Gratitude For Earthly Fathers

Bill, Steve's Father

I'm so grateful for earthly fathers and here are some fathers who are especially important to me- Steve's father, Bill.  My father, Bob.  Steve, my eternal companion and the father of our children.  Oh, how I love this man.

Bob, My Father

Steve, my husband

Steve is a great father, but even more amazing is that he is a fabulous grandfather.  I am so grateful for all he does for our family.  He provides a loving, kind, steady, Christlike example to our children and grandchildren.  His family is everything to him and everything he does is focused on their well-being.  He literally doesn't do anything for himself--except possibly yard work but our whole neighborhood benefits from that too.

I am also so grateful for the fathers of our grandchildren.  Each of these wonderful men dedicates themselves to their families.  We appreciate the example they are to their children and the loving way they care for their wives and children.  Because of their righteous choices, they are able to bless their families through their priesthood.  They are working to build eternal homes.  Thank you to our sons and sons-in-law-Shawn, Aaron, McKay, Adam, Jeff and Taylor!  We love you all so much.  Happy Father's Day to each of you!

We love you all!  These photos aren't in any special order.  I struggle to control this process so excuse my weakness.

Donut Man Comes Home and more...

 Steve returned from SC on Tuesday, June 2nd, bringing with him a box of donuts from "The Donut Man" his favorite donut shop (which also happens to be Xander's).  He immediately helped me put a few things together in our upstairs house and we drove up to CV Wednesday afternoon to attend the ward summer picnic and to mow his lawn and work in the yard.  Britton had helped out in his absence but he is a hands on kind of guy.  He mowed the grass again just before a major storm blew in.

 The next morning, we were heading south again so I could work and together we could continue organizing our household there.
Throughout the week of June 8th, Steve played chaperone and host to Brinley and her friend, Aubrey, while they attended Especially For Youth conference at Utah State.  We hope they had fun.  I came up on Thursday night so I could see them again.  I was there on Monday when they arrived and I met Aubrey's mother who had driven them down from Idaho. On Friday morning we had to leave early to be in SL by 8:30 so Hilary took the girls over to their event location.  Aaron picked them up at the end of the day for their drive back home.  I was disappointed that I forgot to take any pictures.

 Friday, Steve and I were pretty busy getting ready for the annual Flag Day Breakfast on Saturday morning.  Hilary and Adam came Friday night and were our first guests in the upstairs apartment.  We kept them busy cutting up fruit etc.  The next morning we were all up early to make pancake batter, homemade buttermilk syrup, etc. and set everything up.  My brother, Steve K., also pitched in to help us with the big event.

 Larah, Cassidy and Parker stopped by early and we appreciated their support.  They all have roles in the community theater's presentation of Peter Pan coming up soon and they had rehearsal all morning.  Dustin was out of town for a NASCAR race.  Surprise!

 It was a beautiful day for the breakfast.  Some families are regulars and come every year.  Others joined us for the first time.  The kids enjoyed the fish pond but the city came by and made us take down our bounce house.  Apparently we have to pay an extra fee and show proof of insurance to use our own bounce house.   Folks are generous in their contributions to the food bank.  We always get a good collection of food.

 The highlight for me was the attendance of my friend, Ruthie, who recently had heart valve replacement surgery and then suffered a major heart attack the day after she returned from the hospital.  She spent the next month in critical condition in ICU.  She is now being kept alive with a heart pump and is on the transplant list.  I was thrilled that she chose to have a brief family outing and attend our breakfast.  She and her husband, Vern, have been regular attenders at the Flag Day Breakfast.

This picture of Korinne, Jenna, Jameson and Britton is pretty common on Sunday afternoon.  They all sit around reading their books until dinner is ready.  I'm glad they like to read.

Moving Up...

Besides working and driving to Idaho for Parley's funeral, while Steve was in SC, I moved upstairs in our SL duplex and traded places with our current tenant.  This what was my basement kitchen looked like the day before the move.

Here is the family room.  I packed everything in boxes and put a lot of them in my side of the garage. That way when the two movers came to move the furniture, they could have some room.  Our tenant needed to move to a place with fewer stairs due to her bad knees so we decided we would rather keep her and risk having someone new live above us. Therefore, her visiting teacher and I carried her stuff down and my stuff up so we didn't waste any trips.  I had to move and clean out the refrigerators, etc. too.  It was a lot of stair climbing for me and I truly felt it the next day.  Here are the things I will miss about our basement apartment.
I really loved our new tub and the sauna heater we left in the wall.  I could get that bathroom cso ozy and warm. I truly miss it.  However, now we have two bathrooms which will be much better for guests.

I loved the second hand Kitchenaide stove and my efficient little kitchen.  The upstairs kitchen is bigger and has lots more cupboards but the oven is very small.  I had my kitchen so organized downstairs.  On the bright side.  The fridge is bigger and there is a dishwasher.

I am going to miss my office.  It was so nice to have a dedicated office with lots of storage for files.
Upstairs, we have created an office in the dining room with a second hand desk and cupboard.  It will work just fine.  When I get it organized, I will post some photos.

The Saturday after the move, I did open houses and then drove to CV that evening so I could be there for church.  I ended up driving back on Sunday afternoon so I could join my siblings to help Ann celebrate her 85th birthday which was June 4th.  I think that she is a pretty amazing woman for 85.  She still spends a lot of her time and energy helping others and she is pretty darn independent.  Steve K tries to help her a lot but that is because she still wants to do a lot of things and be very active.  She is not one to sit in a rocking chair that is for sure.

Michelle hosted the party and Kelley provided steaks from his home grown beef.  Those steaks were mighty tender and delicious.  Everyone else brought side dishes and Steve K. made homemade ice cream.  It was a very pleasant celebration.  Jackie couldn't make it and our Steve was in SC.  Everyone else attended.

Happy Birthday to Ann!  She is a wonderful lady and she loved and took great care of my father so I really appreciate her for that.
I surely missed Steve during his absence but we were both very busy so the time went by pretty quickly.