Catching up

We went over the river and through the woods for Thanksgiving this year, and had a wonderful time in Minnesota visiting Angie and Forrest and the kids! I will post about that soon!

I'd been working on this "Catch-up" post for a few weeks before we went to Minnesota,
but our computer crashed right before we left and we had to buy a new hard drive. Luckily, Dennis decided to back up everything for the first time ever about a month ago. We just got it set up so I can download the Thanksgiving photos from my phone. I've been a little bit under the weather this week and am just coming out of the fog so I can use my head for something like catching up on a blog!
Here are some old photos for what it's worth: (and they're out of "telling a story order" but oh well.)

I'll add Thanksgiving soon!

These first photos are from when Grandma Hiatt and I were together while Grandpa Hiatt and Denny went to Washington D.C. for the World War II Honor Flight. It seems like it happened AGES ago! Every day I made mom and I the same lunch - Tomato soup and cottage cheese with mandarin oranges. And every day she exclaimed how good it was!

This is our honored WWII Veteran and Denny bright and early in the morning before they left for the airport.

Denny had written down the itinerary for Grandma Hiatt, and she enjoyed reading it often! I took this picture because she'd get to the part where Denny had written that she was accompanying Grandpa Hiatt on the trip as his "Guardian Angel" (that's what they called them, which is what they were), and mom would read it and say "Guardian Angle" and laugh. She was convinced it was spelled wrong. Over and over. I kept telling her it was spelled correctly, but being more of an English Major than our English Majors in many ways, she appeared from the bedroom with a dictionary in hand. I'll bet she's the only person within 100 square miles who had used a real hefty dictionary in the last couple of years. And sure enough, she found out it was spelled correctly and was satisfied. But she wasn't going to be satisfied with just my word for it! Smart girl!

We also put together this sweet 100-piece puzzle. I just loved the colors in it!

And of course we played lots of duets. Especially "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown."

I slept in Grandpa's bedroom and he has this photo of his father, John Hiatt, next to his bedside. I think he looks like Brandon! The nostrils, even the eyes and mouth.

We would send Grandpa Hiatt and Denny updates all along the way.

It was Conference Weekend and we watched the Saturday session together. Mom was excited to point out Denny's childhood friend Edie Isaacson every time she got some screen time. And she got a lot of screen time!

We also got caught in rainstorms TWICE. The first time I had mom dash through the parking lot with me (dashing as well as an 86-year-old can dash) but the second time we used the bumbershoot.

Grandpa Hiatt and Denny sent me this beautiful gift basket as a thank you. I don't think I've ever received a gift basket full of goodies like this before. It was so nice!

Because it was conference weekend, we got to join up with Cindy and the kids and go to one of my favorite spots on earth, Gardner Village. Calvin tried his hand at the bell.

And so did Vivian.

The whole cute gang - Reagan Elizabeth age 15; Jane Marie age 13; Calvin J age 4; Vivian May age 7; Cindy Lou still in her 30's and expecting #7 in January; Eli Andrew age 10; and Lauren Anthony age 16.

There is a quilt store which is housed in an old pioneer home (like much of Gardner Village buildings are, which is why I love the charm) and you can go upstairs and it feels like you're in a big bedroom. It's so fun. Calvin has never been old enough to remember going up there before, and he loved it. He said he was pretending he lived there, which is exactly what I do when I go up there! It's got a big bed with quilts on it and it's all you can do to keep the kids off of it. And Grandma Sweat.

We wore Halloween socks to Gardner village.

We returned home and that night after Priesthood session was over, we headed out to the National Guard Armory and picked up the celebrity! It was really special. Such a great experience.

This is Grandpa Hiatt right as he spots Grandma Hiatt.

....and gives her a big "I'm home!" smooch.

The whole gang who welcomed him home, minus our photographer, Dennis. Lauren, Eli,
Cal, Cindy, Reggie, Joey, Grandma and Grandpa Hiatt, Denny, me and Emma.

My visiting teacher gave me the plaque that says "Take Time to Gather Memories Along the Way" for my birthday and I thought this picture fit with those words! This was after we had all dug into the gift basket.

XOXOXOXO
Mom