Tristan's Blessing and Others Innumerable

Baby Tristan's blessing was Sunday , August 2, 2009. He is a beautiful baby and has already brought lots of smiles and happiness to his parents and bother and sister as well as many, many others in his extended family. And this is just the beginning. Ryan gave Tristan a wonderful blessing with many promises for a great, happy and productive For his blessing 38 of the 40 forty in our family were there. The other two would have liked to have been there too but were detained for other good reasons and I'm sure were with us in spirit. I couldn't help think of the old Protestant song, "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder". I'm looking forward to that eventual day and hope and pray we will all be there then as well. We love you all so much and are so grateful for the way you conduct your lives and are raising your own families. I become emotional with gratitude each time I think of what is happening in our family and hope all of you take time to express your love for one another and also to our Creator.

We should all "Thank Heaven for little boys" as it says on Tristan's bib, as well as for little girls and big boys and big girls and good mothers and good fathers etc. etc. etc.

Stephen's little crew came all the way from Colorado and spent a few days here visiting family and friends. I took some pictures. Imagine that. Unfortunately, I didn't catch up to everybody, but rest assured I would have done so if I'd been pointed in the right direction all the time. Mason wanted me to take him to the skate park. At 6:30 AM on Saturday morning he came in our room and gently reminded me that I had promised to take him to the skate part that day. We went and spent a couple of hours. I think we both learned something that morning.

Stephen once told me on the phone about Sophie: "I just can't get enough of Sophie." One moment with her and it is not difficult to see why. We hadn't been around Sophie much but it took or just a split second to warm up to us.Mason is just ten years old but he's already wearing his age in shoe size. He seems to be growing before our very eyes. He is a very loving and sensitive young man and we are very proud of him and all that he does. He is a great help with is little sisters and a good friend to his mom and dad.

Do you think Grandma Iris was glad to get her head next to Stephen's again? We miss the "Colorado Kid" more than you know, but are glad for their opportunities and for the growth we see in him and his family. Nonetheless, we look froward to a time when they will be a little closer all the time.

It's hard to believe Halle is growing up so fast. She is a beautiful girl and is learning so much. The little girls are lucky to have such a dependable and loving big sister. We love you, Halle.

Gabrielle has some of the most beautiful big brown eyes anyone has ever seen. She is a sweet and loving little girl, who is very special to her dad and mom and everyone else for that matter.
And I didn't even mention that infectious smile. Mason posing by the flowers at Grandma and Grandpa's front door. He isn't a flower, but he certainly is not a distraction next to the posies.

Libbie and Ada at the picnic after the blessing on Sunday, Do you think these two cuties might like each other? We love them both very much.

It's hard to believe, but I think Megan and Philip get better looking with time. Being happy together tends to do that for people.

Rene with her oldest and youngest. Their family is growing up so fast. JT is out of High School and is now preparing for college and a mission. He will be ordained an Elder this coming Sunday.

This is a greater event than most of us realize and will be the source of many blessing to himself and family, but to thousands who don't even know him at his point in time.

Justin and Chalisa are the proud parents of three of the cutest kids on the planet. Unfortunately I didn't get any good pictures of the kids on Sunday at the picnic in the park., but they are all full of life and were excited to see their cousins. We enjoyed Monday evening at their place for a barbecue, together with Stephen's and Ryans's families. Thanks for letting us hang out in Hyrum for a while.

And here is the proud Grandmother of 24. Can you believe 12 boys and 12 girls? They all adore their Grandma Iris.

Megan, full of spunk and also full of love. We had Megan and Maddie here for a few days last week. We made a goofy movie. It's even fun to make the bed if your being filmed.

Not a lot has changed since we bought that first electronic football game. Only their thumbs are growing longer and are becoming more agile. I wonder how this will play out in the evolutionary process. Maybe their thumbs will be as long as their legs. Can you imagine them on a bicycle then? Both are preparing for the LOTAJA in September. You gotta be tough to do that, 206 miles in daylight on a bicycle. Some call it tough but I've heard it referred to in other ways by some. O course these are the ones who'd rather sit on the couch and watch TV.

Tanner has been referred to as the "Kid Magnet". Every time he is around little kids they just seem to gravitate toward him. He has lots of fun and so do they, but I worry that he might be brutalized by a mob of little ones someday.

Nobody can ever say that Candice is not willing to put out. She made the trip from Colorado just a couple of weeks before for her Uncle Dean's funeral, rushed right back to help at the camp in Colorado, and now here she is again bringing joy to all of the family by coming and sharing her family and her time with Stephen's family and of course her mom and dad and her bother and sisters. Candice is a great mother and we enjoyed having her and Stephen and their little clan under our roof for a short time. Thanks for making that special effort. It means so much to each of us.

It' s hard to tell when Sophie is the sweetest, when she is awake or when she is asleep. Irregardless she is a doll anytime. We are so grateful for her and her mom. They had a close call at her birth and we can't help but believe Someone up there was watching out for them both.

To those of the family whose pictures are not included in this post I apologize, I just didn't catch up to everyone at the right moment, but please don't forget that we love you all and pray you will always be happy and safe and do the things that will bring joy into your lives eternally.