91st Birthday Festivities

My Grandpa Thornley is turning 91 on the 27th and a bunch of our family was able to get together to celebrate this milestone on Friday, March 15th in the Cove Room at Maple Springs, where he and my grandma live.  It was a casual evening full of visiting with cousins (and second cousins . . . and other combinations of cousins), grandparents, and aunts and uncles.  My aunt Sondra put together some fun video slide shows of family photos that we got to enjoy together.  And of course there was food!  

It was fun to be able to party like this with and for Grandpa since just a few months ago we found out he has prostate cancer and then right after that he fell and had a brain bleed and was in the hospital for a few days right before Christmas!  We didn't know if he would make it to 91, but here he is, thriving!  And I hear that he may get taken off hospice care because he's doing so well.  Miracles!

Callie's card for her Great Grandpa.

Sam's card.

Callie also wrote an original birthday poem to go inside.
(Insert heart eyes here!)

The beginning of the party - some of my grandpa's kids gather
for a group shot.

Cute grandma and grandpa.

My grandpa and his kids - Randal, Ken, Joan, Kathryn and Peggy.

Great grands (and some grands).  Back row: Ethan, Peter, Adam,
Perry (those boys are all grands), Bradley, Johnathon, Jacob, Amylinn
(another grand); Front row (on couch): Grace, Hyrum, Amelia, Callie,
Evelyn, Sam, Kate, (Great) Grandpa, Drake.  (I think the only great
grandchild missing from this party and this picture is brand-new
baby Audrey!)

Grandkids!  Back row: Adam, Perry, Peter, Becca, Ethan, Kim,
Heather, Kylie, Zak, Nate; Front Row: Amylinn, Emily, Savanna,
Grandpa, Christine, Sierra.  (We missed snatching Parker and Alex
for the pic, plus Megan, Tim and Jeffery who weren't able to come.)

I don't know who took this, but it cracks me right up.  Paparazzi
much?

34th Birthday Festivities

I spread out my birthday celebrations all week (and really more, when you think about it), as I am wont to do.  I mean, why not stretch out the fun if I can?  It all started back in February, when we gathered at Paul and Kim's house for a birthday dinner and dessert and presents for Scott and me.  They gave me a set of mini loaf pans and some cash to spend on a birthday date at Gray Cliff Lodge (a spot I've been wanting to try for a while now, at the urging of some of my friends).

Then, on Friday, the 8th, I came home from the store to find a chocolate cream pie in my fridge, left there by my friend and ministering sister, Laura.  We dove into that one right after pizza while we watched Incredibles 2 (it's on Netflix!  Watch it if you haven't seen it yet!).

I spent Saturday prepping food for my big shin dig on Sunday.  And Gregg spent a good portion of it putting together new dining chairs that conveniently arrived just in time for a houseful of dinner guests to sit on them the next day.  I didn't mean for them to be birthday presents, but the timing did turn out to be perfect.  (And the labor of love to assemble them all sure was nice, too!)

Sunday afternoon brought my parents and local sibilings and families plus Paul as the lone Blanchard representation (Kim was in NC playing with Ryan's girls and the Wihongis had other plans) to feast with us on an Indian buffet: Chicken Tikka Masala, Shrimp Coconut Curry (with lots of extra veggies), Mango Dal, Basmati Rice (I sort of followed the instructions in the second comment from the top, but sort of just did my own thing, too), Naan, steamed broccoli and roasted asparagus.  (I have to thank Heather for sharing most of these recipes with me, and Mel and OBB for making most of these recipes in the first place.  They were amazing!)  After dinner it was cake time.  I was wondering aloud what to make for my birthday cake one day when Callie mentioned raspberry cheesecake.  I didn't end up doing that, but I did use some frozen raspberries I had stashed in my freezer from Kylie's bushes, and adapted my favorite lemon blueberry cake to be lemon raspberry instead.  (No, the raspberries on top were not from Ky's garden - I picked those up at Winco this week; but yes, I sure did feel like I was on The Great British Baking Show when I placed them like that on the top of the cake. ;)  Add a scoop of Rocky Road ice cream (my new favorite brand is Umpqua - it tastes like Aggie Ice Cream, which sadly doesn't make rocky road anymore), and you've got heaven! (I don't know if lemon raspberry cake really goes with rocky road ice cream, but quite frankly, I don't care.  It's my birthday!)

