Farrahs Dance Competition

Today is Farrah's dance competition all today.  We had to get up early to drive a an hour.  Farrah performed her Jazz solo first thing this morning.  She did a great job.  I’m amazed how good these young girls are in their technique.   Farrah had a stiff competition group for 8 years old.  

She has a group dance dance this afternoon - “These Are My Favorite Things “. This is a pretty costume with a big blue bow on the back of her dress. 

 

Farrah Dancing

I’m at Farrahs dance practice today as she gets ready for her dance competition tomorrow.   She has gotten so good at her dance Techniques. She has a fun dance teacher that is helping her with her Chorography. Craig and I went and played Pickelball this morning again.  They have a fun community league we have been able to join in.  It was fun to play.  It feels good to rest -my legs are aching from playing three hours this morning.  Yesterday I had a wired spell come on.  I had a piercing pain in my center back and then move to my front chest area.  It felt tight the rest of the day.  I had to take a nap and rest.  We stopped by Costco on our way home from being at Farrah's presentation at school.  My watch signaled me my heat rate was high.  I had a weird flair up of some kind - I’m feeling much better today 

Living Museum

Craig and I went to the kids school today. They displayed their living museum character. Enzo was Vincent van Gogh a famous artist and Farrah was Pocahontas, since we learned that she is our most famous ancestor- she is Farrah’s 13th great-grandmother. Fun to see their reports- they both did a great job.  We are loving the nice weather in Sunny California-

  

Hanging Out

We are enjoying our day in California.  It was a 7 hour drive from St George.  I was beat when are arrived. We went and watched Jude and Yael play their softball games last night.  The weather cools off at night so I had to dress warmer.  Today has been a lovely day.  We went and played picklball for three hours this morning.  So fun to be outside. I was tired after that and had to rest.  I’m sitting outside enjoying the nice weather and watching the boys jump on the tramp.  Craig is having fun playing a basketball throw game seeing how many hoops they can make in the garage.  Stacy and Chad had their garage setup like a family game room for the kids to hang out it.  It works great for the boys and a place to hang out.    

Aubrey Loving Her Mission

Our Aubrey has been out a  month serving.  She is enjoying her mission- it is an awesome experience for her.  They walk the dirt roads. Paraguay has a high poverty rate. The people there are very humble and don’t have much.  First night there, they slept on mats on the floor, and had no running water until they could move into their missionary apartment. They are blessed to have air conditioning -a few days it was 120° - a very warm climate!

 

On Our Way To California

We have spent another week at Ivan’s -  I spent all day cleaning the house.  It is alot of work changing 5 beds, washing the sheets. Cleaning 5 bath rooms, vacuum and moping the tile floor.  We played Peter Underlin and his wife Kate Pickelball last night.  They are just beginning so we have been teaching them how to play.  It was fun.  I was beat by the end of the day.  My back was killing me.  The cleaning is a lot of work for me.  I just hate to have Nataha pay someone to clean.  I woke up early to finish up - I sprayed Scothguard on the couch to help keep it clean with the kids.  We were able to pack up and out the door any 11:40 am to drive to Califonia.  It’s about a 7 hour drive.  It will be nice to spend some time with the Towner family this week.  Here We Come Sunny California 😎

