a visit to the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum.  Heather and Ruby are churning butter.

The next day, the Church History Library brought up all of Warren Foote's journals and record book from storage for family viewing in conjunction with the Foote Meeting.  My son David Foote Jensen and his new son, Warren, were honored guests.

I loved that my grandchildren were able to see the actual hand writing of their fifth great grandfather.

My youngest son, Nathan, and his cute family also joined us for this special showing.

If you look carefully, you can also see my clan at the Days of 47 Rodeo held at the Energy Solutions Arena on Saturday night.  I was seated down lower with the Foote Family Group.

I am now the proud grandmother of two more "grand dogs."  These cute basset hound puppies now live in Heber with my grandsons, Ray and Henry.

They were happy to share with their cousin, TJ.

We have two grands with July birthdays so that called for a joint birthday celebration.

Grandpa Glen treated the entire clan to pizza at the Pizza Factory.  They also got their new ages made from yummy dough with cinnamon sugar on top while we sang the birthday song and clapped their new age.  Mae and Ruby are sisters with birthdays just three days apart. Other sister, Sadie, in the background always has to wait her turn.

Sometimes cousins are born just two months apart.  It was a grand day when these two lost their first tooth on the very same day!  I just had to get a picture of Mae and Oscar with matching "holes."

My oldest son has become a master of the selfie.  We went to see "The Cokeville Miracle" at the Varsity Theatre while family was still in town and he documented the occasion.  That is Heather in the middle with her friend.  She stayed with us the week both girls were going to writing camp at BYU.  My niece, Rachel, was in town for a visit and her aunts and uncle are in the next row.  Great photo bomb Lynette!

After the Arizona cousins headed home, we followed them with some of the Utah cousins in tow.

We enjoyed a quick stop in Kolob Canyon on a beautiful day.  Ray and Henry spent two full days in the Arizona swimming pool while their parents and grandparents did some sorting and packing of the Arizona house.

Now we are back in Utah where the house is now quiet and still.  Maybe too quiet and still.  The only little people I missed hanging out with this summer are Toby and Julianna.  My next trip to Arizona will have to include time with them!

24th of July exploratory outing

This weekend has been the quietest weekend of the summer for us, but a year from now it will be one of our busiest.  The National Foote Family Association will be coming to Salt Lake City for their annual meeting.  It will be their chance to meet descendants of the Footes who moved out West during the mid 1800's. Glen and I have been serving on the planning committee and the Plaza Hotel on the corner of West and South Temple streets will be the meeting place.  On Thursday, the 24th of July which is also a state holiday, we traveled north to check things out in anticipation of a year from now.

We knew that the parade would be forming right in front of the Plaza.  When planning dates, we thought the Pioneer Day weekend would be a great time to visit SLC and learn about the pioneer legacy, but were concerned what that meant in terms of crowds and traffic.

The news is good.   Floats, bands, horses, antique cars, and a clown or two were lining up but it was orderly and quiet and half of the street was open for traffic of which there was little because it was a holiday and not a work day.  We had to stop a bit behind a horse and carriage, but drove right to the Plaza parking garage.

It was very enjoyable to walk up and down the street looking at the floats before they were on the move.

It was amiable and fun to hear the bands doing a bit of last minute practice before they were off.

This float was my favorite because I am a sunflower kind of girl.  We thought the Plaza would be a good walkable location.  City Creek shopping is across the street to the southeast and Temple Square
is directly east.  The Family History Library is directly north.  Downtown SLC is a very compact and fun downtown.

More floats.  Cherry pie anyone?

My alma mater's float with the Salt Lake Temple in the background.  Unfortunately, the float blocks out the statue of the university's namesake, Brigham Young.

We also found that it would be possible to rent bicycles to ride.

The beginning of the parade was peaceful with just a few spectators.  There would be many more at the main parade route, South Temple at State Street to 200 East then south to 900 South and then east to Liberty Park.  We sat and watched awhile at the fountain on the North side of City Creek.

Then we were off to see how crowded Pioneer Village at This is the Place would be.  It was crowded.  We then explored Millcreek Canyon.  It is a beautiful little canyon and very forested.  And then we were off to Little Cottonwood Canyon and Snowbird.

We took the tram to the top and it was beautiful.

One feels like they are on the top of the world and there were trails in every direction.

That is the Salt Lake Valley in the background in the west.

I look south towards home.  After the ride down, we enjoyed a late lunch at The Forklift while we discussed possible bus option tours for the group next year.  Honestly, if you were coming from back East, wouldn't you like to go to Snowbird in the beautiful Wasatch Mountains and ride the tram?

Photos courtesy of Glen's cell phone.  I forgot to charge my batteries.