Happy House in Happy Valley

We stayed at Tony and Cindy's last week to help the utterly capable Lauren and Reagan and Jane hold down the fort and watch over the utterly capable Eli and almost capable Vivi and quickly becoming capable Calvin, while Tony and Cindy headed back east where Tony spoke at Southern Virginia University's Education Week and also twice at firesides in North Carolina to the youth in Andrew's Stake and surrounding Stakes. This photo is an evening view while I sat on the front porch. Everyone is so nice in Springville. People at church, the people at Ream's grocery store, the people at parades making room for us instead of glaring at us and telling us this is their spot. Small town life at its best. Plus in a small town you can't get away with any shenanigans because everybody knows your name so maybe that's why they're so nice. Springville isn't THAT small, but it sure has a nice, slow vibe all its own. This view from Tony and Cindy's house has no rival anywhere in the world that I've seen, and I've been to the Alps!

Summer mornings are the BEST! when everyone can slowly get out of bed and come downstairs dragging their great big ol' blanket.

...and enjoy a big bowl of cereal at a leisurely pace....(I promise I did comb Calvin's hair)

...or stare into space for as long as you want while your motor gets going!

But if you're Lauren and Reagan there were basketball camps to attend, shifts to work at snow shacks and life was busy! I just noticed that Vivi is having one of my yummy mints in the background. Nobody likes grandma's purse stash of mints more than Vivs!

If you are Jane, you are at that golden age of 12, full of hope and dreams and promise and artistry so what else to do but make a "Summer Bucket List" where one of the goals is to "spend a whole day outside" which she and her friend already did! I want to put her in a time machine bucket and keep her just like this!

 You can't read this very well but she has areas for "Spiritual, Random, Friends, Fun, Health..."

Jane and Eli helped Cal and Viv do a quick treasure hunt. It was funny when we went to Ream's earlier that day we tried to find a good prize and the only thing that was cheap were a couple of large balls. You should have seen Jane try to keep them hidden from Cal and Viv while we checked out. She was partially successful (VIVIAN YOU PEAKER!).

Cal's off to find the first clue......

We also attended the Art City Days Parade. Fun small town parade where....EVERYONE WAS SO NICE! We got there about 10 minutes before it started and had to sit one row behind the people who had set up along the curb, but they immediately told us they'd make a little path so the kids could get through to the street. So nice.

candy AND OTTTER POPS were thrown..............in abundance!

beautiful maidens waving whilst surrounded by deer .......

the local floral shop had young men handing out flowers to all of the ladies....

The kids made such a haul it was like Halloween. Calvin is not picture here because he was sitting on my lap by this time because I scared the living daylights out of him when he ran out into the road in front of an oncoming float. Oh GRANDMA...CHILL. I can't help it.

To top off the day we went to the brand new awesome reservoir the city opened within walking distance of Tony and Cindy's house. I mean, WOW. It was packed! It will be must-see when you are all here this summer!

This photo is of a peaceful Sabbath. It was so cute when Calvin said to me "I can't play the Wii because it's Sunday. But on FAST Sunday...." and then he went on a rambling discourse that I didn't understand, but I'm sure his mind is associating some rule that has to do with Fast Sunday and Wii playing. They have 9:00 church and we got there at the stroke of 9:00 and were in our seats. Yay us. That afternoon Jane said "Can we turn on church music? My mom always plays church music." It was so pretty. Tabernacle Choir. I loved it. 

Yay Grandpa's here for sunday dinner!

Reagan created the most beautiful floral arrangements using tissue paper.

She also modeled her Pioneer Trek hat. Lauren and Reagan left the next week and trekked up at Martin's Cove.

And things started falling apart before our eyes when Vivi lost a tooth one night and Eli lost a tooth the next night. The tooth fairy came both nights. Good ol' tooth fairy!

Spatula Ninja Warrior.

Jane made this skirt out of some tulle. I love Cal's face in the background. And grandpa's feet. and Reggi working on flowers.......

I've wanted to take children to the Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point, and beings as we had children, we took them. It was pretty cool. But see this scary contraption? Well, it led to high swinging bridges and Vivi got in over her head and I was frozen in fear below because I just let them run happily off to the opening of the contraption. Anyway, they turned around and brought the little kids back down, and Jane finally talked me into letting her go way up high but I didn't watch.

Lots of "scary" things to put your hand into - EEK!

And then the week was over and I came back to my surrogate potted grandchildren on the porch. Dennis stayed the last two days and I came home and worked. Between the two of us and the excellentness of the kids we did mighty fine. Loved spending time with these darling grandchildren. There are SIX OF THEM. Oh my gosh! 

XO
Mom

Payson Temple Open House

Isn't this a GORGEOUS temple? I am tempted to say it's the prettiest temple I've ever seen, but then I have seen lots of pretty temples. The architecture is so different - seems Egyptian, like it's from another time. Really, really cool. A beautiful wheaty color. Going through the Open House was like going to an art museum and every single piece of that temple was done with the utmost craftmanship. Last year we were zipping down the freeway in the big red truck with Gary and Linda on our way to St. George and Linda was in the front seat talking and I was in the back seat  listening, and all of a sudden she stopped mid-sentence and said, ".....was that a TEMPLE?" and I rubber-necked around just in time to see this temple slip into the background. Right there on the side of the freeway in the middle of pasture land and sod farms for all the long haul semi truckers to see! I was really grateful when Cindy called a few weeks ago and said she had gotten online right as the tickets were available for the open house and picked up two extra tickets for us. Some day I will be more better at things like this. Cindy took the kids out of school and she said when she went into the elementary school office to sign them out the secretary said, "Oh, are they going to the Payson Temple Open House? I've been checking lots of kids out this past week!" Only in Utah County - gotta love it!

The whole crew + MY PURSE.

I really like this photo. It looks like it was taken by the paparazzi from far away with a wide angle lens.

Anyone who knew Jenny Goodman as a little girl will smile at this photo. We ran into Jenny and her family  and couldn't get over how much her little girls look like her. But then when you look at her husband Matt they look like him too. That happens a lot. Her mom passed away from cancer a little over a year ago. JeanMarie Goodman was so much fun and down to earth and spiritual and no nonsense. She reminded me so much of Aunt Karla. Her husband Mark just got engaged the day before we saw Jenny. He's marrying JeanMarie's college roommate who lost her husband to cancer five years ago. They feel like it was meant to be.

The Sweat girls with grandma at her normal height.

Oops, we forgot a very important Sweat girl...........

There we go!

Lauren 16

Reagan 14

Jane 12

Eli 10

Vivi 6

Calvin 4

I will always remember this day and hope we can come back and do baptisms here or visit it as a family. I would also like to go back to the Brigham City Temple too.Very grateful for temples and for our family.
XO
Mom

P.S.
I love how Eli' is mirroring Vivi's expressions in these four photos of her 6th birthday. Our three little girls are turning Six this year!!

UPDATE: So, I'm buying Caroline's birthday card today to put in the mail and I think "she's seven....I think I put six on the blog." Yup I want them to still be six. Seven seems sooooo grown up!