I'm glad Paul snapped a pic of his plate, because
I forgot to, and it was definitely worth remembering
(if I say so myself).

Ice cream cone cousins.

On Monday morning, I woke up to a bright sunny morning and a cheery happy family.  We made cinnamon roll biscuits (oh my heavens!  they were amazing!!) and opened presents at breakfast.  Cal and Sam picked out a new hand mixer (a beater constantly fell out of my old one) and strawberry milanos.  Heather and Scott had sent an amazon gift card (I've already spent it on a new purse), and my mom and dad got me a DNA t-shirt and sciencey notebook set (I opened those on Sunday, but didn't photograph them till this morning).  Also, pictured is one of "my" new kitchen chairs.  I love them all so much!

We had a regular sort of Monday - library, lunch, walk to school, nap (and I got to lay on the couch to read my new library book - so good!), walk to pick up Cal, walk/bike ride with Gregg around the loop (that was amazing!  it felt so good to soak in the sun!), grilled burgers for dinner, FHE, and leftover cake and ice cream for dessert.  Perfect.

A better view of the t-shirt design (I had to send
it to Mugs and my friend Marcy and they
thought it was awesome).  (The color is more
true to the photo above, though, just so ya know.)

These are the notebooks.  They're so pretty
I don't know what to write in them yet!

On the tag of my shirt.  :)

Such a fascinating story!  And really well written.

Look at that sky!  Talk about blue!
(And look at all that snow!)

Callie went above and beyond on birthday card
making this year.  And in the middle is one
from my wonderful grandparents, too.  I'm a lucky
girl.

The rest of the day/week has been filled with fun texts and facebook messages and phone calls from friends and family wishing me a happy day.  My friend Erin brought me yummy treats one day.  We decided to splurge on a family date to Gray Cliff on Thursday evening.  (Verdict: it was . . . okay. And I'm glad I went, but I don't know if I'll ever go back - a bit of a downer when it was so hyped up, but live and learn, I guess.)  We ate leftover pie and cake and ice cream for days on end.  If this is 34, then I'm on board with that.

Photos from Phones - February 2019 Round Up

Here we are in February, the month of love.  And this year, I am loving it.  Especially when the sun is shining and we can get outside for a walk or even a tromp around the yard or back and forth across the driveway/decks while I shovel.

2.1.19
(Callie begged to "skate" on the frozen puddle in front of our house
and Sam and his cement truck got right down and personal with the ice -
 no, he didn't fall, he just likes to be at eye level with his vehicle's wheels)

2.1.19
(oh what a difference a day five hours makes - they switched
their footwear and enjoyed some good (I don't know about that
word as the laundry-doer) muddy splashing after school)

2.2.19
(Aggie game day - we've been waiting for this one
all season because it was an afternoon start time,
which makes it perfect for taking the kids to. We
cashed in on the last punches from our Aggie Pass
and invited the whole Elwood gang, Paul and Kim,
and Swaze to join us.  It was a great party and a really
fun game.  And then we had pizza at my parents' house
after.  Fun day!)

2.2.19

2.2.19
(he loves this jersey from the dress
up box at my parents' house - and it's
fun because Sam Merrill on the Aggies'
team is #5, too!)

2.2.19
(Grandma and Grandpa Blanchard were the best sports to walk
around the Spectrum over and over and over getting freebies
and drinks and photo ops with the kids during the second half.
They were in heaven!)

2.2.19
(first ever up-close meeting with
Big Blue - good thing Gpa B was there
to protect the kids from such a fierce
creature)

2.2.19

2.2.19

2.2.19

2.5.19
(some library faves from the last week or so - and bonus: with that
folk tale treasury I got a free download of all the audio recordings
for each of the six stories in the book - love that!)

2.5.19
(Sam is obsessed with trains lately.  Have I
mentioned that?  Well, he is.  And he loved
this one.)

