Spring

Spring has been slow arriving this year. Flowers are finally blossoming and everything is really green. We haven't seen much sunshine or had many warm days because of an over abundance of rain. Last week the flowers on the temple grounds started to bloom. This is a very busy time for marriages at the temple. There are wedding photographers and wedding parties all over the grounds.

My niece, Staci, married Matt on May 13th. She was a beautiful bride. Everything was really nice. It was great to visit with friends and family. The day was 'picture perfect' but since my camera kept malfunctioning, I had to supplement my pictures with ones I snitched from Holly's facebook posts. The first five are hers:

Mine:

Here are Staci's nieces, Olivia and Marissa, throwing rose petals. They made cute flower girls.

Staci and Matt

The Riverwoods

Flooding over the road

at one entrance to Millville

Maxwell and William Adams

These guys are doing good and one of them is 4 1/2 pounds now. Thankfully their mother, Melissa, has been able to go home following her extremely serious troubles (embryonic embolism and blood clots) and ensuing complications. She still has several health issues the doctors are monitoring but is improving.

We have lots of birthdays in the family during May. Some of them are: Granddaughters Abby (1), Aubrey (2) and Natalie (12), daughter Robin, son-in-law Jory and my sisters Marilyn and Marsha. There's also a niece, nephew, sister-in-law, brother-in-law etc. Natalie began her birthday by attending a very early morning celebration at Spring Creek Middle School, the "Breakfast of Champions," for those achieving a 4.0 GPA.

About Aubrey...she is the 3rd child and 3rd daughter of my 3rd child and 3rd daughter, Robin. I am the 3rd child and 3rd daughter of my parents. My mother was a 3rd child. Natalie is the 3rd child and 3rd daughter of my daughter, Jill. It is weird that my sister Marilyn's 3rd daughter and 3rd child is also named Natalie. We had two former neighbors, Tina and Lynnette, who both named their 3rd child and 3rd daughter Natalie too. The coincidences don't stop there as Natalie and Robin were both born on May 18th, and they share the date with others on both sides of the family.

Does this mental madness of mine give you any clue why I can't sleep at night? Once I wake up my mind goes in high gear and I can't get back to sleep. I wish my thought processes could be flipped on and off with a switch or be channelled into something productive! Reed says I am turning into my mother because I worry about everything. He says his mother was also a worrier. He thinks maybe it is a female trait. But that scares me because both of our mothers suffered from dementia...and some days I think I am suffering from it already. Like on Friday the 13th when I was working at the temple. I passed a mirror and noticed my open neckline appeared to have a lace-edged white dickey in it. I had put my slip on backwards. Embarrassing!

Actually, I do have a lot on my mind right now. I have been having bad headaches...probably stress, but they could be seasonal. We are cleaning out and boxing everything up prior to moving. But what if something goes wrong at the closing next week? We got over the appraisal hurdle and now I worry about the house inspection. Where are we moving? Good question. We haven't found the perfect place yet. We will temporarily live in Jill and Brandon's upstairs family room. (our bedroom, bathroom and kitchenette in their basement aren't finished) We want to downsize from over 3800 s.f. of living space and 2100 s.f. of garage/shop space. We are trying to give away, donate or get rid of lots of things but we don't know where we'll end up or what we will need to keep. Where should we put all our stuff in the meantime? What about our boat and 4-wheelers? And our pickup is having problems, so how do we move? We just might have to buy a new truck. This is one necessary step in order to get out of long, dreary, cold, snowy Cache Valley winters.

On another note, we were able to be back in our home ward last Sunday. It was especially nice that I got to sit with Reed. For so many years, like this past one, depending on what calling Reed has, attending church is a solo activity, not a family one. There was a double 'missionary farewell.' Both seemed well prepared to enter the mission field. They gave excellent talks. With attending a YSA ward, we have been so 'out of the loop' when it comes to happenings in our Nibley ward. We were saddened to learn of yet another ward member with cancer. Many in the ward as well as family members, close and extended, are facing health issues or having other life challenges and difficulties. I take comfort in placing their names on the prayer roll.

A few old pictures

My first family picture. I was one month old.

Marsha (3), Me (4 1/2), Marilyn (6) and Jean (7 1/2)
Pioneer Village at Lagoon - 1988
Front: Jodi, Kathy, Reed
Back: Candace, Jill and Robin
Kim was off with a friend and didn't show up.

LAST THINGS

On Monday, April 25th we had our LAST Home Evening Group from the YSA ward come to our home. After the lesson each one told of plans for summer and beyond. The Home Evening 'Dad' and 'Mother' of that group are getting married to each other. Some are going on missions. We served veggies with dip followed by a yummy chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. "Good Luck" was written on the cake. As soon as the students left we had the Johnsons and Schvaneveldts come for cake and ice cream. They have been recipients of treats during the year whenever we've had FHE left overs.

Sunday, May 1st was our LAST day at church for the school year. I took Courtney and Riley so they could see what they can look forward to in a YSA ward. Following the block there was the LAST Linger-longer of the year. Taco salads were served. There was a fireside at the Spectrum at 6 p.m. and at 8:30 p.m. the LAST ward prayer service was held.

On Monday, May 2nd we had a combined FHE and Closing Social for our LAST get-together as a ward. We had a dutch oven meal. Our ward is completely new each school year so I'm sure this is the LAST time we'll see them.

Reed is busy driving bus routes during this LAST month of school for Cache County and Logan City School Districts. LAST minute field trips and time off for regular drivers keep all the subs busy. Many of the students within the district have already attended their LAST day of the year as there has been a whooping cough outbreak. Those who are ill or haven't been vaccinated have been required to stay home for 21 days.

