Lucky me!

Dennis and Mildred Hall                    Naomi and Reed Clegg

Ken and I are just wanting to remember and honor our mothers today. 

We miss them both, but have such wonderful memories of our time together.

They were the best!

If we could say anything to them right now it would be:

Thanks for the examples of selfless love and caring.

Thanks for the delicious meals (and the cooking lessons).

Thanks for all the support- in so many ways.

Thanks for the music lessons, the help with homework, the late nights worrying, the nursing when we were sick, the homemaking skills we learned from you, and the tough lessons we needed when we were unkind (or down right naughty)!

Thanks for the laughter and the fun!

We love you!

XOXO

JoAnn and Ken

 

It Was Mom: A Mother's Day Tribute To Moms #itwasmom

A great day for an adventure! #2

On Saturday, our family headed out for our second adventure using our Salt Lake Connect Passes.

This time we headed South to Thanksgiving Pointe for the annual Tulip Festival.

Quite a few other people had the same idea!

Good thing the flowers are spread out over 55 acres.

The line to get in went pretty fast and we were not disappointed in our decision to join with the throngs of people to enjoy nature’s showcase.

We had a great day!

We got some good exercise,

enjoyed some sunshine,

spent time with our loved ones,

and enjoyed being in a very beautiful place.

Have I gotten my money’s worth?

Adult Connect Pass:  $75.00

Adventure #1 (Natural History Museum) entrance fee:  - $11.00

Entrance fee to Thanksgiving Place: - $15.00

Total so far: - $26.00

We have 11 more adventures to go and only $49.00 left to pay for the pass.

I think we will definitely get our investment back- with a lot of priceless memories to go along with it.

Stay tuned for more adventures!

JoAnn

What fun activities does your city/area have to offer?

P.S.  You can see our first adventure by clicking on Adventure #1 above.

P.P.S.   Did you know we ran into the same neighbors on both adventures?  What are the odds of that happening?

They don’t even have Connect passes.

 

Oh Spring….can’t you stick around a little longer?

 

Two weeks ago we had a little family party in Idaho.

The weather was perfect!

We were able to color Easter eggs outside (without worrying about the messy spills) and then hunt for eggs and candy using the whole yard.

It wasn’t too hot.  It wasn’t too cold!

Some preferred to sit in the warm sun, while others found comfort in the shade.  Sometimes, it was nice to switch back and forth as the fickle temperature kept changing.

We had a pretty big crowd of cousins and even a special “guest” came by for a visit.

 

 

Did I mention that the weather was perfect?

 

I love Spring’s  mild temperatures.

I can’t get enough of lilacs, tulips, crocus, and apple blossoms.

My two very favorite times of year (fall and spring) seem to slip by so quickly, both followed by sometimes really cold or miserably hot weather.

SO SPRING,

PLEASE STAY AROUND A LITTLE LONGER!

What is your favorite time of year?

JoAnn

Hanging in there…

Yes, I am still alive!

My family keeps asking me why there are no new posts.

They’ve reminded me that several holidays and events have passed-with no new blog updates. 

Yes, the camera has had some workouts!

Yes, this is a sort of family record for us.

Yes, I know and realize all that, and I have been quite frustrated with my lack of effort.

With all that said, I have been completely brain-dead.

All my creative juices have completely dried up!

The tank is empty.

Sigh…

If you happen to know any school teachers, then you might understand.  This time of year is draining as we head in to testing, warm weather, restless students, and my 26th class change (move ins-move outs) since September.

HOWEVER…

I did take time to notice and appreciate these beautiful blossoms!

I almost missed the peak blossoming photo days, and I really didn’t quite capture the vibrant colors, but they were still amazing.

So, even though I’ve been “blogging absent”, I have enjoyed nature’s splendor and miracles.

It is a beautiful world we live in!

Have a great week.

JoAnn

P.S.  A co-worker of mine shared this funny response one of her students  recently gave on a test.  When asked who settled Utah, the 8 year old replied, “The Shoshone and the Morons.”

Made me laugh!

Spring Break-Portland style

This year’s Spring Break meant a very short trip to Portland, Oregon, (with very LONG drive) to spend time with our daughter Heidi, her hubby Ovidiu, and little Paul.

We managed to cram in the Children’s Museum, The Portland Aquarium, a train ride in the rain, Voodoo donuts, and some hanging out time.

It was a fun break!

(Why is it that after a break you always need another break?)

Good memories!

Wish we could have had the whole family there!

Love,

JoAnn

Crazy weather…

This morning I worked out in the yard, with only a sweater on. 

Right now it is raining and cold, and I have a fire in the fireplace.

(Did I just hear thunder?)

On Sunday I went to church without a jacket, with the sun shining brightly.

It snowed as we drove home.

My one big question is:

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT TO WEAR?

JoAnn

P.S.  Thank you, Spring Break, for the variety of weather!

I’m looking forward to an interesting week off from school.