Wanee is 85!

 

We celebrated Wanee's birthday at Sandy's home.  All of us who gathered have either had Covid or the vaccine for covid...except Holly....so we felt pretty good about it.  Those who had not were on zoom.  We zoomed Terry and Cyrrena and Becca in from the Philliphines,  Wendi and Bret in from Washington and Jane and Steve in from Provo.    We visited and laughed and it was so good to be together.  

Dear Child

Hello my child,

I see you and I love you, but I don't know you.

Not the way you know you or the way God knows you.

I could never know you to that degree.

You know you.

You know what to do. How to do it. Who to be.

You know the best way, the best life, and the path you should be on.

Your path will include challenges I wouldn't wish for you.

It'll include mistakes I would prevent you from making if I could.

Which is why I'm not in charge of you.

Those challenges and mistakes...they are all happening for you.

As much as I want to always remember that, I will not always be able to.

I will worry about you at times.

I will try to control you at times.

But I am working every day to let go of that.

To remember that I don't know the way for you.

You do.

You and your Heavenly Parents who will guide you.

You guys know the way.

I'm just along for the ride.

And I will be right here to try to help guide you, influence you, and most of all remind you of your divine heritage and unfathomable worth.

You'll get sick of hearing me say it but I still won't stop.

Because it's the one thing I know will make every part of your life experience easier and better...knowing that.

And I'll do a terrible job of being your mom some days and a brilliant job of it other days.

Please know that I too am on a journey of development and growth.

And I'm so glad I get to be a background player in your story.

I know my role is small but I love it none the less.

Keep going my child.

An amazing adventure lies ahead.

I love your guts...

Mom

Snow day!!

WE FINALLY GOT SOME REAL SNOW!    Which means a snow day for Sophia and Andrew.  They have been hoping and begging all winter.  By the time we had enough snow to play in we couldn't find any tubes or sleds at any stores.  Wayne ordered two but they won't be here for a week...so he got a twin blow up mattress instead for 8 bucks.  It worked out great!!!  

Sophia is an angel making an angel! We spent a lot of time on the mueller park snow hill til Sophia was done.    Then to our home making snowmen and snow forts.  

_______________

We got in one more sledding day before the snow started to melt.  This time with Alfie, Poppy, Tayla and Lady.     The snow was crunchier and the wind was whipping around more, so not as ideal, but still fun.  Wayne blew up the twin mattress again, and Alfie and Tayla loved it!  Poppy and Lady tolerated it.  Those two only went down twice, then just played in the snow.  The highlight was hot cocoa and toast afterwards.

Valentines cookies

 We celebrated Valentine's by having some of my favorite food-- MEXICAN featuring chicken enchiladas and taquitos.  IT's my love language food.  Once again I'm so grateful to have all my kids living so close by.  

I made heart cookies with Alfie, Tayla, Lady and Poppy and then delivered 5 platefuls around to neighbors who had lights on.  That was our only criteria since we couldn't just leave at a doorstep anonymously with covid etc..  We walked around in the freezing cold and talked about service.  

Holly and Wanee were all dressed up for Valentine's day.  We love them!

Lunar New Year

The Newman's put on a great Chinese new year celebration. It's the year of the Ox. We gathered and made Bao Jiozi!   It was delicious.  We  love having this China connection with Bob and Wayne and Tom all having so much work in China and the Newman's living there for many years, that we feel bound to this country.  

Kimi and Bob Farley

Tom and Kathleen Newman

 

Belnap weekend play styles

Another amazing few days in St. George with our awesome Belnap friends.  We went down for my second covid shot...which my body handled beautifully-- zero symptoms beyond a sore arm.   So we biked 20 miles right after the shot and hot tubbed.

 The next day we hiked into Paradise rim trail that hooked into Scouts cave.  It's all above Entrada and it was gorgeous.   I've dubbed Eric as Dora the Explorer and Wayne as her buddy Boots ( Dra's monkey friend).  We actually were on the Scout cave trail that Eric has never explored before so it was new territory...which was so fun.  

I love hiking and biking in St. George.  The red rock against the blue sky is always stunning.

We all took a play style quiz and found out what our play styles are.  This is from Stuart Brown-- there are 8 of them.  We found out our top three

Laura:  Director, Competitor, Joker

Eric:  Explorer, Mover, Director

Melinda:  Director, Mover, Explorer

Wayne:  Explorer, Mover, Competitor

It was interesting to us to see how much we had in common and why we play so well together.  