Mother and Dad's LAST grandchild is graduating from high school. Congratulations to Lauren, the youngest of 28 grandchildren, who will graduate from Sky View. In two more years, Courtney, the oldest of about 67 great-grandchildren will graduate from Mountain Crest. The LAST great-grandchildren of Mother and Dad's to arrive are twin boys, William and Maxwell, born to David and Melissa. LAST I heard, the premature twins are doing well and are finally gaining weight. Melissa is still having serious health issues stemming from suffering an embryonic embolism and later, from blood clots. Please remember her in your prayers.

As Owen (5) is completing his LAST days as a Kindergarten student, he has passed a test to skip a grade. No one in the school had passed the test before. It had to be done with at least 97% and Owen did it in half the time allowed. The teacher of the gifted program wants him to take the 3rd and 4th grade tests also to see how advanced he is. Owen reads on at least a 4th grade level. He spends part of his days in 1st grade and part with the gifted 2nd graders.

Candace told me she had reached an employment anniversary date. Can you believe she has worked at Marriott for the LAST 13 years! Way to go! She is looking forward to free lodging when she reaches 25 years.

LAST week we enjoyed going to eat and visiting with the Coles as they passed through from their winter abode in Yuma, Arizona to their home in Newport Beach, Oregon.

Also LAST week, we were treated to a steak and salmon dinner and magic show in Ogden.

LAST Saturday we went for a ride. While high on the Mendon bench we looked out over the very green valley that was quite covered with water. There was a 'lotta watta.' Millville has a couple of new lakes. There are road closures, sandbags everywhere, turbulent riverflows, muddy waters, trailers up the canyon sitting in water etc. The reqular run-off hasn't even started; most of the flooding is due to heavy precipitation. LAST Sunday (Mother's Day) was another rainy day, as it has been for the LAST few days now. I got to talk to all five daughters and Jill invited us for a nice Mother's Day dinner.

We keep wondering if this is the LAST month we'll spend in our house. We have a contract and earnest money from one family and we think we have a back-up buyer if the first one doesn't work out. But we can't count it sold until closing and we have the money. We've spent the LAST six and a half years here. We got things fixed up how we wanted, we like it, but don't really need a home this big. We did just fine at Heber Valley Camp living in 400 square feet. We say we have endured our LAST Cache Valley winter. We love to travel and want to do more of it while we're still able to enjoy it. We want to spend winters where it is warm. Other than winters here, we love Cache Valley. Over the LAST couple of months we have seen deer, elk, pheasants, geese etc. nearly every day. Obviously, we have mixed emotions and there are pros and cons to everything. We don't know what we want or where we want it. We might be homeless. While meeting with a developer of retirement homes, he asked if we had met before. I told him I went to school with him. He asked what my maiden name was. I said, "Milligan." He said, "Oh, by chance are you related to Kathy Milligan?" ---to which I replied, "I AM Kathy Milligan." I wouldn't have recognized him either...it has been 40 years.


Yesterday I attended my LAST meeting this season of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. We don't meet during the summer and who knows if I will be around here next year. As Secretary/Treasurer I have a bunch of reports and forms to complete and turn in as well as finishing up typing the minutes etc.

And LAST but not least:

Easter

On the Saturday before Easter we had a family dinner and Easter egg hunt. We enjoyed a traditional meal of ham, funeral potatoes, peas, rolls and butter, green salad with dressing, soda pop, and cupcakes decorated to look like easter baskets with eggs. The Hawkins family of Oklahoma obviously didn't attend and Jory, Bryan and Riley were working. The day was fairly nice, just a little cool. Some eggs had numbers in them and the kids could pick a prize with #1 getting the first choice and so forth. Another year we really need a more challenging, exciting and interesting hunt especially for the older grandkids. Due to recent rainstorms, the hunt had to be restricted to the lawn and concrete surfaces. My camera kept going on the fritz so I am deficient in pictures. Kim took lots of pictures but hasn't sent them to me, so I decided to do a post without them. After the festivities the adults visited and the kids ran wild. Then I handed out big black garbage sacks and the girls were free to go through the toy closet and take anything they'd like. No matter where we move I doubt I will have room to keep so many toys. Hands down, the dress-ups have been the top attraction and a favorite activity for both granddaughters and grandsons. The toys that have stood the test of time and have been enjoyed most are from Fisher Price. Andrew, Robin and girls stayed with us and attended church with Jill, Brandon and family the next morning.

Nurse Nancy

I have been going through closets, cupboards, drawers etc. in an effort to de-junk. We've taken a bunch of things to Deseret Industries and have given other things to our daughters or grandkids. There was one book that means absolutely nothing to anyone else, but I felt like I still wanted to keep it. It might be considered an antique or artifact. The title of the book is "Nurse Nancy." When I was 2 1/2 years old I had my tonsils and adenoids removed. I only remember two things about the experience: 1-convalescing on the couch in the living room with a white blanket and 2-Lynn Heninger bringing me a get-well gift. It was a 'little golden book' that had band-aids inside the front cover. I remember opening every band-aid and sticking them (unnecessarily) on any bruise or scratch I could find. Mother tried to encourage me to wait until I really needed a band-aid, but I could not be persuaded to do so. The inside of the book also bears one of my earliest autographs.

Glued inside my baby book, there is a statement for my tonsillectomy. I was in room 101 of the old Logan L.D.S. Hospital. The date was July 22, 1953. My room charge was $4.00, the operating room charge was $12.50 and it cost $1.75 for drugs. The total charges came to $18.25.