2.5.19
(I liked to learn a bit more about these women, one I had never
even heard of before reading the book (I bet you can guess who),
but I really enjoyed the art in these two most of all.)

2.6.19
(A valentine's message on the kindergarten art
board while we waited for parent/teacher conferences)

2.7.19
(well, that's one way to read a book at the library)

2.7.19
(kids in bed, Gregg at his self reliance start-your-own-business
class, me livin' the good life (spoiler alert, I went for the novel
and it was an excellent choice).)

2.8.19
(Friday Fun Day - Cal didn't have school so Gregg took the day
off and we went out to play.   First stop, the Clearfield Aquatic
Center.  We had a blast!)

2.8.19

2.8.19
(we went during the parent/child splash time in the morning,
and it was perfect because they didn't turn on the splashing
water things until it was almost time for us to go.  I liked that it
wasn't as noisy with all the churning water features and the kids
liked the chiller atmosphere, but we still did get to experience
the extra fun that came with all the pouring water AND we got
a couple runs in on the big water slide. Win win.)

2.8.19

2.8.19
(Sam kept asking if we were going swimming in an inside
swimming pool at a hotel and "does it have beds inside?".
This whole concept of a place that has a pool but no sleeping
accommodations was definitely a new concept for him) 

2.8.19
(after swimming we ate lunch at Crown Burgers,
just down the street from the pool.  Then we headed
for home, but decided to make a pit stop at the Hill
AFB museum on the way.  Sam's favorite plane
was the "flying tiger" (which he had learned about
in a National Geographic Kids book about planes
we've read about a million times lately).)

2.8.19

2.8.19

2.8.19
(Sam zonked out in the car on the way home from the airplanes,
so while he napped and I read (more of that novel mentioned above),
Cal and Gregg hit the slopes for a few runs.  And then she had to
illustrate their adventures when she got home.  LOVE!)

2.8.19
(while Callie was drawing, Sam was helping me make pizza
for our Friday Night Pizza and a Movie tradition.  She drew us, too.
Haha.  LOVE!)

2.9.19
(finished!  Loved!  It was not like anything I've
ever really read before.  I loved the sweet
(and sometimes heartbreaking) story of friendship
across many generations.  Try this one!
(but be aware: there is some language).)

2.9.19
(here's the blurb from the jacket, in case you need
some more info to get to to pick it up.  I really
enjoyed it (thanks to multiple episodes of
the What Should I Read Next podcast
for talking about this one and making
me aware of its existence.)

2.10.19
(Gregg and I spent this Saturday morning folding clothes
and towels in the laundry at the temple (it was actually kinda fun)
and the kids got to spend the morning at Grandpa and Grandma
Blanchard's house, playing with toys (and a dog), making and
decorating Valentines cupcakes and pictures, and snuggling
and reading.  Best day ever!)

2.11.19
(after a week of on again off again snow storms (which were
great, don't get me wrong, just made for murky roads which were
not ideal for walking) we finally got to walk to school again
today and it. was. Glorious!!)

2.11.19
(I kept pausing to snap pics along our route because the blue
sky and fresh white snow and sunshine was just too much
for me to handle and Sam kept asking, "Why did we stop, Mom?")

2.11.19
(I just learned this weekend that mountain yonder
(the same one we can see from our kitchen, but from a slightly
different angle) is called The Seven Sisters (thanks to another
member of Gregg's weekly self reliance business class, who
is a painter (an amazing one at that!).)

2.11.19
(I liked the pop of red/orange of the barns and trees looking east
on our walk up 5600 E)

2.12.19
(working on her post-parent teacher conference
homework: a poster about her)

2.12.19
(fakest smile ever)

2.12.19
(not getting better - ha!)

2.12.19
(oh geez)

2.12.19
(that is a Callie smile for sure!)

2.12.19

2.12.19
(zoom in to read her cute answers)

2.12.19
(I really liked this one from the library this week - she has a super
long name and is quite frustrated with her dad because of it (it
just doesn't fit!) but when he explains where each name came
from, she realizes it's pretty special (and she has a special family
history to live up to).)

2.13.19
(6:22 am - I find her like this in the mornings
quite often (and she's plowing through the books
because of it!))

