Salute to where I come from

Anyone who knows me well also knows that I’m pretty much the queen of pictures. At any event I’m at, whether I’m with my family, friends or even co-workers, I like to document it with pictures.

So, I was distressed to discover that I seem to have a serious shortage of pictures of my grandparents. While I was home for Labor Day weekend, I set out to fix this problem! I love my grandparents very much and they’ve always been an important part of my life, especially since we lived so close to both sets of grandparents. (My parents’ choice, which has benefitted me for my whole life.)

Anyway, it was my Grandma’s 88th birthday while I was home. Here we are helping her celebrate. With the cake and with the girls. Lou-Lou, on the left, is actually named after her (her middle name Louella).

My other grandparents know this grandma as well, and when they heard it was her birthday, they wanted to come wish her a happy birthday too. So, we had to get some group shots with them in it. Each family had their children have a picture with them. Since I don’t have kids, I saw with my cute little shadow, KK.

And at breakfast the next day.

I give a lot of credit to the person I am today to my parents who taught me, loved me and encouraged me to always be my best. However, they learned it from somewhere. I know at least some of it came from my  grandparents who have always lived exemplary lives … and who are the ones who taught my parents in the first place.

It’s a pleasure to have captured some important history while I was home. And it’s even better to be able to share it here.

Yellowstone National Park Trip 2012

So, I’ve returned from my favorite place once again. As always, it was a delightful trip! Not only did I get to enjoy Yellowstone’s unique features, but I was able to do so with my family, which is what makes it special in the first place.

The pace this year was a little different. At first I found it frustrating, but once I decided to roll with it, all was well. For example, never have we gone into the park and simply relaxed for the first little while. This year we did, and it was lovely! This is the Nez Pearce Creek picnic area off Fountain Flat drive. I highly recommend it.

Our second stop was not to rush out to see geysers, as it somehow normally is. We visited Lower Geyser Basin, which is a nice introduction to Yellowstone newbies (which we had several with us) because it has all four Yellowstone features: geysers, hot pools, fumaroles and mud pots.

Next, we tried something we’ve never done before: a short hike out to Mystic Falls. It was well worth our effort. The trailhead starts off Biscuit Basin, in case you’re ever there and want to try it out.

The next day featured a lot of waterfalls including Gibbon Falls, Upper and Lower Falls and Crystal Falls.

Of course visiting Upper and Lower Falls means a trip to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. It has one of my favorite hiking trails in the park: the North/South Rim Trail.

We originally planned to take some time visiting the beautiful Yellowstone Lake, but, alas, the weather didn’t cooperate, so instead we had ice cream, spent some time in the gift shops and called it a day.

Day 3: my favorite thing in the park: geysers!!

We took a very early morning hike out to see something new, Lone Star Geyser! It made us wait for about an hour and a half, but we did see it erupt. How wonderful to try something new! The cone is so impressive, standing about 8-10 feet tall.

We waited a very long time, about 3.5 hours to see our most favorite geyser, Grand, erupt, but it gave us a great show, so it was totally worth it!!

Our final stop of the evening was to see Castle Geyser. This is another one with a very impressive cone. We were delighted to discover the eruption is exciting as well.

Okay, we might’ve had ice cream one last time, but after sitting in the sun for so many hours waiting for Grand, we needed something to cool us off. See how toasty some of us look?

Can you see why this is my most favorite place? I love it and am always excited to go back! I may have been there many times, but there’s always something new to discover. We’ll see what next year’s trip brings.

Letter to an Angel

Dear Ashley,

Today is the day you would have turned 15. I can still remember the circumstances surrounding your birth, that you came earlier than expected and how your life was preserved through miraculous means. We got to keep you more than once when it seemed so likely we’d lose you … until it was your time. Then we had no choice but to let you go. We’re still comforted at the idea of the rest you’ve earned. You are at peace (and most likely at work too) in your heavenly home.

While that idea comforts me, I can still feel the hole of not having you here, especially on days like today when we would be celebrating another year of your life. How is heaven? Are you with all our ancestors up there, including both grandpas, Uncle Rulon and your cousin, Graycee?

At times when I miss you the very most, I try to do things to honor you and your memory, like running a 5K in your honor.

Or creating a shrine for you in my bedroom.

Or living my life as much as possible because I know that’s what you’d want me to do.

Our family here on earth still misses you like crazy. It was quite a period of trial and testing when we lost you, and at times it’s still really hard. But we’ve also been greatly blessed with many miracles along the way, too numerous to list here. And we’ve felt you close on more than one family occasion already with more still to look forward to.

So, beautiful angel, while you do your important work on the other side, we will continue our lives here, honoring you, remembering the great times we had with you and looking forward to the time when we get to see you again. Your life may have been short, but you still touched many people while you were here and continue to inspire others even after you’re gone.

Please know how much we love and will always miss you. Know too, dear Ashley, that we continue to hold onto our hope of the time when our family can be together again.

Love you!

Aunt Tammy

A beautiful bride

Okay, I must apologize to anybody who actually checks my blog. I seem to have taken an unofficial hiatus in the last few months, and I apologize for that. I don’t have any excuse for it except I’ve been busy and my focus has been on other areas. But I’m trying to rectify it now by writing in my blog, so bear with me.

Last week I had the opportunity to attend my dear cousin’s wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony, and I enjoyed being there with my parents and extended family. I am so excited for my cousin and her new husband. She’s the youngest of the grandkids on my mom’s side of the family and it’s great to see her take this important step in her life.

Being me of course I documented the event with pictures. Here’s a few so you can see what a great experience it was.

While we were waiting for the happy couple to come out of the temple, we took a few pictures to keep ourselves busy.

This is my mom with all of her sisters. Pretty cool, huh? Okay, maybe in the second one they told me I should get in the picture too, so I did.

The bride and groom coming out of the temple. (They were married in the Draper LDS Temple, just as an FYI.) Yes, one of them is a kissing picture, but they just got married, so they’re allowed to kiss as much as they want to.

A few family photos. Looking through what I’ve got on my computer, it looks like I didn’t get as many as I thought I did. Oh well!

At the reception

Finally, my Papa-Daddy took a few glamour shots of me in the lovely wind outside the temple.

I took one of him too . . . and then both my parents, whom I was so excited to have come.

Aren’t weddings great? I sure think so. Congrats to my cousin and her wonderful new husband! So excited for both of you!