Grandchild #16

On Thursday, October 30, 2008, my 16th grandchild, Ian Bruce Hawks was born.

I am sure Josh and Traci will do a blog on their new son.

Community Halloween Carnival

On Saturday, October 25th we had our annual community Halloween Carnival at the park behind our church. They have games for the kids and Chili and Pie to eat. My favorite part is that it gives me an opportunity to dress up which most of you know is one of my favorite things to do. I didn't get pictures of all of the grandkids, Monty, and kids because some of them had taken off their costumes before I got their pictures so they could run around, but here are the few I got.

My favorite part of this costume is the hat. There is a witch on the hat that laughs and kicks her legs along with her eyes lighting up when someone claps. It was great fun and I love to make people laugh. I started out putting green paint on my face but my family told me it might be scary for the kids so I took it off.

Maycie as Goldilocks and the 3 Bears

Dylan as a cute little tiger

Dallin as Winnie the Pooh (Asleep)

Deklan as Tigger and Marlee as a Cowgirl

Deklan, Bryson a penguin, and Torsten as Buzz Lightyear

Check out my kids blogs to see pictures of the others.

I Love Halloween Time!!

Do You Remember the Lettermen?

On Tuesday, October 14th Monty & I went to a concert at the college. It was sponsored by the Huntsman World Senior Games. The group performing was originally called The Lettermen. That group is no longer together, but 2 of the original 3 started up a new group years down the road. They are now called "Reunion". Jim and Gary Pike are the two brothers who were in the original group and they added another guy named Ric de Azevedo who use to sing with the King Family. Most of you are too young to probably remember these guys, but it was a wonderful walk down memory lane for us. Again I just had my cell phone so the pictures and the lighting aren't great, but it gives you an idea. We sat on the front row since we went early because it was open seating.

You can't see their faces very well because of the bright lights, but you can see them on the big screen a little.

I had to go home and get out my old record albums that I had of them growing up.

This is a picture of one of their CD's that I bought that night.

A few of their songs that you might recognize are "Put Your Head On My Shoulder", "Shangri-La", "Turn Around, Look At Me", and "Hurt So Bad".

I think they have gotten better with age, or maybe we have just gotten older with them and love to remember the good old days of our youth.

Someday when you get older maybe you will remember a group that you went to see or liked and it will remind you of your good old younger days too!

Traci's Baby Shower

I flew up early in the morning with Monica's family to be up in Ogden for the baby shower. Because of our early morning getting up to go to the airport, Demmy and Marlee fell asleep in my rental car that they rode with me in on our way up to Ogden.

On Friday, October 10th

We had a baby shower

for Traci Hawks

Here are those who attended!!

Ann Whitehead & Traci

Monica & Dylan

Autumn & Kallee

Brandi
Shaylee
Anjie
Julianne & Maddie
Brittany, T'Kiya, & Janice

Traci's Friend

Traci's Friends from work

A bunch of my other grandkids were there also, but were busy playing with their cousins so I didn't get their picture since I only had my cell phone. Monica's kids, Autumn's kids, & Brandi's Kids were there. Kallee's Kids were at home and were busy with their dad.

I can't believe it, but little Ian Bruce Hawks will be here before we know it.

We are excited for you Traci & Josh!!

Marathon in St. George

This past week was a busy week with helping tend the grand kids with Maycie in the hospital, but you can read about that in Monica's blog when she gets it done, ushering, the marathon, general conference, and Derrik's football game.



We ushered at Tuacahn on Friday night for the play "Big River" (it's about Huck Finn) with Terry & Diana, Brice & Aleena, & Joquetta (Monty's cousin) who was down here with her sister, Gail Baggs who was going to run the marathon the next day. Gail needed to go to bed early for the race. When you usher you get to watch the play for free. The play doesn't get out until about 10:30 p.m.




On Saturday morning, October 4th there was the yearly running of the St. George Marathon. The race starts up in Central and goes 26.2 miles down to St. George. The race is down the main road in front of our housing area so they close the road to cars. We go out and cheer them on each year. This year it was different because it was rainy all day which made it hard for the runners and for us sitting out there in the rain and cold. The race starts at about 6:45 a.m. The first people to pass us were a few wheel chair racers. The first runner was shortly after that at about 8:10 a.m. when he made it to where we were sitting which is about 17 miles into the race. At the first, the runners are few and far between, but it gets more crowded as the day goes on, then it gets fewer toward the end.

