THE REUNION

It all started with a mom and her five kids....

and continues into the next generation...

and what a time we have when we get together!!!

Introductions to the newest members...

and snuggles and love of course....

lots of curls bouncing....
and kids of all ages playing...



picture taking...

beautiful music and songs...

a bit of relaxation...

boys playing...

more love and snuggles of course...

What??? More hugs....

and snuggles...

Oh, and food of course....

(guess who's the vegetarian and who the crab lover is)

Oh, yeah....and more food....

and uncle snuggles...

some video time for the worn out kids...and parents~

Plus a BIG THANK YOU to the hostess with the "most-ess"!!!

OOPS! Forgot the motorcycle and four wheeler rides, bonfire, photographs, goodbye to Bryan's dream house and more....Maybe it'll be reason to blog more on this great time. Thanks to all of you kids who made the efforts to travel so far...Utah, California, Hawaii and Sweden...oh and Washington of course! You made my year!!!!

What a Wonderful Day!

Some of those that made my day special!

And thanks to all of you who took the time to call, send cards and e-mail to me and to send those awesome messages on facebook wishing me a happy birthday. It truly has been one and I have enjoyed all of you and my Utah family today. It means a lot to me...my deepest thanks!!!

This has been a great time in Utah enjoying Scott's family and the great news is that ALL of my children and grandchildren will be able to come to WA next week for a reunion. This is the first time all of us will be together and I am so very appreciative that EVERYONE is making such an effort to come so far...from Sweden, California, Utah, Washington and Hawaii. It is difficult with all of us spread out so far and it is so amazing to have it actually happening. A BIG thank you to all of you wonderful kids and families to be doing this!!!

It has been fun here to see Lisa Larsson from Sweden several times and to meet her family...they are awesome! Last night we went to dinner and to the temple together...such a wonderful friend! And Jacob, I am really impressed with sweet Leslie- a very special young lady! I had a great visit with a wonderful and long time friend from WA, Ellie Wall, this visit also and was able to go up to visit with my dear friend Nancy Richardson in Ogden on Monday. I feel my life is so blessed to be filled with all of my treasured family and friends!!! Thanks to you all!

A rainbow taken from their back door here in Utah!

Tomorrow I leave to drive from SLC to WA. Long drive but it will be great to be back at Nate's for a few days and see that awesome family...Thanks again all of you for making my day special!

Wonderful Annie and Bruce!

My sister Annie at her awesome cabin in the redwoods and Annie, husband Bruce and I at the ocean near her home.

I traveled to Trinidad, CA last week to visit with Annie and Bruce. Boy, did we have a great time...visits to the ocean, short walks, ipod lessons, girls talk, sharing photos and music, shopping and eating great food...Thanks you guys, it was wonderful!

Loving those Redheads!

Headed for Nate and Ashley's on Tuesday and have been loving the time with these 2 cute little redheaded granddaughters here...boy are they growing! Got to go to Paige's preschool this morning and have a teaparty with her...she was a great little hostess serving punch and cookies in beautiful little china cups and dishes- boy, for a 3 year old, she did a great job pouring the punch too!

Bryan's had a couple of calls and now appts. to see his house so all has been left tidy and ready. Hopefully all will go well. I will leave tomorrow for a drive down to CA to visit my sister Annie and her husband Bruce for a few days before heading out for Utah and another visit to the jameson jungle. Hopefully the roads will be clear and the traveling easy...a couple of long days of driving ahead in the next week...

Can you believe it???

The painting is finished on my house!!!

It has been a busy 9 months in my life but I will put it into one quick blog and go on. Had some trouble remembering how to get on to new posts but I'm back with the program now. Loved my time in the states with family last time...returned to Sweden and kept busy with friends, church and my house...and loving my granddaughter Zoe and her great folks! Good news...Eimi is expecting again in about 10 days...I was able to get the outside of my house painted, garage door replaced and some yard work done. I also got my upstairs bathroom installed- love it!

Just had to steal this one from your blog Eimi!!!

