Summer Parties

This week, my Lovely Lassies got HIGH on Summer.

A generous neighbor down the street provided her pool to host sweet summer swim party for these lil gals.


"WE WON'T PUSH. WE PROMISE!"

After three hours of rollicking water play, HUNGER finally weened them from the pool.

However, they still had energy to spare, transitioning from the snack table to the trampoline.

It was DINNER TIME when we finally scooted them home, tired and happy.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The women in our neighborhood gathered for
a different genre of summer celebration:


We nibbled on scones, tea sandwiches and sweet miniature cakes.

The Royal Wedding inspired us to shake off our inhibitions and don stylish hats from by-gone eras.

It doesn't matter our age, we all LOOOVE playing Dress Ups!

The wife of BYU's former football coach, donned BLUE, right down to the fingernails!

Why did we ever give up hats? They can be downright charming!


This neighbor (below) ended up spending most of the afternoon cozied inside an old closet,
trying on every single one of her mother's hats and recalling sweet memories from by-gone years.

It wasn't exactly the Royal Wedding, which - you have to admit - was way OVER the top!

Never-the-less, our neighborhood tea party was delightful.

Of course, it won't be long before we'll be seeing ' bonnets:


This year, I'll have KIDS and GRANDKIDS coming home to celebrate.

Dining Al Fresco at Eventide

(Young couple in love, looking over the valley from my spa deck. Wedding in September.)

The evening was divine.


Just right for gathering some dear friends and firing up the BBQ grill.

Good thing for many helping hands,

and a special SHOUT OUT to my house guest Dion.

16 of us feasted and laughed during those magic hours of a summer's eve.


Rachel has a tribe of boys she calls The Natives. Only three out of six can be properly seen here.

She (and her Mr.) did manage to plant one girl flower in the mix and she's a bright Gerber Daisy.


As the sun traveled west, everything began turning golden.

Especially the curly locks of my friend Kristen.

We all remarked and begged for poses. She was generous in accomodating our requests!

The sun dipped lower and faces were aglow.

Finally, there were the last brilliant rays as the sun began to sink below the mountains to the west.

Kristen penned these words which captured the essence of the ensuing eventide:

"Doesn’t it look like summer? But oy – another twenty three minutes, and that sun disappears behind the mountains across the lake. And then the air moves swiftly down through the canyons, so that we sit swathed in borrowed jackets and blankets, still enjoying the company. The air was just short of chill, and smelled deliciously of wild pine."

If you go to Kristen's blog, you can find this story (with more photos) and lots of other delights, no matter where you look on her site. Truth is, I'm flattered to be featured on the site of a famous writer and a friend dating back to our first year in college.

Although Rachel (along with Kristen) live just across the valley, she entered into my heart through her blog. I have been inspired by the way she manages her tribe, which includes a special needs son. In just one evening, I fell in love with that boy who fell obsessively in love with my dog. Rachel is a West Nile Fever survivor and the fastest dishwasher this side of the Rockies. (Her kids weren't so bad either.)

This Evening's Sunset

You had to be there to really believe it.

(I was there.)


These photos are for Leah who is missing the Rockies.

HINT: Move WEST.

Ginger's B & B

My home is fondly been given the name of Ginger's B&B by my goddaughter's family.

Okay, sometimes it's like that.

Here's Victoria with her dear friend Sarah who is leaving to go on an LDS mission in Italy.

This shot was taken seconds before Sarah was whisked off to the Missionary Training Center.

Three of Victoria's sisters stayed at my place before leaving on their missions.
It's a big, exciting and scary time of transition. They go for eighteen months to two years of service.

I remember ever so clearly the details of the day my son left.

Vic stayed around for a week, due to a certain young man.
Too bad he's also leaving on a mission (to Taiwan, not Italy) in a few days!

Vic has always been a great napper. I learned this about her while she lived with me.

Don't you love Vic's curly locks?

Then there's ME, wearing my dorky reading glasses on a chain, just like the old librarians.

Let's face it. I'm now a certifiable senior citizen.