Monday /Enjoying Sunshine

Natasha and her family left Sunday afternoon -  Craig and I were up late watching a movie.  It smells so nice outside this morning.  I woke up early even though we were up till 1am-  I started cleaning things up.  I’m the maid cleaning the house after the Thomas family was here for the weekend.  Getting ready for the next shift.  The Burbidge family is coming down around May 1st to celebrate Trisha and Karlees birthdays.  Natasha said she could have a house cleaning lady come, but I think I can get it all done today.  We wanted to stay another day and enjoy the nice weather.  Bridger worked hard putting a lacquer coat on the patios front and back.  It looks really nice.  I have been slowly weeding their yard and trimming the dead stuff that the yard manitiance didn’t do yet this year.  I contacted them last Wednesday to come mow the lawn and start the spring cleaning out of the yard.  They didn’t do much trimming and weeding- so I have been working on it.  Bridger bought some trimmers for all the dead srubs left over from last summer that need to be trimmed up for new growth this summer.  I gathered up as much as I could to get out in the garbage this morning early.  I just stayed up to enjoy this lovely momring.  I’m getting tired and might need to go back to bed for while after waking up at 6am-  it will take me most of the day to get the cleaning done.  This is a big house to clean, changing five beds of sheets and putting them back on is alot work for me.  I m really enjoying the warmer weather this time of year and so grateful to have such a lovely home to stay in.  Natasha and Bridger have done so well financially and we are very blessed to be staying at their new home here in Ivan’s.  It get us out of the cold snowy weather at the lake and the Salt Lake valley has been cold and raining there for the next couple of days and we will have 80 degree weather and sunny which feels so nice- 

Sacrament In Ivan’s

We are attending church this morning at the Ivan’s ward this morning.  

Speaker - a sister in the ward highlighted President Nelson’s last talk in conference - Peacemarkers Are Needed -   You have your agency to choose contention or reconciliation. I urge you to choose to be a peacemaker, now and always… his closing remarks -  My dear brothers and sisters, the best is yet to come for those who spend their lives building up others. Today I invite you to examine your discipleship within the context of the way you treat others. I bless you to make any adjustments that may be needed so that your behavior is ennobling, respectful, and representative of a true follower of Jesus Christ.  I bless you to replace belligerence with beseeching, animosity with understanding, and contention with peace…God lives! Jesus is the Christ. He stands at the head of this Church. We are His servants. He will help us to become His peacemakers. I so testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

This was a very powerful message-  letting go of all our unkind feelings and words  - we need to be kind to others no matter what- is the most important !  Contention drives away the Spirit—every time. Contention reinforces the false notion that confrontation is the way to resolve differences; but it never is. Contention is a choice. Peacemaking is a choice. You have your agency to choose contention or reconciliation. I urge you to choose to be a peacemaker, now and always.

Back In Ivan’s

Tuesday evening April 18th - we decided to go ahead and head out the door again to make our drive down south.  We arrived at 9pm.  I spent time Monday going thru my clothes and packing for St George and California.  We planned to stay a week in Ivan’s again and then head to California to spend a week with the Towner family.  The weather has been so warm and sunny which feel so good- Wednesday we went shopping at Costco to stock things up at the Ivan’s home.   Lincoln had asked me to stock the bathroom for him.  He is such a fun grandson.  He gave us a good laugh when Natsaha and him hooked up the trailer to take the bike in for repair. Bridger asked him if he could hook up the trailer-  he said sure it was in his genes for three generations.  Lincoln idolizes his Grandpa Symes.  Thursday evening we had dinner with our friends Marea and John Holmon and played card games.  Fun spending time with friends.  Natasha had a photo shoot Friday - they arrived  Thursday night.  It has been fun to spend the weekend with them.  They just left to head back home. This afternoon- We have had fun playing pickleball, swimming, biking and walking.  We have had such nice weather.   We need to make our way to California this week to spend time with the Towner family.  We thought we would spend a few more days in Ivan's The weather is going to be in the 80’s tomorrow.  We have spent sometime driving around looking at homes for sale in the area.  We are really liking the area.  I could see us spending more time here in the winter months.  The housing market is really high right now.  Hoping the prices will come down.  We are so blessed to be able to spend time here at Bridger and Natahas lovely home.  

Draper Temple

We stayed three days at our Draper home.  I spent all day Sunday cooking and cleaning up from our family dinner.  Monday I was beat from hosting.  It is a lot of work for me. Craig had to finish up the project in the garage he started.  He made some shelves- they turned out very nice.  Tuesday morning I woke up early and checked the Draper temple to see if there were any openings for initiatory and found an opening at 12:00 noon. So we were able to attend the temple which was nice.  It felt so good to be in the Draper temple today and serve for deceased ancestors.  I love the blessing pronounced upon us in the initiatory.    

