This is 64!

Getting older isn’t easy, but the wisdom that comes with it is priceless.  That means living boldly, dressing unapologetically and owning exactly who I am.  It makes me sad when I meet people in their 50’s and 60’s who feel like the best is behind them.  I believe that the best is always ahead.  Our best lies in the process of becoming. So we might as well enjoy the process.

I’ve lived through…

    Using an encyclopedia to find out information

    Console TVs -- they were huge pieces of furniture that took up a lot of space and required me to stand up and change the channels— we had 5 available stations.  

    Paper maps to figure out where I was going

    Calling a radio station over and over to request a song..and recording that song on a cassette tape. 

I remember…

  Prank calling to ask someone if their fridge was running

Toilet papering neighbor’s houses

Skinny dipping in grandma’s pool

        Hearing Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and not believing my ears..  instant love.

Drinking TAB— the new diet drink- for the first time and also drinking TANG.

Watching cartoons only on Saturday mornings- and learning  through“School House Rock”

Marching to the side of my elementary school desk while my teacher played on the record player: “Go you chicken fat go!” for our exercise breaks.

My old home phone number  (295-1238) and my grandma’s phone number. ( 295-1281)

I survived…

The trauma of watching “Soylent Green”  ( a movie about eating people) 

Being told to go outside to play, and not come back til dinner time.

Smelly perms— I already had big hair, but I wanted BIGGER— 

Riding in the back of our wood-paneled station wagon with back seats that faced the car behind us…no seatbelts of course…. We pulled faces and waved at the other drivers.

I’ve learned…

Faces don’t need fixing.   Wrinkles are proof of life.

Confidence never goes out of style.

There are no fashion rules— wear what brings you joy

I’m not for everyone, and that’s okay

Never pass on dessert while on vacation.

Put on a swimsuit and do the thing no matter your size

As a mom…

Letting go gets easier

Being friends with my adult kids is a wonderful place to land

My children will always be who they were meant to be 

The only person I really parented was myself.

As a wife..

Responding to a spouse's bid for connection is important. — “Look at this” “Did you hear that?”   “Oh, there’s an amazing sunset, come out and see it.”

It’s important to let each other change and enjoy the change.  I’ve fallen in love with NEW Wayne over and over in our 48 years together.

As a meema…

Love is the answer

Always respond and look at each grandkid like they are a treasure!

Enjoy their uniqueness and don’t compare

I’ve stopped asking…

Am I too old?

What will people think?

Is this age appropriate?

I’ll always choose…

Compassion and inclusion

A gathering of family and friends

A good belly laugh

Trying something new

A loving Heavenly Father

To get my angels on that. ( just like my momma)

What's up on my Social Media page....

I'm at 12,800 followers so I thought I better re-introduce myself.

 

Sidetracked band - 100th performance

Happy America 250!   We had a fun week of celebrating.  Monday night our band practiced our patriotic program at the Bountiful Park to check our sound and set up.  We invited some family to be our audience.  Monson family and Landon came.   Elsie danced through the entire set… she can’t help herself.  It was so darling.   

Tuesday morning we went back to the Bountiful park to perform in our red white and blue for senior citizens ( our favorite audience)  It was for the seniors– they had bingo and tai chi and food and us… it was a good morning.  Truman brought Wanee and Holly over – and Holly was the star of the show— She stood up and danced through Sweet Caroline and marched and saluted through Battle Hymn of the Republic.  It was a hoot and it made me cry!   

It was a a really fun gig!  It was also our Sidetracked bands 100th performance…so we celebrated after with lunch at Olive Garden.  ALSO before the performance started Fox 13 and mountain America surprised us with a service in the community award of $2,000– that was a big surprise.  We were nominated by Paul Neuenschwander– and old Bountiful friend.  The money will go towards our Jackson Hole trip end of the summer.   It was a really fun morning!

America 250 celebration

 Saturday was the 4th of July!  And Linda Wangsgaard's birthday.  We got up early and went for a hike up by SnowBasin to Green Pond – it was a glorious morning..and then we got breakfast at Ramblin Roads.  I'll walk in dirt and see nature if you promise me food afterwards.  It's a good arrangement. ( We did NOT go to any lame parades)  

 Lexi planned a fun decades party starting at 4:00 with things of the 1940’s, . 5:00 1950’s , 6:00 1960’s  etc… up to the 2000’s at 10:00.  With fireworks and glow stick dance party.  SO FUN.

Lexi had a playlist of 1940's songs then 1950’s songs and they changed each hour. As well  (Tim and Linda came and so did Bob and Diane Lake and Bob and Kimi Farley  – I thanked Monson and Lexi for having a party for our friends.)