2.14.19
(oh we've got trouble right here in {Eden} City (right here!)
that is our septic tank cover.  When I took this picture I thought
our trouble was almost over.  Instead, we learned that the tank
is full of tree roots and is impossible to pump out (what we thought
was causing our slow drains and stinky closet issues).  Instead it
needs to be replaced. Early next week.  Yikes!  (cue desperate
pleas to our parents to borrow their showers and washing
machines - and putting that camping toilet seat/bucket
lid and potty bags gift that Gregg gave me a couple years ago
to great use in our outhouse garage).)

2.15.19
(oh what a beautiful mornin' . . . to head outside to poop ;)

2.15.19
(Cal didn't have school today so we got to have some
quality mom'n'cal time doing science!  And then we drew
what we did)

2.16.19
(our drive through the canyon was spectacular this morning,
and since I wasn't driving, I snapped some pics)

2.16.19

2.16.19

2.16.19
(I got to spend the day with Heather and Kim in Salt Lake eating
at Charlie Chow's . . . )

2.16.19
(. . . and seeing Swan Lake at the
Capitol Theatre.)

2.16.19
(it was my first time seeing Swan Lake (Kim's absolute favorite
ballet ever) and it absolutely lived up to the hype.  It was
magnificent!  Such a fun day with these amazing women.)

2.16.19
(I missed the one-year anniversary shot of my scar, so here is
my one-year-plus-one-week-plus-one-day shot - it actually looks
worse in the picture than in real life. I barely even notice it anymore.)

2.17.19
(I realized I haven't documented the snow depths this year -
and we have quite a lot.  We haven't had any huge storms,
but it just keeps coming consistently and it definitely adds
up. This is the back deck pile from clearing the deck -
it is usually two steps down from where Cal and Sam are
standing to the yard level)

2.17.19
(and the front yard pile - it reminds me that the pic I took of them
here last year (scroll down to January 25th) was MUCH less
snowy than this year (but looks similar to the year before
that (seen on that same post linked above).)

2.18.19
(a fun morning spent bouncing and sliding in Logan with Gracie
and H&T, G&G Elwood and Ky . . . and all I have to show for it
is this single photo.  It was a momentous day, though, because Sam
climbed up the giant slide and slid down all by himself.  He was
"freaked out" but did it anyway.  So brave!)

2.18.19
(scootering back to Grandpa and Grandma's house
from a quick outing to the park)

2.18.19
(we had to take advantage of those clear
sidewalks and the sunshine (even though it was
still really cold).)

2.18.19
(this is what dinner looks like when the Elwood's
celebrate Chinese New Year (it's just an excuse
for us to make and eat egg rolls each year).  We also
added Steak and Snow Pea Stir Fry, Mushroom Chicken
and Funky Noodles to the mix.  Plus fortune cookies
(not homemade), of course!)

2.19.19
(Gregg's "long way to work" views today)

2.19.19
(he always intends to stop at Red Canyon on his trips to Colorado,
and this time he actually made it happen.  What a sight!)

2.20.19
(6:24 am - 4 inches and still coming down.  We ended up with
about 6 that morning.  What a snowy month we've had!)

2.20.19
(when you realize your ministering sister is a
Mel's fan, too. Mel posted the recipe for these
chocolate banana bread bar things on her blog
this morning and my friend Laura brought
me a plate this evening (and I promptly chowed
down!))

2.21.19
(zoom in for a view of the longest icicle ever!)

2.21.19
(I stayed up till midnight to finish this book and
I did like it for it's clever storytelling, creative
fairy-tale tie-ins, the "magic", and the trees
(I really loved the tree stuff), but I have a hard
time really recommending it without some
reservations about the sexy scene(s) and the
f-bombs scattered throughout.  So.  Now you
know what I didn't going in and can decide for
yourself.)

2.22.19
(lots of library lovin' today! I was inspired to read
ALL the picture book biographies I can get my
hands on after the latest read aloud revival podcast/
list that is just exploding with such good
recommendations)

2.22.19
(I saw this one on the shelf at the library previously
and resisted it then, but today I just couldn't leave
it there again, so it came home with me.
I'm intrigued after hearing a planet money podcast
about sand.)