Sunday Family Dinner

Since we were at our Draper home for the weekend - which has been rare.  We didn’t get together as a family for Easter this year so I invited the family to come for dinner.  The Noriega family came,  the Thomas family, and our three Burbidge Grankids.  Trisha and Buck were in Oregon-  Chaudhry family were sick with a cold.  We had a fun time gathering and visiting one with another.  Lincoln was cute He said this was fun Grandma we should do this more often.  Micheal came over later after work.  He loves grandma's cooking.  

                                                         Our Handsome Lincoln 13 years  old

Annie’s Cheer Recital

We arrived at the lake Friday and had planned to stay a few days- when Natasha texted us that Annie had her cheer recital Saturday afternoon at 1pm-  so we had to pack up and head out by 9:30 am.  It was a quick trip to check on things at the lake only 24 hours.  On the road again.  Annie really wanted us to be there.  She did a great job.  Fun to be at Alta high where our 5 girls all attended high school.  Annie has improved a lot.  She is so tiny and is the flier on top.  Sadie and Karlee were able to come support her. Little Cora had to dress up in one of Annie’s cheer outfits. Love the look on Ani's face as she is looking at her granpa Symes

Back At The Lake

It’s a pretty sunny morning at the Lake.  We were surprised to see how much snow has melted. We can see some grass and dirt on the driveway.  Yeah the snow is melting - spring is coming !!☔️ April Showers bring May flowers 🌸  We have someone coming to move the snow down our lower driveway out to the the lake bed.  We were never able to clear this area of snow this year.  Still lots of snow but starting to see grass-  Craig trying to snow blow the compact snow! It is really hard now, like cement ! 

snow at our draper home- spring is slow coming this year.

Donny Osmond

Natasha sent me a text on Tuesday she was having lunch with Donny Osmond ! Wow!  He was the teen heart throb when I was at BYU.  Love watching him perform over the years.  He is such a awesome performer and singer and song writer.  They are collaborating with him to promote ivy city.  Natasha said it was a fun luncheon.  

Hanging Out At Draper / Back At the Lake

We arrived back in town yesterday afternoon just in time to drop off the baseball ⚾️ mitts and batts for the Thomas grandson to start their baseball season.  They got from the Easter bunny and forgot them when they left for home Sunday.  We stayed three days longer and were able to bring them home.  The weather was so nice in St George we hated to leave again.  Craig has his heart scan this morning.  It is cloudy and raining here in the Salt lake Valley today.  The snow all melted at our Draper home the five days we were down south.  It was still heaped and piled when we left.  So glad it warmed up over the weekend and melted the snow here.  Another cold front today but looks like just rain ☔️.  I’m just going to snuggle in our Draper home today and work on family history.  I always have so much to do - I like working on it and discovering new facts about our ancestors as sources become available online.  It is something I enjoyed spending time on and a good thing to do in this rainy day.  

Well when Craig got home from his heart scan - he wasn’t feeling well!  It is not a fun test to have.  I had the test done in 2015 and I did not feel well either afterward.  He wanted to go to the gym and see if he could work the medicine out that they put in his veins.  I quit working on my family history and went to the gym with him at noon.   We both had a good work out.  We then went to lunch at our favorite Mexican place in Draper - Los Gloria’s -  we then went home I worked on family research for a while longer by 7pm Craig was ready to head up to the lake.  With all the snow melting he was worried about flooding at our place so he wanted to come check on things.  I was in no mood to pack up and leave. Not much to pack up and out the door we go again !   I’m getting tired of the back and forth.  It has been one week since we left and now we are back-  the snow has melted alot - we can see some grass on the lawn !! yeah spring is slowly coming! 