 Wayne took his ice cream machine over for the 1940’s kick off and ice cream cones and old fashioned yard games.  5:00 was hula hoops and Sidewalk chalk.  We took dominoes and played under the shade.  6:00 we had a big BBQ potluck and the kids made friendship bracelets.   Monson did a great job cooking all of the hamburgers and hotdogs on his new blackstone!    

Kimi and Melinda

Linda - the birthday girl and Melinda

Andrew and Tayla

Lady and Poppy

Lexi had a cake for Linda’s birthday and Glitter Bows ( their dog) birthday as well.  7:00 and the 70’s– we did tie dye shirts and a retro photobooth.  8:00 we had a cake walk and  Snappers.   9:00 the kids watched “the Sandlot”  movie in the basement and the adults played Hitster– the music game.  Then 10:00 came and everyone cheered.  It was a full day and so fun.  Monson and Lexi have that big picture window off the back of their home that you can see fireworks all over the valley clear to North Salt Lake and all the towns out west as well.  

We got home for the Layton fireworks..we can walk out to  the end of our driveway and see them– they went for 40 minutes last night– couldn’t believe it .  We had a lot going off in the street behind us and the streets west of the field.   It sounded like a war zone around us until midnight.  

New Ogden Transition Branch building

 We finally had our first meeting in our new building for our Ogden Transition Branch.  

We had a ribbon cutting, a dinner and an open house for everyone to wander through and check it all out.  We had a great turnout! 

Wade and Tom held the ribbon and John cut it.  We all cheered.

Bill Cromarty

Marcos

Everyone is excited to start new things in this new Harrisville Building that’s hooked onto the end of a Deseret Industries.

Matthew Anderson and Melinda

The picture of the Savior is behind the podium.... John Weatherly stood up and said, "It feels like the Savior's got my back." and now I can't stop thinking that. 

What Lucky wore in June

Highlights included making pants out of a curtain panel and a full ensemble: skirt, jacket, top and pants out of a duvet cover. 

 

Bear Lake 2026

This was our BEAR LAKE week… It was awesome for June.  We had pretty good weather.  We had a lot of family come up- along with Gary’s fam, and Adam’s fam and Liz and Al.  At the first of the week we had Truman, Landon, All of Monson’s family and all of Addison’s family.  Then Landon went home and Andrew and Sophia came up for the end of the week.  Taylor Young  “cool pants”- Tru’s friend came up for the end of the week.  Alfie got sick– ended up being Strep throat so he and Bre left on Thursday morning to get back home and recover with antibiotics. .  Monson and Lexi were supposed to get the twins they are helping with on Thursday to come to Bear Lake– but the mom changed her mind.  Oh well.  

We did the usual things,  boated a lot– the grands are all brave now and want a ride in and outside the wave– they like wild- they just don’t want to be dumped, and Papa Wayne is pretty good at delivering that..although an errant wave caught Monson, Elsie and Tayla by surprise and Tayla went in to the water head first, but she came up laughing– so that’s good.  We had boat dance parties and just hung out in the water and sunshine too.  Boating is always good for me if I have music and a speaker to blast tunes as we ride along.

We spend time at the beach, playing in the water, doing bracelets an boondoggle, listening to music and hanging out.  Landon brings his big island and anchors it off shore which is a great place for kids and adults.  The water wasn’t too low this year– but it was shallow for quite a ways out there.  

We ate dinner under the trees with the Coles and the Calls on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings.  I love this gathering.  Plus we got our big family picture of all of us.  Yay for this Cole Reunion! 

We play mini golf, ride bikes, ride scooters, swing, go to the pool, play on the playground.  Play catch  and baseball. 

With one bad weather day we had a chance to film our Monster at Bear Lake movie 2- which Andres and Sophia wrote and we all take part in.  It’s a big endeaver- but the 4 hours it took to film were fine on a rainy day.  Andrew will now take it on his computer and add to it to make it all cohesive.  Such a fun thing.  

We love playing games:  Cards, Canasta, dominoes, Mahjong, Harmonies -  in the condos at night and watching movies and laughing a lot.  I look forward to this family time so much.

We had a lot of dance parties this time… on the boat, down at the shore on our rainy day along with rock throwing and skipping and our glow stick dance party on Saturday night.   Elsie is always my first to jump up and start dancing with me.  I love that.

We had some good food– we love going to Lebeaus for chocolate or  double raspberry shakes and Zipps for food– the Bear Lake Munster burger with raspberry jalapeno pepper jelly on it,is out of this world!  Plus the corn dog is top notch!    And of course, Summit pizza.  

 The kids all told their favorites of the week which included ALL of the above.