Happy Birthday, Amy!!

Well, you've had a busy day and I'll bet you don't even see this tonight. Hope your day was happy. We all had a good time at your house with the goodies and party.

I'm tired enough that I can't even think of any fun stories to write for you. You're doing a good job decorating your new house--I like it at least and I'm excited to get your family picture with the additions. Maybe I'll think of something to blog before the next birthdays. Happy day!! Love ya'!! Mom

Happy Birthday , Kait!!

Happy 6 year old birthday, Kait. My Goodness, a great big 1st grader. Wasn't it special to have your baby brother blessed on yours and your mother's birthdays? It was fun to come to your party today. Have a great year!! Love ya'!! Grandma

Happy Birthday, Tyler!!

Today Tyler came over and invited me to cake and cheese cake for his and Rick's birthdays. I didn't even know when his birthday was, so I'm glad he came over. It's in my book now and I won't forget again.

I'm so proud of the progress and growing up that you've done since living with Susan and Rick, Tyler. I'm really pleased to see your participation in church and school. I wish you an extra happy year and hope to see continued progress. Love ya'!! Grandma

PS the goodies were yummy!! Thanks Rick and Tyler (and Susan).

Happy Birthday Rick and Stan!!

I thought I'd share some Stan stories for their birthdays. With Stan gone we don't celebrate together anymore. Have a great day,Rick.
Stan, or Grandpa was born in Alaska but moved to the lower 48 at about 6 weeks old. One of his favorite stories about when he was young was the visit to the zoo. Back then they had only short fences and a deep ditch around the animal cages. Stan was about 4 years old and wanted to see the bears a little closer up, and being a very active boy just climbed over the fence and was contemplating the ditch. Other visitors began gasping and screaming but Stan's Mom knew her little boy. She turned her back and said, "Come along, Stanley, let's go get an ice cream cone." He immediately jumped back over the fence and the rest of the visitors breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Have you heard his conversion story? Stan decided to hitch hike to Utah where his good friend was attending BYU. He arrived late in the afternoon and no one was home at the apartment. He just went in and went to sleep. He stayed with them for awhile and some were returned missionaries. They answered questions for him but weren't pushy--His parents had read about the Mormon Church from some anti books from the Library and didn't want him to learn about it.
In the Spring of his senior year in High school he was in a motorcycle accident and was seriously injured--unconscious for awhile-- and they were still concerned about brain damage. Now he had come to Utah and was making some of his own decisions. In the spring when some of the boys went on missions and some went home for the summer, He began living with a family in Provo and their son was soon to leave on a mission. They invited him to listen to the first lesson and he accepted. But then he didn't want to hear more. He took some classes at BYU and got a job working on a church house that was under construction. He kept thinking about what he had heard in the lesson and from his friends. Finally he accepted the invitation to pray about the things he had heard. He hadn't wanted to do that because he kind of knew what the answer would be. But seeing no one around, he knelt in the ditch he was digging at the church and he told me his prayer came out, "Heavenly Father, What do you want me to do about what I've been learning?" And the answer came, "Be baptized." So he resumed taking the lessons and told his folks that he was going to be baptized. They weren't happy but couldn't do much.The son of the family he was staying with baptized him on his 20th birthday.
A year later he was called on a mission. A good family with all girls decided to support him on his mission. He told me that soon after he arrived in his first area, He thought he was sick. He'd suffered from asthma all his life and felt that his lungs were burning and that the asthma was acting up. But one day he was reading in the Doctrine and Covenants about testimony and the burning in your bosom and realized that he was experiencing the Holy Ghost witnessing to him that what he was doing was right. The peace that came from that experience let him know that it wasn't asthma, and the testimony he received helped him as he taught others. He was able to testify boldly and many people felt the spirit and accepted the Gospel and Baptism.

I hope all of you will remember his testimony and the trial of his faith. And remember his birthday. Happy Birthday, both Stan and Rick.

I'm Back--I think

Well, I'm back from Loa and have taken a week to recover. Everything went quite well and all Mike and Vicky's kids survived. I know for sure why women don't have babies to raise after a certain age. It's too hard to keep up with them.

We potty trained Silas and his uncle Peter tried to potty train his cousin, Daniel, while the mothers were attending their mother. Vicky still had to train for #2 and I don't know how Daniel fared but that was one accomplishment at least.

We also managed to get Miriam, Thomas, and Jasper started in school. We did homework and lunches.

But I got woefully behind on birthday blogs. So I'm going to include the first half of September's birthdays in this blog.

Happy Birthday Stephanie!! I did get your card to you. Sounds like you had a great day. I remember staying with you and your folks when you were born. That was fun.

Happy Birthday, Darren!! I guess you guys were down on the Oregon Coast and probably wouldn't have seen a birthday blog anyway. Thanks for the postcard of Neskowin. We'll all have to go there one day.

Happy Birthday, Jeremiah!! I did get you your card a little late. Now I will need to go see some of your football games. Hope your season's going well.

Happy Birthday, Emma!! Do you still like your new Sunday Shoes? (I had to hide them from her because she kept wanting to carry them around all the time.) I was there for your birthday but you celebrated it when your Mom got back. Thomas and Jasper weren't sure if I would know how to make a birthday cake.

Happy Birthday, Rachel!! Now you are a big two-year-old. I'm glad your mom came to get your card. Hope you had a happy day. I keep missing your birthday because of taking care of Emma's brothers and sisters, don't I? One day I'll have to come to your house especially for your birthday.

Happy Birthday, Laura!! It was good to visit with you for awhile when you were here for the weekend. I don't remember saying happy birthday but thought about it on your day.

O.K. That catches me up for a day or two. And I need to get back in the habit of family history stories. Stay tuned but don't hold your breath.