The BIG BAD #30 for AUTUMN!

We were excited to celebrate Autumn's birthday at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi...with good food and lots of fun. Many happy wishes to you, girl! We hope Year 30 will be the bestest!!
Yep, you can try to sugar-coat it, but it's still the Big Three-Oh!

The birthday bunch getting ready for some great salads and sandwiches.

The birthday girl and her diet coke.

Getting in the mood for an adventure through the fabuous Dinosaur Museum. This is a great photo...please click to enlarge. Airie (who else) wins the prize for best dino impression.

One of my favorite dinos...have always loved the fin. This one reminds me of playing dinosaurs in the 1950s (about 3rd grade in Sherman, Texas) in the boy-next-door's sandbox (I think his name was Steve), complete with water and I had a plastic Dimetrodon!

Leslie, Brie (aprons are good) and Autumn designing rivers and islands.

Airie and Abram, well maybe just Airie, adding creatures to the landscape.

Reliving those sandbox days..."I love sand."

An early Croc.

Build-your-own Dinosaur. We got to choose from heads, tails, legs, arms, and other velco-on features to create our own plush dino. Colby is participating in more cerebral activities and Airie is participating in less cerebral activities. I'm getting snuggled and Brie is getting a big kick out of the whole thing.

The giant tortoise. WOW!

Dad and the dueling T-Rexes.

Way-ugly fish...wouldn't want to run into this guy while snorkling.

Time for presents...beautiful hand-made-by-Airie bag/purse.

Autumn can add this kooky/spooky cat to her Halloween collection. Baron's "pickle box" was a big hit!!

THE GARGE SALE

Rana and Dad and I worked from 5:00pm until 3:30am sorting and pricing stuff in the garage in Boise on Friday night. What a lot of work! I tried, unsuccessfully to sleep from 4:00 to 5:45am. Then we were back to open the sale at 8:00am. It was a beautiful day (a little on the warm side) and there was quite a turnout. Learned a lot about garage sale shoppers--ha! Nice that there are garage doors that open on both ends. I enjoyed the time spent talking to neighbors and others who knew Mom & Dad. By 5:00pm we were packing up the big stuff that didn't sell and U-Hauling it off to store at Rana's house. I fell asleep at a stop light while driving the CRV!!!

Here I am in the oak captain's chair guarding a pumpkin...I don't look sleepy...yet.

Rana on the single sofa sleeper, guarding the blue plastic toy cash box...

Sunday morning Laur and I had to drive back to Meridain to pick up the U-Haul 'cause I was not allowed to drive back to the motel the night before. Charlie and Rana, looking nice and churchy.

Sisters in the front yard.

Sisters...a little too close up. She hasn't got any 60's wrinkles yet!

Laur and I drove out to see Mom one more time before heading back to Salt Lake. Here we are in her room. Yep, she broke 2 bones in her foot (we think she just stood up from the rocker and got off balance) and is now in a walking boot for 6 to 8 weeks.

Boise, Lehi, Stansbury and Beyond

BEYOND: Geocaching beyond Tooele!

The last few weeks have been filled with highs and lows and ups and downs. I guess that's why I am sporting a makeshift "umbrella". Labor Day was a high...a geocaching adventure with Wonton Cache'n to some new places to explore. Here we are on the trail. We found 4 caches (one was a 2-stage) and we really enjoyed the pleasant temperatures, the excercise and the fun company.

Here's the view from our first cache find...from atop the Stockton Sand Bar (deposited long ago by Lake Bonneville). Getting there was pretty tricky in the CRV and bushwacking up a hill. We found the trail on the way back.

Geo-Dancing on the Sand Bar...Grandma and Brie!

Little green paper lanterns.

Of course, Mr. Geo Idiot found a sunflower to photograph for me. Cache #2--Quiet Places This was a very unique cemetery up a canyon on the outskirts of a ghost town named Mercur (after mercury in mining days.)

Most of the graves were surrounded by picket fences. Only one had a legible "headstone." Found our 3rd and 4th caches up Ophir Canyon.

STANSBURY: The Sunday before Labor Day was a celebration of Colby's 4th Birthday...FUN!

Here are the yummy chocolate birthday cupcakes....served with chocolate ice cream, of course. Nice ending to great BBQ hot dogs and good salads.

Some of the party goers.

Colby and the loot!

Opening presents.

The birthday boy blew out the candles before we could finish the song!

Meanwhile Brie is mastering the art of jump rope. She prefers to turn the rope backwards!

Birthday Boy Colby is chillin' in his PJs and readin' a book.

We finally got to visit "The Man Cave"...eclectic decor and cozy atmosphere. Dad & I love it!

LEHI: On the Saturday before Labor Day I attended The Kirkham Family Reuion (George William Kirkham (my great-great-grandfather) and his 4 sons (George who is my great-grandfather, James, Joseph & Hyrum (twins)) and their descendants in Lehi. It was a celebration of 150 years since the Kirkhams entered the Salt Lake Valley...1859. There were more than 100 people there and I got to hear some interesting stories about conversion and early life in Utah. After lunch I followed a map to view homesites and the cemetery.

The original "Tithing Barn" is still standing.

One of the homes George (a carpenter) built and lived in. He helped build the St. George Temple, the Salt Lake Temple and the Assembly Hall and Tabernacle.

Me and Marge Mower, up from Phoenix--91 years old.

Marge and one of her children, Susan (Suzi) who lives in Provo.

My cousin Jana (her father, Dick, is my Dad's brother) and her husband Jimmie from Far West, Utah.

My grandparents.

My great-grandparents...George married 2 Russon sisters, Mary and Sara (my ancestor).

My great-great-grandparents, born in England, sailed to the USA & traveled to Utah via ox cart.

BOISE: The end of August and first week in September I spent 8 days moving Mom from her home to assisted living. It was easier in some ways and harder in others, than I had imagined, but I feel she is in the best place considering her needs.

The 3 girls on the porch on Crestwood for the last time.

One more shot of Roddy eating a peanut on the patio.

Entrance to Grace Assisted Living Center at Fariview Lakes.

Grace Memory Care Unit...not yet 4 years old.

Mom in front of the door to her room with a new autumn wreath and her old brass vase of irises.

Mom relaxing in her swivel rocker at Grace.