Neighborhood Graduation party

 There are 12 kids graduating from Bountiful high in our ward/neighborhood.  11 of them came together for a fun time of connecting, picture taking, and a parade driveby with ward members.  These kids grew up together-- some even born in this ward.  Laila was very connected to the girls in grade school and to the boys from 7th grade on.   This group is not close per say-- but they have experienced school and now the pandemic together and it was good to celebrate. 

Mason Farr, Laila, Heather Kofford, Emily Mortensen

Heather Kofford, Genacie Ekker, Laila, Emily Mortensen, Molly Moon

Laura Belnap is the Sunday School teacher for this age group - they all adore her!  She is immune compromised with COVID but was determined to do the drive by and get a picture with her kids.  

Andrew Nelson, Jacob Evan, Dan Fowers, Mason Farr, Molly Moon.  second row:  Daniel Mason, Heather Kofford, Genacie Ekker, Laila, Max Eiting, Emily Mortensen

Ann Marie OBorn and Garth Oborn with his FUNNY teeth in came by to with the graduates luck. 

Jumping for Joy!

Graduation Ceremony and Party

And she’s officially graduated! Bountiful High means a lot to our family. It’s where Wayne and I met as sophomores. My mom was in the first graduating class. Between Wayne’s siblings, my siblings, nieces and nephews we have 27 Bountiful High graduates . Laila is our last one.

 This is how Laila did her High School graduation ceremony- dressed in her cap and gown and sitting on our couch.  The school did a virtual graduation with some Senior speakers and then a slide of each student as their name was read.   Totally different from what our boys experienced.  Laila was a good sport about it.   We had family around and then invited a few more family and friends to help her celebrate.   

 We turned mot of Laila's BHS t-shirts into a fun quilt and Addison created a fun pic of Laila with the words-- "You cannot blend in when you were meant to SHINE! "

 We love this girl and all she has accomplished at BHS and in all of her 12 years of schooling thus far.  Laila's  been a Sophomore cheerleader, an SBO for two years,  on the Hope Squad for 5 years, part of HOSA, did choir all three years and this year she was in Xela and Acapella.  Laila was very busy and it felt like a whirlwind at the time.  It's interesting with the pandemic, we had to stop and get off the wild school treadmill, stop all of this activity and be still and see who we really are.  

Laila is a kind hearted, daughter of God. 

Tayla, Lexi, Laila, Lady, Moson and Elsie

Lexi Edgar, Laila, Dani Edgar

Tim Wangsgaard, Laila, Linda Wangsgaard

Camilla, Laila, Jed Seaman

Laila, Jill Allsop

Nash, Rob, Tami, Laila, Hunter and Alex Madsen

Laila with Grandma Welch

Addison, Laila, Poppy, Alfie, Bre

Laila and Paula Carlson

The grands celebrating the graduate

Memorial weekend

 It was a busy Memorial weekend.  We gathered in Wanee's front yard- social distancing?- to celebrate Holly's birthday and talk about Tom.  We usually gather at the Farmington cemetery on this night but thought it safer to be in Wanee's front yard instead.  Holly was thrilled with her birthday cakes that Anna Welch made and all of the presents. 

Memorial day morning Wayne and I hiked up to Elephant Rock.  It's a 7 mile round trip.  3 1/2 miles up  -- at the Elephant head-- there's a beautiful view and a bench to sit on and rest your tired feet and have a water break.  

It was gorgeous weather!  

 We visited our Angels at the cemeteries-- we took Wanee up to Farmington for her second time to sit around Tom's grave for a bit and reminisce.  Then we headed to Lakeview cemetery to hang out with my grandparents, parents, and Marcie.  So many of my people are gone.  It seems they all left me too soon. 

We decided to celebrate our Asian heritage with Addison and Bre's fam.   We were one of the few tables inside Joy Luck eating Chinese food.   They are open with social distancing and a lot of mask wearing. 

 Then, of course, we celebrated our REAL Scandinavian heritage by eating a Nielsen's custard. 

Memorial weekend is melancholy for me.  I have so many great family memories growing up of visiting gravesites in Morgan, Fairview-Idaho and the Bountiful cemeteries on the Saturday or Sunday of this weekend.  On Monday morning we would have to pull some morning glory weeds out of our bushes-- so dad could feel like we worked before we played.   Then we always had our first big swim at Grandma Butters pool.   We would swim and have a bbq and be with all of our cousins and wear our feet out on the bottom of the plaster pool.  We would have bloody toes by the end of this day, but we didn't care.  Our parents would bandage our toes and have to get us to bed at a reasonable time because we had school the next day.   Always 4 -9 days left of school that we had to get through before "real" summer could begin.     

Such a golden childhood.

What are you doing RIGHT NOW?

 Wayne's at work "fighting" with shippers to get masks here from China.   It's a huge process

 Melinda's wanting to spray paint a rusty bike, but it's sprinkling.

 Monson is working in his new downstairs "make shift" office for VISA

 Alex is working in his at home office too  for Thumbtack.

 Bre just finished an at home work out

 Lexi is snuggling with baby Elsie

 Landon is at Great Clips wearing a mask and cutting hair.

 Truman and Levi are painting their apartment in Portland.

Addison is teaching a theatre class on ZOOM.