Family Frenzy!

     It has been said that the best things about families that are grown are headlights and tail lights.  I'm sure about the headlights, but even after an exhausting week, and a flat-out admission that it will be good to get back to "normal" (whatever that is), the tail lights still look a little blurry through the tears.

     To get a good idea of this last week+ and the title, I actually have to start back on Friday, June 17.

     Conrad and Carolyn Jacobson have accepted a mission call to the Los Angeles Temple Visitor's Center.  They have been our best friends for almost 42 years.  (I know this because we met them when we moved into married housing at Michigan State University when David was six weeks old.)  They are a lot of people's best friends.  They keep up with people they have known before and work to get us together whenever they can.  So, between their mission call and a friend we knew in Michigan who now lives in Boston coming to a conference in Salt Lake City, they decided to get the people that lived in the Southfield, Michigan ward together, several of whom have moved to this area.  I wish I had taken pictures!  I'm going to get better at that, as you will see closer to the end of this blog.

     Anyway, we had a wonderful dinner (Conrad is a fabulous cook!) and a wonderful time talking and reminiscing.  It was a blessing.

     On our way home, we had just gotten off the freeway to head home when we got a call from Kobin that Erin was not feeling well, and he needed to take her to the hospital.  So instead of going straight up the street to our apartment, we made a left turn and went to their house.  (I love living so close to them!)  I got a call from Kobin at 1:00 a.m. telling us that it was appendicitis, and they were going to do surgery.  This was more than an interesting development, because Kobin and Erin had offered their house as a place to stay while David and his family visited this week, and they and Danica were coming in at 10:00 a.m.  I'm so grateful for modern surgical techniques.  They were able to remove her appendix through two small holes in her belly, and she was home by 10:00 a.m. that morning.  Unable to do a whole lot, but that's what her mother, Brent and I were there for.  Erin still wound up being an amazing hostess for all the activity this week.

     One of the problems with the day was that there was also a Green Family reunion.  There was a meeting at my cousin, Gale's, cabin that I wound up missing as we got David and family settled in.  This reunion was a very important one to me because my father's sisters, Carol and Delsa, were there.  Carol had her 90th birthday this year, and Delsa is only a couple of years behind.  Besides, Delsa has made a video of her mother's life, and was sharing it.  Fortunately, there was a reception in their honor at the home of Randy and Leann Weekes in Clearfield that evening, and David, Rachel and family came with us, so I got to say hello to my aunts and cousins.

Aunt Delsa Green Weekes and Aunt Carol Green Lemmon

Cousins: Dianne Lemmon Carroll, Deanna Weekes with Linda and me

Cousin Wayne Lemmon and wife, Christy

     I was too busy talking to get picture, so I am indebted to my sister-in-law, Lis Green for these.

     The next day was Father's Day.  What more special way to celebrate than for a new father to bless his two almost new babies.

Awww!

       Can you believe they turned 3 months last Saturday?!

Adam Ray is the thoughtful one.  He has a sweet smile when you can get it.

Nathan Brent smiles easily. (Credit to Erin for these)

     The next few days are kind of a blur.  We were fortunate to have Danica all week.  What a blessing that, as a programmer, she can work remotely.  She worked at our place, while Brent and I went over to Erin's during the day to do what we could to help her as she recovered from her surgery.

     Wednesday, though, Danica took the day off and we took the kids to Thanksgiving Point's Museum of Curiosity.  Rachel's family from Provo came, bringing their kids, and the cousins had a wonderful time chasing each other around.  I didn't get any pictures of that, either.  My tummy has been unhappy lately, and Grandma was content to just sit and read and talk with the other old folks.

     Rachel's birthday was actually on Father's Day, but there was so much else going that David decided to celebrate it on Thursday.  We went to Provo Beach, which is designed to look like an indoor beach setting.  They have mostly an arcade, a BIG hit with the kids.  Upstairs, although we didn't use that part, they have a bowling alley and miniature croquet course.  What the party was really about, though, was the flow pool.  They have a room with a slope in it.  They run water jets UP the slope so you can surf or boogie board.  Like this:

 Saturday was our only grand daughter, Joy's, First Laugh party.  In Navajo tradition, the person who hears a baby's first laugh is obligated to throw a party for them.  Well, I suspect Rachel heard her first laugh a couple of months ago, so they threw the party.

Are the Navajo tacos ready yet?

The guest of honor

Grandpa Canyon is in place

So is Grandma Canyon

Navajo taco before

Navajo taco after

 Lots of family attended.

    A lot of hers did, too, but I was very grateful to my sibs for coming and supporting us.

     It is tradition for the guest of honor to be presented with blue corn mush and a grain of salt.  They then hand out a small gift and a grain of salt to each of the children.  James helped Joy because of her age.

    
     A good time was had by all.

     Sunday was Conrad and Carolyn's farewell at their church.  They gave wonderful talks on the power of prayer.  They have church at 9:00 a.m., so then we went up to their house for a brunch.  Ward members were invited to com up after the block, but family members were already at the house.  I feel privileged that they consider us family members.

David, Rachel and Conrad

Carolyn and someone I probably should know, but don't

Liesl and her wonderful husband

Kim and Jared Jacobson.

     David told Jared that he was at least partially responsible for his marriage to Rachel.  When they were roommates, Jared introduced David to the author Terry Pratchett.  That was one of the things David and Rachel had in common to talk about as they first met each other on line.

     After that wonderful brunch, where I ate entirely too much, we went to Kobin and Erin's for dinner, where I ate entirely too much.

Erin offered to put Nathan in the swing so Tom could eat.  You see how well he paid attention to her.

     And then it was time to say good-bye to David and his family.  They left Sunday night late; had to drive home from St. Louis that night and ran into fog, so even later; and David had to go to work the next day.  :P  Danica got to stay with us another 24 hours, and I loved every minute of it, but then she had to go home, too.
     This week is going to be ever so much more boring.  Thank heavens--I think.  Maybe.  I just love my family, and I'm so glad we have each other forever.
     And now, I've asked Joy to say good-bye for me for this week.