I am not much of a blogger. Life happens and it seems to happen quickly. . . and often.

So here are what should be several posts without any clever comments. I sometimes think of important things I want to say on my blog but by the time I finally get around to posting, everying is long forgotten and it is usually one or two in the morning when I am brain dead. Most of this is late summer and fall.

I celebrated my 64th birthday (ouch) in California this year. Jim and Parker put on a feast and a party for me at the beach house. We had some business to take care of so we met them there for October Conference. It was so fun to spend time with their families. I am blessed beyond measure and have the most wonderful husband, children, grandchildren and daughter and son in laws imaginable. There are never going to be enough ways for me to earn the blessings I already have so I find myself being grateful everyday for more and more of the small and wonderful blessings of life. One thing I find myself incredibly grateful for is a body that can move and work and take walks and hikes through the woods with my husband. I am grateful for the beautiful beach and woods we have to walk through provided by our parents and grateful we can now provide that for our children because of them. I am grateful for the incredibly wonderful mother and father in law I was able to know and love and spend so many vacations with during their lifetime. I am incredibly grateful for parents who taught me how to be happy. Life is good at 64.

At the Beach

Paul doing what comes naturally

Little Paul loved the beach Snack time on the beachAfton sharing a snack with Grandpa

Afton, Paul, and Mimi with a lady sharing her beach dog , because, hey, we can't all have one!

Paul found eating peas very serious business. Aunt Jenny really understands that because most of hers ended up at the bottom of her milk glass or under the table!

Sunday Dinner and Conference at Camden in October with Parker and Lark's family

Joanne,Paul, Parker, Paul, Afton, and Lark

Even though I don't get to have Tuesdays with Grandma anymore Because half of the kids are in music class on Tuesdays now.
I do manage to steal a few away once in a while. They are so fun!

Here are Eliza, Betsy, and Clara with the dog Cedric left behind ( I think on purpose because he sings You ain't nothin but a hound dog, cryin' all night).

Joshua and Jacob playing with cars and Besty being a Mom

Betsy and Clara playing Mommy thought it was pretty cool

when they turned up in the same colors!

Beautiful Cedric in a swing in Cousin Andrew's back yard

Emily and Anne

Trying

To

Pretend to be asleep in wildwood

Even though we came for our grandmother's funeral,
We still managed to enjoy our time together!

When we arrived we found a rat as big as a baby kitten in a trap--yuck! We were joined for Paul's Mom's funeral by all of our children except Lisa who had a baby the day we left town and Jill and Lark. Lisa stayed up the night before she had her baby and made a beautiful arrangement of "I Often Go Walking In Meadows of Clover" for our children to sing with a part for the violin for Lark to play. So even though Lisa couldn't be with us, we definitely felt her spirit there.

One of our wonderful little weekends getting away from it all! Paul always thinks of the candles!

Jameson's fabulous summer with his grandparents. Lucky boy--car of his dreams!

Well, He did get to sit in it once before he left!

He also learned how to drive stick shift when Paul brought home an Aveo to replace the red car he had been driving to work. H worked hard all summer for Tree Doctors and practiced up on his Spanish. His last day there, the guys from work all took him out for dinner and Lazer Tag.

While he was there, he also organized a great guitar jam with his cousins Max, Justin, and Dallin!