Tuesday, July 7, 2026

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!



Sunday, July 5, 2026

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.  

Wednesday, July 1, 2026

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.