I really started this on Tuesday, but my brain and computer, sometimes do NOT work together.  I call and beg for my daughter to come by and help.  Luckily she can and does and does NOT make me feel too stupid.  Anyway, this is a tribute to my DADs.
This is my family - in one of my very favorite photos, back in 1968.  I think we were living in Sunnyslope, Arizona, but I'm not real sure.  My dad's name is Stanley.  He always had a crew cut.  He always cut his fingernails in church with a KNIFE!  He had a cute little giggle for his laugh.  These are my 2 sisters, Trudy and Carrie.  My mom, which you met back in a February blog, Shirley.

This must have been dad's work photo.  I'm not sure exactly what he did for a living, but he worked at GE, which later changed to Honeywell out in north Phoenix.  

Here is one of the things my dad enjoy...fishing.  I think this might have been after I was married.

This is 'Ole Green'.  We loved that truck.  He would let us sit up on the fenders, straddling the blinker light, and then jump off when we saw a can.  I didn't realize that he probably recycled them somewhere, we just thought it was fun to sit up there.  I never once got to drive the truck and it has since been given to my oldest sister, who has taken very good care of it.  I think

June 1, 1979.  Both my 'dad's'

 For some odd reason I took this picture and I think it was because we had hidden money in his Christmas gift under the candy.  It was a loan he had given us - we don't normally give money as gifts.

My dad passed away shortly before his 70th birthday.  

This is probably very close to the time I first met Doug's family.  Brad (Doug's little brother) is not really holding that bass up, it was attached to the wall. 

Dad DeWitt was a music teacher for many years.

Another one of my very favorite pictures.  Every time I see this photo it brings the same emotion that I had when it was taken.  Brad returning from his mission.  I love this.

Almost falling off the trampoline at our Drew Circle home.

Brian....are you trying to 'pooch' or is that all you?

Silly Grandpa DeWitt.  He won this at one of our White Elephant get-togethers.  I think he really liked it.  

 And finally.  My most favorite picture of me and Dad DeWitt.  We were sitting at a July 24th parade and we just snapped this.  Luckily we got it before the firetruck came by!

Happy Father's Day....late....to both my Dads!

I went out to the garden a couple of days ago and found this funny tomato.  It sat on our kitchen counter for a while -probably because we weren't sure if we should eat it or just look at it and feel sorry for it...

Anyway, this morning Doug said 'This tomato looks like it has a pimple.'

I can see it, I guess.  It's a pretty big pimple.  

Then I told him 'I think it looks like a ponytail.  

Allan, thought it looked like a goatee.  Shannon never gave her opinion.

 

 So, then I sat there, for probably 45 minutes making more things up for you all to enjoy.  First - another girl with a side ponytail and her umbrella.  Next a fish...then a funny looking bird - or a 'toupee' man with a large nose....

What about a punk rocker with a Mohawk and nose ring?

I want you all to know that I only left the kitchen table one time to go to the craft room and get 'googly eyes, and wire clippers.  Can you tell my kitchen table must have lots of 'junk/craft stuff' on it?

 Lastly, I need to tell you that if you are trying to 'make something' that looks like it is blowing a bubble, make sure you are using bubble gum....I must have chewed for 10 minutes just to realize that the strawberry flavor gum does NOT allow you to blow bubbles easily and that's even with 2 pieces!  So then I had to dig through our gum basket (sorry, just remembered I had to go to the kitchen counter for the gum basket), hoping to find bubblegum - chew IT another 10 minutes to get pliable and then blow a hundred bubbles to get just the right photo.  Yeah, bubble gum, or gum in general, is not my favorite morning - um- food.....hunger suppressor....breath freshener....digestive aid.....curbing my appetite....Studies are showing that gum chewing helps speed recovery after stomach and intestine surgeries. Chewing gum gets saliva flowing, stimulates hormones in your gut and in your pancreas all which enhance bowel function.  (found on a website)

 Yeah, I didn't chew it for any of those reasons....just to get this last tomato guy picture.

Oh, I forgot, I had to get out of my chair to find him shoes.  The are guitar picks that were in our junk drawer.  Shirt/pants/hands all courtesy of one of Jessii and Kevin's wedding envelope.  Colored pencils left out for Grand kids to color their 'monster truck/Ben 10/whatever' printed out pictures.