Jacob’s 13th Birthday

Our Jacob Noriega celebrated his 13th Birthday April 12th.  We FaceTime him last night to wish him a happy day.  They had a family party for him on Sunday and Easter this year.  He is the youngest child in the Noriega family.  The kids are all growing up.  Cole is getting married in June and Aubrey is on her mission.  It is just Austin and Jacob at home now.  Jacob is such a sweet and tender-hearted teen.  He is very smart and loves all these action imaginary figures that I can’t even pronounce their names. He is going to be in a Pickelball League.  He is good at the game for 13 years old.  It's a great activity we can play with him. His grandmother, Barbara Noriega put a pickleball court in her backyard so he has access to play there every day if he likes. She just lives a block from where they live. It will be fun to play with him this summer and all of our grandkids.  Love this picture of our oldest Daughter Sharlena with her husband Dave.  Sharlena just celebrated her 45th birthday 🎂 March 27th.   We Face-Timed her on her birthday too.  The miracle of FaceTime -actually able to talk to one another seeing each other face to face- is why they call it FaceTime- a new way of visiting on the phone.  It has been around for many years now about the last 10 years - fun Technology. I can’t imagine where we will be in the next 10 years.

Wednesday / Heading Back to Draper

Craig has a heart scan appointment in the morning at 9am.  He is just not feeling right.  Short of breath and his blood pressure going way to low after he works out.  We played pickleball yesterday afternoon and he was not feeling well afterwards  I thought I was going to have to take him to the ER with his blood pressure to low.  I went and got him a soda and had him drink more water it seems to help.  He was done for the reat of the day.  I got up early and hosed off the back porch and washed several of the windows from the dessert sand.  It always looks so nice after the window are washed.  I worked till noon- we had to get on the road back to our Draper home.  Bridger called and needs the softball mitts and bats they left in the garage for the boys today.  They are starting baseball season.  We had a nice 5 days in sunny St George.  The weather has warmed up so it should be nice in Draper too.  On the road again !  This has been our 5 trip to Ivan’s this year.  It has been nice to have a break from the winter cold and snow.  

Tuesday/ Playing Pickelball

It is forecast to be 90 degrees today which is a huge swing in the temperature in a week’s time- last Tuesday it was cool and snowing here in St George which is unusual and today a record high for the year so far for this time of year.  I woke up at 5am and started cleaning again - I mopped the tile, changed the sheet in the master bedroom and cleaned the master bath, I still have Annie and boy’s bedroom and baths to clean.  I need to hose off the patio from all the kids drawing chalk on it and wash a few windows so we can have a clear view of this panoramic view.  I love all the windows in this home viewing the dessert surroundings.  Another full day of cleaning - I have been waking up early- I should be done by noon.  I want to enjoy my time outside on this warm record high sunny day😎.  Spend some time at the pool and we are playing Dale Brower Pickelball later this afternoon.  It's going to be a fun day for us.  We had fun playing Pickelball with Dale and Ashley Perry while she was in town for a spring break from Bear Lake.  It was really hot 90 degrees- Craig had a bad spell and we had to come back and rest.  His blood pressure was way to low - 80/40- he wasn’t feeling well.  We are resting for the night.  I’m beat I have worked hard all day finishing up cleaning.   I’ve finally got it all done on the inside.  Feels nice to get it all clean.  I need to sweep the garage and hose the chalk off the porch from the Grandkids drawing on it from the weekend.  They did some great art work.   Sad to say we have to head back tomorrow.  Loving this warmer weather.  

