Courtney, our oldest grandchild, is now 'sweet sixteen.' She is busy, busy, busy! With work at a snow shack and cheerleading practice, she is gone from sun-up to sun down nearly every day. We didn't even get to cut her cake until after 10 p.m. Miles, one of our Oklahoma grandkids, shares a birthday with Courtney. He turned four.
On the Friday after her birthday, Courtney had some friends over for an outdoor movie, popcorn, candy, s'mores, roasted marshmallows etc. Kaden is checking out the gigantic screen in the backyard that Brandon had just put up. The movie couldn't start until dark. It makes me want to have a get-together with my brothers and sisters and watch old home movies. By the way, check out the garden that Reed and Jill put in. We've had zucchini everything until everyone is sick of it. The peas and beans are on and the corn doesn't look too far away from being ready.
This is a picture Deon took of us on one of their patios cracking crab prior to eating one evening. It belongs in one of the earlier posts but decided to put it here.
Providence South Stake Young Women went to Heber Valley Camp. Since Jill is in the Stake YW Presidency, she got to go along with Courtney, Hailey and Natalie. Brandon's grandfather passed away so they went to HVC one day, came back the next day for the funeral then returned to camp as soon as the funeral was over. They had a great time but I honestly think Jill had more fun than the girls. They stayed in Camp Rebekah and went to our (#5) challenge course.
We are still hunting for a place to call home. There are pros and cons with everything. Our thoughts and desires of what we want in a house and yard have shifted a little since we started looking. Some of the places we've seen have now been sold. We have ruled out the home in Cove. The top contender right now is in Fairview (Preston). Gotta love the country feel and wide open spaces! One place in Providence has possibilities. Now we've just got to agree on something and have an offer accepted.
I had surgery on my right shoulder several years ago. I am having pain in my collar bone, left shoulder, shoulder blade, upper arm etc. It feels like a repeat of my torn rotator cuff. I have limited strength and use of my left arm. It is hard to lift or reach and it interupts my sleep. I think I will eventually have to have surgery but I will put it off as long as I can.
The Wellsvilles still have a few little patches of snow. Hyrum Dam is still totally full. The valley looks like a patchwork quilt of greens and gold. Hailey and I went for a little spin on my 4-wheeler the other day and found that Millville Canyon is finally open. We went up quite a ways. We rode up Providence Canyon to the blockade below where the road has been washed out. We parked and walked up to take a look. We are finding that our normal recreational activities have been changed this year due to weather, acts of nature, or the difficulty of having our things in storage and not being accessible for our 'spur of the moment' activities.
Here is the patriotic Hawkins family in their red, white and blue outfits all ready for an Independence Day celebration. I've lost count of the official number, but they have had more than six weeks of daytime temperatures over 100 degrees! Sometime I'll have to tell a funny story that shows how small the world is. It relates to a co-worker of mine at the temple, her niece in Oklahoma, her brother and sister-in-law, Jodi, Jill, her in-laws, Reed's brother Ross and us.
The Logan Temple was closed for an entire month and underwent a bunch of renovations, got new furnishings etc. Many of the changes are really pretty and in some cases, make things more convenient. Ben said he spent 160 hours laying new carpet. The old, ugly, orange carpet in the towers is finally gone!
We're getting ready for a family camp-out in American Fork Canyon to be followed by a missionary reunion in Payson. It is hard to pack when everything is in boxes in one garage or another.