2.22.19
(let's play a little game of Name That Movie
that we're watching for pizza and a movie night)

2.22.19
(here's another hint . . .
give up? it's The Swan Princess, an animated
classic that I watched more times than I can count
growing up (and I still can remember the funny
lines/songs!) that was brought back to my memory after
seeing Swan Lake last week (and realizing that I knew
the story of Swan Lake even  though I had never seen the
ballet before because I had grown up with this movie!)
Cal and Sam dug it, by the way.  And don't worry - we've
been listening to the music on youtube all week
and they've been digging that, too.)

2.23.19
(while Gregg was in Colorado for work, he was also able to go
to the wedding of our friend (and his co-worker) Jeremy in Denver.
He was our home teacher for a long time when we lived in Edwards
and has let us stay at his house and is just a great dude.  We're
happy for him and his new family.)

2.23.19
(Callie's arts and crafts time at Grandpa and
Grandma Elwood's house resulted in this
billboard.  Makes me smile!)

2.23.19
(we went to Rocks and Fossils day at the Geology
Building at USU on Saturday afternoon.  Sam's
favorite part (and the only part he really participated
in, even though all the rooms had lots of fun activities
and demonstrations and tours) was pressing
toy dinosaur feet into clay.  He and I spent an hour
in this spot doing just that and he had a blast.)

2.23.19
(after rocks and fossils, we had to check out the
newest sculpture on campus - it was a giant
"house" made of sticks (I thought it sounded like
the three pigs story, but Callie said it looked nothing
like the second pig's house).)

2.23.19
(in case you were wondering about the structure
above)

2.24.19
(we had a fun pre-birthday dinner at Paul and
Kim's house to celebrate the March birthdays.
Kim asked me what dessert I wanted, and
because I'm highly influenced by Mel's blog
and she had recently posted a video and recipe
for Fallen Chocolate Cake, that is what I chose.)

2.24.19
(it was to die for.  Seriously.  So amazing!)

2.24.19
(bin plus boy shenanigans)

2.25.19
(our ward had a big youth activity on Saturday out in the snow,
and for part of it they made these snow sculptures at the park.
it was fun to check them out on our walk to school today)

2.25.19
(just had to snap this to show how deep the snow still is -
those no parking signs aren't super tall . . . but still!  It's deep!)

2.26.19
(Cal's homework sentence this week.  Can you tell
what we've been listening to lately?  P.S. Sam likes
it, too.)

2.26.19
(The kids hopped out of the Burley at the park and walked
the rest of the way home from school - sans jacket for Cal
because, "it's so warm!  It feels like spring!!!")

2.26.19
(this was her so-excited-spring-is-coming pose)

2.26.19

2.26.19
(then, of course, they had to do some splashing)

2.26.19
(I walked out back to explore the dirt mess - and missing fence/
tree situation - post septic tank replacement)

2.26.19
(yep, that's gonna be messy!)

2.28.19
(she is her father's daughter.  and when she wakes up before him,
she steals his spot on the heat vent and reads, reads, reads)

2.28.19
(sam woke up from his nap with the poofiest
hairdo known to man.  so I had to document it.
Also, notice the lack of pictures on the walls
behind him?  We did our semi-regular (ie not
really regular) remove-everything-that-is-taped-to-
the-walls cleanse.  And then I washed the walls
(what?!  now THAT is not a regular thing, fo' sho).
Our house feels empty!  haha)

Every other round up here (whew!):
2019: Jan
2018: Dec | Nov | Oct | Sept | Aug | July | June | May | Apr | Mar | Feb | Jan
2017: Dec | Nov | Oct | Sept | Aug | July | June | May | Apr | Mar | Feb | Jan

2016: Dec | Nov | Oct | Sept | Aug | July | June | May | Apr | Mar | Feb | Jan

2015: Dec | Nov | Oct | Sept | Aug | July | June | May | Apr | Mar | Feb | Jan

2014: Dec | Nov | Oct | Sept | Aug | July | June | May | Apr | Mar | Feb | Jan

2013: Dec | Nov | Oct | Sept | Aug | July | June