Monday / Lovely Weather

April 10th - Thomas Family headed out Sunday evening for home.  They had to leave things messy.  I told Natasha I would clean up for her to not worry about it.  It’s alot of work just packing up their things and Easter gifts from the Easter bunny.  They had to get on the road home-  It was going to be 11pm before they would arrive home-  Well today I have have kept busy cleaning all day.  I woke up at 8am and starting working.  It took me a couple of hours cleaning the front bedroom and bathroom  - I had to stripped the sheets and wash them. Dust,clean the bath room and vacuum.  By noon Craig and I went swimming and then played pickleball with some locals that live here.  They have really nice courts at the subdiviosn where Natasha’s home is located and  a nice hot tub, I have loved the swimming pool.  After pickleball we had lunch.  We drove to Culver’s and used our free coupons in our Dixie Direct booklet. After lunch I came back and cleaned out the garage garbage cans and hosed some of the driveway off. By late afternoon it was 85 degrees.  It feels so nice to have some warmer weather.  The warmest day so far this year in St. George. It’s supposed to be about 90 tomorrow.  I have worked hard cleaning today I’m beat !! I still have lots to do tomorrow-  I just have to pace myself to finish cleaning things up.  This house got it’s initiation with the family here for a week.  The floors are really dirty-  that will be my task tomorrow mopping it all-  this is a lovely home.  We are enjoying our time here.  I fell in bed at 11pm dead tired.   Kept busy all day working- craig and I went to Ace harware and got the hanging materials we needed to hang her mirror in the master bath. With Trisha and her parent's help- Natasha has been able to get this home furnished so lovely.  Natasha

and Trisha have picked out really fun decor with the dessert look.  We are really enjoying our quick trips here.  A break from the winter up north- waiting for Spring to come at Bear Lake.  

Happy Easter/ Spring Break Towner Family In Hawaii

April 9th -We have had a lovely day!! Enjoying the Thomas grandkids.  The Easter bunny was good to them all. We had a yummy breakfast and then We all hurried and got ready for church.  It was only an hour long.  The kids had a fun Easter egg hunt after church.  We are enjoying the warm weather swimming at the pool.  We had a yummy Easter dinner and then it was time for the Thomas Family to pack up and head home.  The kids all have school Monday morning.  The weather is so nice they did not want to leave.  Their week of spring break went by all to fast.  Each family sent me a picture of their family for Easter 🐣 This year.  

Noriega family were able to visit with Aubrey on her mission.

Cole and Chase

Darling Picture of Shar and Dave on Easter

Burbidge Family - Trisha and Karlee just got home from Amsterdam they had a great time - trip of a lifetime going to see other parts of the world.  Sadly it rained most of the time there. 

Towner Family are in Hawaii

Thomas family Ivan’s - family picture up Snow Canyon we were able to share Easter with them this year.

Chaudhry family Easter 🐣 went and saw the new Mario Movie 

Ashtyn with her new princess shoes from the Easter bunny- 

Our Annie 

Cora Rose 

Lincoln and Winn

Annie with her Easter treats 

The Towner family had a great spring break spending time in Hawaii they sent me some fun pictures.

Jude spear fishing and caught one!

Jude and Yael golfing with their dad

We scream for Ice Cream!

They all had a great time in Hawaii !

Horseback Riding

We went Horseback riding in the dessert this morning.  I haven’t been on a horse since my girlfriend from Florida was in town.  It  has been over 20 years.  Craig hasn’t been on a horse in about 40 years. Craig wasn’t real excited about going but he went because he knew I loved horses.  I have a couple horses growing up and have missed riding them.  It was scary at first riding up in the Rocky step terain and getting use to being on a horse again.  I wasn't able to ride as long as I would have liked.  My right knee was hurting and the jogging on the horse made my back and groin area tired.  Horse riding is a work out on the body.  After 45 minutes I was feeling it and knew we had to ride back.  I couldn't last any longer.  I felt bad cutting our ride short for the group- 8 of us.  Our guide was very gracious and listen to my gentle complains.  He headed back.  We were all tired getting back to the horse trailor.  It was an amazing experience.  I have to say the most exciting horse ride I have ever had.   So fun that Bridger our son- in-law made the arrangements.  We came back and play pickleball for a couple hours- I'm beat !! I can hardly move. We are going to take family pictures with the Thomas family up in the Red rock canyon Tuacahn.   Bridger got some really pretty pictures of the family.  My handsome Hubby -  

'so tired after our day of horseback riding, playing picklball, hiking in snow canyon with the Thomas- taking family pictures, we have had a full day!  I hurt all over from my horseback riding-