Happy Holiday!

We enjoyed a wonderful "full house" at Thanksgiving this year. Everyone was here but Devin, Amber, & Kyle--in California anxiously awaiting the arrival of little Elizabeth (AKA Peanut)--and Justin & April who spent the holiday with her folks down in sunny La Verkin. Angelo & Gracy Mantoan also joined us with their beautiful little family. It was food, family, fellowship, and fun galore, with all the trimmings, to include the fabled apple turkeys. Of course, as the grandchildren get older, the apple turkey project takes on new meaning, as evidenced by this most intriguing entry--a gender-specific turkey. Hmmmmm!

Happy Birthday to My Viking Maiden

Today is my Sweetheart's birthday--the how-manyeth is, of course, classified. She doesn't like to count them, but the amazing thing is she just keeps getting better with each one. It's unfair, but I surely do like it.

What? Summer Has Passed Me By!

School has started. The weather has started to cool off. The Olympic Games and political conventions are over. All the signs of summer's end are there. How quickly it flew by.

Eva, McKennah, Caden, and I got most of Karin's stuff moved up to Utah State University in Logan at the end of August where she has started her graduate program in sociology. She came back a few days later and got the final load. So far she's doing well and we expect she will enjoy great success in this new endeavor.

Eva and I decided to do something a little different for a Friday night date yesterday. There weren't any movies we were really excited to see, so we took in the Utah State Fair for the first time in our 20+ years here. In addition to the good food, the arts & crafts, and kitsch-laden booths, the highlights were the reptile show and the guy carving jumping bass out of 3-foot stumps with a chain saw. We also found the pigeons quite interesting. It's amazing how many varieties there are. Eva drew the line at trying any of the high-flying, whirling-twirling, spinning rides, however.

Fun Summer So Far

Just to keep the wolves at bay and to assure you, dear readers, that I haven't lost interest, I want to start this brief report of the summer's activities.

We just got news yesterday that Amber & Devin are expecting a GIRL! (She looks very cute in the ultrasound, but that should come as no surprise to anyone who has seen our other grandchildren.) Boys, it looks like you're destined to be outnumbered, so you'll just have to make the best of it. Just keep in mind that some day you may appreciate having enormously talented, smart, good looking sisters who will be friends with the sharpest girls around.

During the last week in July, while Michael the Younger was woolgathering down in Peru, his family spent some time here with us and with the Dewar grandparents down in California. It was like the good old days, with the house full of fun, laughter, noise, and wonder. Grandma and I even did a turn with them down at Thanksgiving Point, taking in the Museum of Ancient Life and the little farm animal exhibit with pony ride.

And, by the way, I just finished reading book 4 (Breaking Dawn) in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series. I enjoyed the story; it has some interesting twists, but I won't give anything away and spoil it for those still reading. I think you'll enjoy it. It's been harder slogging my way through Barack Obama's Audacity of Hope. It's not nearly as much fun as a first-class vampire romance novel!

It doesn't seem possible that August is nearly half gone.