We played game after game of team SkipBo-- with Eric and I beating Wayne and Laura over and over, so of course, they wouldn't let us stop and we have to keep playing until they win.  They are both Competitor play styles.    Wayne, Eric and I love to get out and hike and bike ... and Laura is okay not to.  We three are explorers and movers in our play styles.   Laura is a lifter and interested in people and keeping things light and happy ...she is a Joker.   Laura and I love to plan things and events and gather people to do stuff and get on board to a cause...we are both directors.  It's really fascinating to look at this.  

Aunt Lynette's funeral

 My sweet Aunt Lynette Poulter passed away Feb 3, and her funeral was Feb 5th.  She never wanted a funeral, a viewing or to be embalmed...just put her in a pine box in the backyard.  Well...she got some of her wishes.. no embalming, and no viewing which is why the funeral happened so quickly.  Funerals in the time of Covid are different.  It was very intimate and very careful to keep Uncle Lynn well. 

Lynette was a wonderful aunt and second mother to me.  I spent countless hours at her home growing up--and always felt loved and accepted.  She had a deep testimony of the gospel and the importance of family.  Lynette was many things my mom wasn’t…..She was funny, sarcastic, ready for adventure, sporty, a great organizer and lived in such a creative, inspiring home.   

Levi said, “If you want to know what Lynette was like look at her sarcastic, funny daughters and her kind, gentle-hearted sons.”    I would agree.

Poulter bunch:  Leigh and Levi, Craig and Paisley, Brent and Jenny, Uncle Lynn, Mike and Krystin Gunnar and Tori, Becky and Zac Poulter

The funeral was so GOOD….with all of her children talking about her, and sharing their sweet and funny memories.  Levi shared about the unconditional love especially when he came out after his mission.  Paisley shared about how her momma wanted to be a cowboy and had cowboy boots in the closet, Paisley wore those boots at the funeral.  Gunnar shared about how he gave his mom a Cross necklace, thinking it was a “T”  for terrific and she wore it proudly and still had it in her jewelry box.  Jenny shared about how no nonsense Lynette was.  Jenny always had long hair until 9 years old, when she refused to have it combed, so Lynette just walked over with scissors when Jenny was at the counter and cut  off her long pony tail.  Zac shared how hard he had it as a little kid-- so many issues and his mom made it all awesome at home, so he didn’t notice it so much.  Krystin shared about what a good support Lynette was and the time they took tap dance together just for fun a few years back.     The Zac Poulter girls did two gorgeous musical numbers.  Brooklyn and her husband sang, “Unforgettable” and then Becky, Normandy, Sicily and McKenna sang,, “Be Still my soul.”  Zac designed the funeral program..and had many pictures of Lynette down the side from ages 12 to 61. I was so grateful to attend.  Wayne, Gary and I drove down to Salem, because we just Had to be there. 

The COLES have always loved the POULTERS-- we grew up together and mom and Lynette were close sisters, so most every holiday was spent together and so many summer swim days at Grandma Butters.  My one solo vacation each summer was a week at the Poulter home.

My Uncle Lynn turned 80 years a few weeks ago... this would be Lynette's 80th year as well, and their 60th wedding anniversary.  Lynn and Lynette were very devoted to each other.  He is heartbroken because is Queen is gone.  He is suffering with Parkinson's and his whole left side doesn't work.  

Zac did the funeral program... he's so creative and I love the pictures of Lynette down the side from age 12 to 61.  Lynn dedicated the gravesite.    

Winter hiking

 We have spent the last two Saturday's with our Wangsgaard friends HIKING.  Linda and I never thought we could get Wayne and Tim up at 6:30 on a Saturday to go walk a freezing cold mountain, but we promised brunch afterward and it happened. 

We hiked the 29th street Trail in Ogden that ends up at Waterfall Canyon.   It was GORGEOUS.  The frozen waterfall that was white and blue, like sea glass blue, was incredible.  The hike was kind of steep and snow makes it harder to maneuver, but being outside and seeing all of the pretty just keeps me going.    We went with Tim and Linda and their friends Kim and Kevin.

Then we got off the mountain and went to Grannie Annie's restaurant in Kaysville for their giant scones and hash. 

We hiked up Green Pond trail which is on the way to the Solitude Ski resort off of Trapper's loop.   We thought we were on the trail, but we were sinking in snow up to our thighs... we finally found the real trail and we were much more successful.   It was a sunny, blue sky hike.   Linda brought her sled, which is always a good time on the downhills.  this hike was easy ( except for the beginning off the trail part. ). Tim brings his drone and once we get to our destination, he flies it around and gets amazing aerial shots.  

Then we went to Pig in a Jelly jar on 25th street in Ogden... their chicken and waffles and beignets are all amazing.