Hello Again, Hello! And goodbye to 2013...

Another Neil Diamond song title? 

Long time no blog - almost two years I think. This single life has been a rough adjustment. My family has been a great source of strength and support. I just want to post pictures from 2013 for memories....maybe someday I'll get this printed in book form.

        Monna and Casey are now harboring a fugitive - me. They rented a house in Santa Clara which reeled me in because I love Santa Clara. It will be a year in April. Monna really really loves this picture. I love capturing people wasting time on phones. I could take up a whole blog post of 'wasting time on iPhone' pics. Haha. Nothing like Alberto's breakfast burritos and a Swig for breakfast. Oh yeah....AND iPhones!

                            

                    Baby Johnny Boy was born on March 17th - isn't he cute? He looks like his grandpa Rennie. I see no Abrahamson in him at all - a rarity in this family that's for certain.

            John Jr. graduated from BYU in April. He applied to several dental schools and accepted a place at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry in Kentucky. He also has been offered scholarships from both the Navy and Army.  Elizabeth is a Registered Dietician and working while John is a 'Mr. Mom'. But when he's off to school, she gets to stay home. 

Random  "funtime in the summer" pics........Carrie & Jaelyn jumping rope.

Casey boy jumping...

Nathan hosing Erin..

....Erin's getaway

Beach/Disney trip...

Need more pics of Alfred's. All of them. Hint. Hint. Together. Hint hint. You're gonna have to tap on this pic to see the whole clan...

          Brianna's solution to handling a hot steering wheel...

In July/August, the Families Guarda, Haynes, Kelly and I went to Ohio then Tennessee to spend a week at The Lakehouse at Lake Norris that Lisa rented for a week. It was beautiful there.

         The wildlife there...

Elise dealing with the wildlife...

 

                                 Kayaking....

                            

There was a water trampoline but I lost all my pics on my iPhone and these are the only ones I could find..so sad. The houses and cabin were amazing.  

  I love this pic of Tess taking care of the fairies....

                       Lisa gave the kiddies rides on her riding lawn mower. She loves that thing. She mowed a lot while we were there. Haha. 

                       We love Sisa and Paige!

I couldn't resist this picture. Poor Nathan had it rough being in the car for 30 hours. So did everyone else. This pic tells the story of the drive...BWAHAHAHAHA !!

                                Speaking of graduations, Mianne graduated from Paul Mitchell The School (of hair) in August. She really does a good job on hair - yay! A good addition of a needed trade in the fam along with a future dentist. We also have teachers, a bricklayer, computer programmers, salesman, hunters, fishermen, musicians, writers, a nurse, dietician, and the best trades- Mothers and Fathers!

Alas, my heart breaks yet again. I have lost another family to another state. In this case, the Family Haynes to Texas, the land of SNOw School Days. Elise is threatening home school....

  no school, so they go to the beach...haha...    I miss these guys!

 ....

..... Halloween. Ahoy me matey Natey and Captain America Noah!

Turkey Trot. Alas, we didn't win a turkey this year!Nathan refused to be pushed in the stroller. He wanted to PUSH the stroller.

              This pic of the Lee fam was taken at Arkansas Al's in Zion's Park where we went for Thanksgiving '13 with the Caravellos, Orvins and Guardas. So nice. A first of not cooking or cleaning.. Yay!

           

The Orvins had a Merry Christmas - they got a trampoline. They're jumping everyday.

Well..TOODLES until the next time I get around to blogging. I tend the Guarda Grandkids and I'm taking pictures and videos frequently.

So maybe I'll see you more often!!

Honey, I'm Home!!

Wait. 

There IS no 'honey'.... I forgot. But..

I got to escape for 4 weeks, thanks to DJ and Elise! First we headed to fabulous Ft. Myers, Florida- home of the wonderous Sanibel Island....

......

Those are Manatees in the lower center picture, BTW. 

You can ask Elise what they are doing so close to shore...

DJ climbing the palm tree in the Keys. Tess really wanted to too! 

The white sand is blinding, wouldn't you say?

"She put da lime in the coconut..."

they found coconuts and were creating sand 'pins' to bowl! 