 Saturday morning we left our home at 4:28am to head about an hour away to the church welfare farm.  It was still dark although this photo would beg to differ.  When we, Doug, me, Shannon and Allan, got there we found out we were clearing out irrigation ditches.  I'm sure S & A would have moaned and groaned, but their dad promised them a financial 'reward' for the work happily done.  (As previously mentioned they are earning money for a Student Council trip the end of July).  So, work they did - as you will see in the photos Shannon's work was a bit different then Allan's.  We had to dig out all of these nauseous weeds along, next to, in and around the canal.  The stickers would get in your glove and you could not pull them out.  UGH!!

 We tried this picture 3 times.  For some reason Allan's shovel kept getting in Doug's face.  Hmm.. Allan.
It's not funny Shannon.

Pig tails for me today.

 Also promised was a trip out to breakfast - wow, these kids are costing us a fortune!

 While Carolyn was running her full MARATHON in Utah, Allan had his breakfast/pancake marathon here.  He did well - with his assistant Shannon, helping along the way.
Now, an embarrassing story.  Last night we picked up Kevin's fiance', Jessii and her sister Millie at the airport, came home and had a few extra of Kevin and Jessii's friends over for Sunday dinner.  While they were wonderful to help clean up and load their dishes and put away food (Thanks Tanner!), all of the heavy duty Sunday pans and dishes were left to do today.  I had a meeting at 10am and with a few things to do this morning did NOT get them done before that time.  So I hurried and shoved them in the oven and microwave.  Believe me, they are jammed in there.

 I made a short video showing what my counter looked like after having washed the 40+ dishes and 24+ silverware, but I can't find it to download it.  I know you would all have liked to have seen that.  Sorry.  Just imagine my whole kitchen counter full to the brim.  And they are still there.  I'm pretty sure my kids did not come running home from Summer School to do their chores.  By 9pm another chore will be added for tomorrow.  hehehe......

Sadly, I don't even remember the last time I posted and I know I should have looked, but I am so dang tired that I forgot.  I have been super busy lately.  I don't know if I mentioned this last time I was on here, but I had to prepare for our wards girls camp.  There were 21 girls - 6 leaders and one gentleman (to protect us from the  scary stuff).  He slept out in an RV while the rest of us slept in a 2 bedroom - 1 large loft cabin.  We were there for 3 nights and really had a great time.  It is mind-exhausting to have to plan and think for all that stuff.  Girls have to pass off certain requirements at camp.  Girls have to eat at camp: 3 meals and of course snacks each day....and a dessert each night.  Girls have to be nice - an extremely hard thing to hold onto for 4 days.....

Also a special visit from a sweet rap group.  They gave us some great stuff at camp!  Thanks girls- uh....rapsters.  Yeah, that's Shannon.  

On top of girls camp, I got a job.  I think I posted about it, but I am a stocker of grocery store magazines.  I have to tip my hat and say a big 'Thank You' to my mom, Shirley, for helping out last Friday.  What normally would have taken me 4+hours to accomplish, we finished in just over 2 hours.  She was amazing.  I was ready for her to say- 'Um....I'm leaving'.  It was fun working with her.  And I can tell I got most of my work ethics from her.  Thanks Mom.

Also, Kevin's wedding if finally a set-in-stone deal.  The date is June 29th, which is in less than 3 weeks.  Jessii, his fiance' is on her way here now.  She gets here tomorrow at 2pm.  We are excited, way excited.  Her sister, who has never been to America, will be with her and be the major 'chaperone' we needed for K & J.  And with her coming - although, she and sis will be staying in Kevin and her new home, we did major, deep cleaning.  Her family will be coming soon and we need places for them to sleep - and too, we will be doing one more 'renovation' spot in our home and then I hope to call it quits.  We are changing a smaller size bedroom, which is next to our bathroom/laundry room, into ONLY a laundry room, and  making a second bedroom a little larger.  All this and company JILL & JONATHAN coming from Hawaii!!  And bringing of course baby VIN!  Totally exciting!!!!  And in 5 weeks, Jason and Stacey will be getting sealed in the San Diego Temple.  It's a whirlwind of 'stuff' over here.  All of you are welcome to come join my world.



One more thing.  Doug and I, he was the gentleman that graced our camp out, celebrated our 33rd year anniversary up there!  Crazy right?  They surprised us with a 'delish' cake and cute plaque, that is hanging on my living room was as I type. I'll try to get a picture of it and blog it later.   It was so thoughtful of them all to think of us.  Thanks ladies!  And girls too!