Came back to the US mid Nov and planned to stay until mid January of this year...kids had a different plan...family reunion in March at Nathan's house so I will be gone about 4 months this time (so sorry my dear Relief Society presidency sisters...I WILL come back and help!!!) Since I have been here this time I have spent some time with Nate, Ashley and their two beautiful redhead daughters, some time with Bryan, Mandy and their 3...Bryce is only a few inches shorter than me at 10 years old, Ashlyn is 6.5 and is full of energy and Lily is 9 months and cute as a bug (once she got used to me and quit screaming every time I got near ;-). Drove with N&A and fam to Utah for Thanksgiving with Scott and family and I stayed on with them for a while. Flew to San Diego area to spend about 10 days with Aaron and got to enjoy his new house...it's beautiful and we got to get some things up on the walls, etc. By the way, he just came in second in a motorcycle race and won his first money as a motorcycle racer last weekend...Go Aaron!!!

Back to Utah for Christmas, then on to Bryan and Mandy's again Christmas night to help them out. Low and behold, they had been offered a job at BYU Hawaii and he had to move and be to work Feb. 1st! Have spent these last few weeks helping out with kids, etc. as they sorted...packed...had the movers come in,out and then they headed off for Hawaii.


Got the house ready for sale, had an open house yesterday and look to going down to N&A's again probably Tues. WOW! If anyone knows of someone looking for a wonderful dream house on a lake in WA, have we got one for you! Check it out: www.1337RoyRoad.com

Anyway, that's my life for the last 8 or 9 months in one blog...time to slow down a bit now and I'll write more often! Hopefully!!

Talk about avoidance!

More than three months and I haven't blogged once! Kept myself pretty busy with church, home, and general keeping up...got a little painting done around the house, tried to do as much as possible in my RS calling...and on the 10th of March, I returned to the US for a visit! Flat Stanley arrived in an envelope to Sweden from my grandson Brandon and returned with me...more on that later. When I arrived to SEATAC Nathan picked me up and we had a great couple of days (including some fun times with the girls...watching swimming lessons, going out to lunch, just fun time together) before I left to drive up to Bellingham to spend that Friday, Sat., and part of Sunday with Bryan and family. How great to see everyone and see the beautiful house that he has build...watching them enjoy the space and comfort of it showed how very much they deserved it after all these years of sacrificing for it! It was a wonderful birthday dinner with them when I arrived...BBQing steak on their covered porch, with all of the trimmings for the celebration! What a great visit with all when I was there! Sunday I returned to Nate and Ashleys for a birthday dinner there and a great celebration that next day with Hayle on her 6th birthday! We were able to go shopping together for her gift and then go to lunch...she chose pizza and I've never seen her eat so much! What a great young lady!
Happy Birthday Hayle!

That Tuesday I drove to Utah...lots of snow in the Cascades, but nowhere else on the roads thank goodness! It is wonderful to be here with Scott, Elizabeth and family and get lots of grandma hugs! The most awesome thing about being a grandma! I have been enjoying my time here and trying to recoup from the flying, driving and jet lag! What a busy couple of weeks!

Bolliaden

At 10:30 pm Sunday before New Years in Kristianstad, I met the chartered bus with the youth in Malmö stake with some other leaders. What an experience!!! I was to supervise all the girls from the stake...there were only 7 from the ages of 14 through 18, two from Kristianstad Branch...many more boys....
After a cheerful send off.... we were on our way...picking up others on the 14.5 hour trip to Gävle...north of Stockholm.

What a thrilling experience it was to spend the week with the fine youth from all over Sweden...I was especially proud of our youth from Kristianstad for their appropriateness and leadership! Activities included classes, meals, dances, sports and wonderful socializing! Their were 16 girls and one other leader in our room and it was wild...sleeping on the floor (thank goodness for air mattresses!) in a school...girls getting ready for dances, etc...it's been a while for me! We had a wonderful mix of backgrounds and had prayer each night in a different language...awesome!After a fun filled four days we headed for home to catch up on some much needed sleep! An activity well worth the trip...beautiful country, awesome youth and a great time!