* * * * * *

The day after Victoria left, my son's family arrived.

They've officially announced the birth of this adorable little whippersnapper with a DYNAMITE middle name:

She's a great little traveler. GOOD THING. Her parents are taking her to Europe this summer!

Big Brother and Big Sister loved zipping down my driveway on these scooter cars:

They also loved eating home-made frozen smoothies inside a cardboard box.

Have you ever noticed how entertaining large boxes can be for preschoolers?!

On Sunday, these two imps woke up before 6 a.m. and crawled into my bed.

Their parents deserved more rest . . . which they wouldn't get if the kids were romping about.

I made a judicious decision to sack my highfalutin standards regarding the Plug-in Drug.
(My own kids had very limited access to TV during their deprived childhoods.)

I gave them both a set of earphones and let them watch The Bee Movie on my netbook computer:

Notice the TIGHT FIT on my TWIN SIZE bed WITH DOG:

When Mom and Dad awoke and whipped into action, the movie was just ending.

The kids were dressed, fed, and out the door for church in record time.

They wanted their photos taken with their favorite dog in the whole wide world:

It was GOODBYE for a few days. They'll be back for the 4th of July.

Right after their departure, my dear friend Dion arrived for a two-week stay:

We met on the back of a bus in Japan in 2005.

I did NOT take this sweet photo of her from the back of the bus.
We went helicopter-ing together, many moons later.


TOO MANY STORIES, TOO LITTLE TIME!

Sorry I fell silent for two weeks. I actually didn't "go away". I just got INVOLVED.

After all, there's Ginger's B & B which is completely delightful but requires a bit of focus.

Did I Say "Spring"?

From the kitchen window, it looks Spring-ish. Well, sort of.

From the front porch, the true story is told ~

Yep. This was Memorial Day in MY corner of the universe.

The storm cleared up yesterday morning and we enjoyed this view from the street at 9:30 a.m.

Utah's Snowbird Ski Resort received 776" of snowfall over the winter . . . and spring.

My son will be skiing there with his cousins on the 4th of July. CRAZY!

But I'll tell you something crazier.

A couple of weeks ago, my nephew climbed up Mt. Timpanogos from the back side.

With skis slung over his shoulder:

The route he took is FAMOUS for spring avalanches.

This action shot was taken on this very route . . . and it demonstrates what frequently happens there:

(Courtesy wn.com)

Well, my beloved nephew ascended unharmed and trekked clear up to the summit,
nearly 12,000 feet above sea level.

Then he strapped on his skis and did a big-time "Vertical Drop".

Please take a look at the front side of this mountain to appreciate his feat:

The fact he did this - well, it tickles me no end.

I did some winter mountaineering (and a little skiing) in my 20s.

This IS me. Mount Nebo ~ February 1972

Nebo is a neighbor to Timpanogos, but slightly higher.

(BTW, I won a $10 bet with my brother Ken over that issue many moons ago.
He had summited Timp. I had climbed Nebo.

I really loved winning that bet,
because he was so completely certain about being right and it's good to humble an older brother.)

I think that carrying an ice axe was probably a lot easier than hauling a pair of skis.
Still, it was tough. We started from the valley floor @ 4 a.m. More than half the party turned back.
I was the only female to summit. I was extremely happy but exhausted.
On the descent, we slid down the glaciers on our fannies and I wore a nice big hole in my pants.

My Grandma Leah took great pleasure in the fact that I made that climb,
since she ascended the same mountain in her youth.

There's something in our genes. We thrive on adventure. We like trying new things.

My mom celebrated her 83rd birthday THIS WAY:

Helicoptering over Mount Timpanogos where my nephew recently did his daring feat.

And, actually, my son and grandson their 2011 birthdays, in similar fashion:

Notice the green scene out the window of their helicopter.

Loverly.

Please, no more out-of-season winter trickery til December. I mean it.

With that emphatic statement, I'm signing off to head up the canyon for my daily jaunt. My dog is giving me THAT LOOK.