Some people run in groups and even carry balloons or flags.

We make signs and hold them up for people we know who are running in the race.

This runner is the husband of Candy Facer, a teacher Monty use to teach with up in Huntsville. Many runners wore garbage bags over their clothes to help keep them dry, but their shoes were just wet and miserable, with no way to keep them dry. His wife Candy also ran the race, but my cell phone had too many pictures on it so I couldn't take one of her when she got to where we were. Her husband was about 45 minutes ahead of her.

This is Monty's cousin Gail Baggs, daughter of Joe and Edesa Anderson. I ended up using Monty's cell phone to take her picture when she got to us since mine was full. She finished the race in 4 hours 58 minutes and 2 seconds. I think that is amazing. She is a trooper. She had also ran another marathon a week or two before up in Logan. I don't know how she does it.

The last person to finish the race took 8 hours 14 minutes and 1 second. That is a long time to run or even to walk for that long.


Each year after the race I think about running the marathon the next year after seeing some of the people who run the race. I tell myself that I could do it if they can. It just takes a mind set and a willingness to train. I don't know if I am ready to take that on.
Anyone want to train with me???



Who knows maybe someday you will see me on a blog after I do a marathon,
but don't hold your breath!!

My Week After Hawaii & My Birthday Party

My kids talked me into staying up north for the week when we flew home from Hawaii. I didn't know why they wanted me up there, but they kept me busy the whole week. I didn't find out until Saturday why they wanted me to stay, beyond just spending time with them. If I had gone home, I might not have come back up with the flights so bad. Monty went back to St. George to go to work. He told me he was coming up on Saturday to take me to the State Fair for my birthday. I should have been suspicious since Monty doesn't care much for the Fair, but I guess I was too tired to even think about it. The flights looked terrible for Saturday and he ended up having to come Friday night, but he had to fly to Los Angeles and then to Salt Lake in order to get up there since the flights were full on Friday too. I tried to convince him not to come for one day since I had already gone to the Fair on Thursday, but he said he wanted to come. I didn't suspect a thing since he loves to travel. Here is how the kids and grandkids kept me busy during the week before their surprise.

I took Heston and Brandi to Josh's house after we got in at the airport from Hawaii so they could get their vehicles to go get their boys and so Heston could go home and get ready for work. I slept for about 2 hours at Josh's house. They were gone to work. I went to Kallee's School when school was over for the day. I went to Sam's Club and went shopping with Kallee. I stayed at Kallee and Chad's house that night.

I slept in and then got up and did my laundry from being gone to Hawaii. Kallee had asked me to go to Jay's school that day after his lunch time. He was going to be the V.I.P. for the day in his school class.

Kallee had made a poster with pictures of him to share with his class and filled out a paper all about him that I needed to read to tell them all about Jay and the things he likes. Jay then read a book to the class. He brought a treat of popcorn, which he would share with the class later in the day. Kallee couldn't go because she was teaching school. Usually the teacher just does it if the mom can't be there, but Kallee had told the teacher that I would be coming to do it. Kallee told me that Moises wanted me to come and see him at lunch time which was right after my being with Jay and his class. Moises was with his friends eating lunch. He just said "hello grandma" and went back to talking with his friends, so I didn't stay. I went shopping at Savers for a while and then went to Kallee's school again after school. Kallee helped me start my first Blog. I hope I can do it.

Then I went to our house in Liberty to play with Deklan and Dallin and spend the night there since Heston and Brandi are living there now for a while. The kids love taking baths. After the kids went to bed, Brandi helped me add more things to the blog and do all the special stuff. She is great at doing all that!

Kallee and Josh convinced me that I should take Jay, Moises, Brandi, Deklan, Dallin, and Josh to the fair the next day, which was my birthday. They said I could go to the fair again on Saturday with Monty if I wanted.

Monty, Monica & Family, and Autumn & Family called and wished me Happy Birthday.

We then went to the fair

It was great. It is about the same each year with a few different things, but I love going to the fair. I guess it brings back memories of my growing up and going to the fair each year with my mom, dad, and brother. I love the smells, sights, and sounds.
There was a magic show which Josh got called up to help with one trick. There was also a tiger show which was neat. We saw the cows, pigs, goats, 2 pigeons, chickens, and all the booths selling things. They didn't have fish anymore in the fishing building. What a disappointment. Everyone use to love to see the fish.