Florida was great, didn't see one alligator or have one hurricane.

Then after 5 days, we went to Seattle, Washington. From one corner of the country that was warm with white sandy beaches, to the NE corner that is cloudy, rainy and consistently 55 degrees. At least it was while I was there. After I left, THEN the sun came out and the temperatures were in the 60's and 70's. GGAAAHHH!

I didn't even know this was going on behind me...aren't they sneaky and cute?

 I forgot the name of this beach. Elise will remember it. Ask her.

In the background is Seattle and the Space Needle. You will have to zoom in to see that...

La Push Beach. We had to hike a bit to get there. 

The movie Twilight didn't even give us THAT memo. But well worth it! 

I would post the picture with Elise in front of the 'Welcome to Forks' sign, 

but she already humiliated herself on her blog, so I will spare her further humiliation.

Macey is a super model!! Watch out Papa DJ!

I had a great time in Seattle. There were so many beautiful trees and lush foliage. It is the cleanest city I have ever seen! I wish I could have stayed the whole summer just to see everything there was to see. Especially my son and his wife Elizabeth, who came AFTER I left.

 Being back in the 100+ degree heat of St. George has me screaming to get back on ze plane to cooler temperatures. Sorry Elise. I HATE THE HEAT!!

Then it was off to Logan, Utah to visit the Alfred's! Getting closer to warm country. 

The temp was still in the 30's in the wee hours...

We went to City Creek Center, ate dinner with Mollee and Dave 

and visited the 'happiest store on earth' where Jamie got to wave a wand and see the Princess!

Gabriel liked throwing things in the pond, the ducks and geese were not hungry that day

 - what a disappointment!

We also went to 'help' the Hoyts at their garage sale...haha. I was looking for my ASL book a while back. I found it. Meegan was gonna sell it at this garage sale. Glad I came!

Jamie loves to pose!

Then it was off to SLC to see Cathy.

 She was coming to St. George to pick up her new puppy named Winston...

and I got to hitch a ride home with her.

Swimming with Alexa...

she wouldn't get in the pool unless her Grandpa went in with her.

I saved the best picture for last... 

Cathy and Bill entertaining their company playing on their iPhones.

 Seems to be an epidemic in this country.

 Grandma Monna would have least taken me to Disneyland.

I had a great trip - thank you Hayne's, Alfred's and Abrahamson's 

for keeping me busy - love you all!!

~TOODLES~

P.S. I came home to heat and very hairy dogs! Kimber was mad at me for leaving, so she pee'd on my bed, and pooped on the floor (I stepped in it). She was happy to be groomed so she forgave me. 

Testing...1234

I just downloaded the Blogger app and I'm playing with it to see how it works. Simple and user friendly. BUT. It stays in portrait style instead of landscape. I like typing in landscape.

I'm checking to see how the pictures work. It's been an eventful year since February 2011.

Frank and Marianne were sealed in the St. George Temple on April 7th.

Jamie Astrid of Alfred fame was born on July 18th.

Noah Wesley Caravello came next on October 15th. Such a talkative fellow!

Then came along, last but not least, little Nathan Alejandro Guarda on December 15th. Actually. He's not 'little' by any stretch of the imagination. Carrie is shrinking while he grows.

Mind you, this is only a test. I'm going to post this and see how it comes out. I hope it's not embarrassing.

By the way, I now have 18 grandchildren. Life doesn't wait around very well. I'm still trying to catch my breath.
Toodles.

Am I A Lousy Blogger Or What??

Here I am.


Months later.




Am I a lousy blogger or what?

Life is ever changing and if I don't write these things down, after just one day, my life will be lost in the haze of my rapid aging. I can't even remember the little things of yesterday...

let alone yesteryear......


Just for the record... I LOVE Gabriel's BIG BLUE EYES!!!

Another memory...Jim, Lisa and Paige







and a future happy day to remember...

John and Elizabeth,
my almost new favorite daughter-in-law






Yes.
Life is ever changing....

...if you don't pay attention,
it will fly by-
and you will wonder where it went.

To my children -
I will love you forever.