Jay, Moises, Deklan, Dallin, Josh, and Brandi liked the rides. I just watched them.

It was a great day at the Fair!

Continuation Of My Birthday Week

We then headed back to Ogden and went to Artic Circle for an ice cream cone. I think we tired Deklan out. Dallin loved to wear grandma's sunglasses upside down.

We went to Josh's house to wait until it was time to go to the Olive Garden. The kids were taking me there for my birthday dinner. It was fun and the food was great as usual. The waiters sang to me for my birthday. It just hit me that they didn't give me a free dessert. Maybe they don't do that anymore.

When we went out from the restaurant, Heston had a dead battery on his motorcycle. They had to go buy a tool to get into the battery so they could jump start it.

It was a Great Birthday!!

I have a great family. When Autumn called that morning she also said that they might come out on Saturday and maybe we could get together for lunch. I spent the night at Josh and Traci's house.

It felt good to sleep in. I am exhausted from all the traveling I have done this summer and being gone so much. That day Traci didn't have to work and she took me to her work place at Master Cuts in the Layton Hills Mall and put highlights in my hair and gave me a haircut. I love it and it looks great. I should have been suspicious why they wanted me all done up, but I was too tired to even think about it or suspect anything. We did lunch at Chick-fil-A. I hung out at Josh & Traci's house until I had to go to the airport to pick up Monty. We stayed at Kallee's house that night and didn't get there until about 11 p.m.

Jay and Moises both had soccer games on Saturday morning that we went to. Jay's team won their game and I think Moises' team tied their game.

Kallee then convinced us that we needed to take Jay and Moises to the Dinosaur Park. She had a free pass. I had already been to the fair so we didn't need to go there again. She said everyone wanted to come up to the Liberty house for Lunch and barbeque and that Autumn had called and was coming. We could meet there after we took the boys to the Dinosaur Park and they would just meet us up there. She said I needed to spend the time with her boys.

The Dinosaur Park was great. I had never been there. We enjoyed it. Jay had been there before and he told us what we needed to see and do. The boys loved me to take their pictures. I didn't have a camera, but I took their pictures on my cell phone.

We will have to do it again when we have more time. We needed to be up to the house around 1:00. Then Kallee called Monty and said we didn't need to hurry. She said we could stay for another 15 minutes. I still didn't suspect anything.

When we got to the Liberty house there were a lot of cars at our house. I said I wondered why there were so many cars. Monty didn't say anything. I just assumed that each of the kids and their spouses drove separate cars and maybe had to leave to go to work or something. I thought maybe they invited some of their friends which they do a lot when we have barbeques. When I walked up the stairs to the backyard a bunch of my friends and family were there waiting and they yelled "Surprise, Happy Birthday!!" The gave me a pink hat, a black broom septor, and a badge.

IT WAS GREAT!! I was totally surprised.

I don't know how they pulled it all off without me knowing about it, but my kids did it. Thanks to all of them for their love and support and a special thanks to Kallee and Autumn for orchestrating all of it. I Love You All!!

If I could have a party and visit with my friends and family, it might be worth having a birthday every month. JUST KIDDING!! I don't want a birthday every month. We get older fast enough.

This Party was to make up for missing my 50th Birthday so they didn't miss my 55th Birthday. When Monty turned 50, I did a thing at his school for his birthday with the teachers and then a party with our family. He hated it and said "You just wait until you turn 50" I said I can't wait, bring it on. Then when I turned 50 he didn't do a party. I was disappointed. I guess the kids decided to remedy that fact. Thanks for thinking of me. I Loved It!

I am so blessed to have such a great family and great friends. I love to party and I loved being able to visit with friends that I haven't seen and visited with for a while. Thanks Monty for going the extra mile to get up here for the party and keeping me busy so it would be a surprise.

NOW I see why they kept me up north all week since they had this party planned and needed to have me here. I probably wouldn't have come back up with the flights so full. I was exhausted and was ready to get back home to St. George, but it was really a Great Week.

I know this was long blog, but I just wanted you all to know what a Great Week it was and how much I love all of my family and friends. Thanks for making me feel special!!

It Was My Best Birthday Week!!!!