My trip in pictures

Last month, Allison and Ryan graduated from BYU!  Woo Hoo!!  Allison got a Bachelor's in Interdisciplinary Humanities and Ryan in Advertising.  They are still waiting to hear about final offers on jobs and internships, so we are staying tuned for that.    (This is my 2nd time in Utah this month.  The visit I DID NOT trip over my suitcase and get a gnarly black eye!  Doing that once is quite enough, thank you!) This is where I got to go to 2 graduation parties; see my daughters' in-laws; help Ashley and Brandon with a little yard work, and have dinner with John's sisters, Valerie and Joni and Joni's daughter, Kami at Olive Garden.  (No pictures available for any of that fun stuff.) 

Here is a photo journal of the rest of the stuff I captured on my phone...

While I was staying at Alli and Ryan's, we packed up most of her kitchen on Friday morning. Since the kitchen was packed by lunch time, we had to make an alternate plan.  Luckily, Costa Vida isn't far away, and they take orders over the internet, so we were able to go to the front of the very long line and pick up our yummy food!   

Right after graduation, there was a huge rain storm, but we managed to snap a picture or two before the downpour.   I'm so proud of these two for working hard to achieve this goal!  (I know this picture is a little blurry, but it is really good of the 3 of us.  Just overlook the fuzziness)

Since Allison and Ryan are married, they got to walk in the same commencement in the DeJong Concert Hall.  Much smaller than the Marriot Center where Allison was originally going to walk.  The size of the room got the better of us though.  We didn't get there soon enough to get into the actual room, so we had to go to an overflow hall.  We watched graduation on a video screen.  It was all good until right before Allison's name was called.  Carter filled his pants, and needed to be taken out very badly.  While Chelsie was taking care of that, it was Alli's turn.  Just as they called her name and she started across the stage, the woman directly in front of me stood up to leave, totally blocking my view!  I couldn't believe it!!!  I darted back and forth, trying to see, and wasn't very successful.  Luckily, one of their friend's family member caught a good picture of her receiving her diploma!  What luck I seem to have!!  And poor Chelsie missed the whole thing.

On Thursday, Carter and Chelsie picked me up from the airport, and before we headed down to Provo, we hung out in Salt Lake for a few hours until Dallin got off work.  We spent a little of that time at the park around the corner from Chelsie's house.  How cool is it that they have trucks in the sandpit just waiting for little ones to come play with them.  Carter, of course, loves it.

After graduation, we went back to Alli's and met up with the Peay boys.  Ashley and Brandon went to a wedding dinner south of Provo, so instead of putting the boys through the torture of sitting through that, we kept them and fed them dinner and had a movie party.  We watched UP, which had the very same effect on me the 2nd time as the first time I watched it - tears.  Tears for Carl and Ellie and their sweet relationship, and tears for Russell, who just wants to find a place to belong, and someone to belong to.  It is very fun to have all 4 boys together!  They have a good time with each other.  I love Carter's expression in this picture!!  He looks a little bewildered with the whole photo process and the cheesey smiles it brings out in the other boys.  His day will come, to be sure!

It was purely coincidental, but we were the denim girls at graduation.  I'm sure one of us would have changed into something different, but we were both dressing out of our suitcases, and didn't have a lot of choices.

I played a game of basketball with T2 and then T1.  T2 doesn't dribble and wouldn't let me block him.  T1 practices a LOT and also tends to make up a rule or two as the game progresses.  Suffice to say, this grandma didn't have a chance.   I am CC in both pictures, which stands for Cleveland Caveliers.   Just to be sure I knew that, they both were quick to tell me I was not very good at this game! Don't you worry, though,  I got my revenge at Chutes and Ladders.

Between him not feeling well as my black eye on my last visit, this guy didn't have much to do with me.  This trip told a different story, and we were great buds.   But I didn't have to tell you that, you can see it in the picture!  He even called me "grandma"!

It is VERY difficult to get just a regular picture with these boys.  As you can see, they have a few tricks up their sleeves when the camera comes out.

I don't think I got one picture of Ashley last trip, so I warned her that I wanted at least one this time.  We almost didn't get it done, but risked getting in trouble at the airport curb to snap this selfie.  (John asked me if I wore anything else on the trip but my jean jacket and gold sweater.  I assured him I did, despite zero pictures to back up my claim.  I do tend to pack a little lightly most of the time.)


This was a crazy, busy trip, but I loved every minute of it!  I'm so glad I got to be at graduation, despite the malfunction at the ceremony, and love that I got to spend time with all 3 girls and their families.  There is never enough time to get it all done, but I gave it my best shot!  I am not disappointed with the way it turned out!  Can't wait for the next one!!!

Off I go...

A long anticipated trip is on my horizon.  Bright and early tomorrow morning, I head off to spend about 10 days with these three little cuties and their mom and dad.  I get to help them with final preparations for their big move down under!  I am over the moon to spend Halloween with them.  I may have already mentioned that!! :)  Man, I will miss them while they are gone!!

 I will spend a day or so in Utah and the back end of my trip and will hopefully get take these two big cuties out to dinner at the very least.  (I hope they have caught up on their rest!  :)

Here is a quick update on other happenings around our parts...

- Kristin got her driver's permit on Tuesday.  She is happy to drive anywhere, anytime.  She is at your service.

- Trevor tries out for the 8th Grade Basketball team this week.

- John continues his battle to create a paperless office.

- I put in an application to be on the local school board.  It is an appointment, so no campaigning is involved!  Yes!!  There are 4 other people who have also applied.  We'll see how it all plays out.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

A lesson learned a little too well...Day 12

Some of you may remember this post wherein I told of the great lesson I learned to live in the moment and not always try to capture it on the camera.  Well, I am here to tell you, there must be a happy medium somewhere, but I have yet to find it.  

There are ZERO pictures from Allison and Ryan's open house because I DIDN'T TAKE ANY!!  Really! None of the dessert table.  None of Alli and Ryan chatting with some of the guests. None of the present table, or the Mexican banner strung along the bottom of the deck, or my 3 friends who slaved in the kitchen to keep things organized, or Ryan's parents who traveled from Southern California to be here, and, you guessed it, none of the beautiful flowers my friend, Roberta, put together!!  AAUUGGHH!!!  I am so sad about this!

The best I can do is show this picture of the lanterns the girls made for the trees.  This is actually the day after the Open House, when we lit them.  Logistically, we just couldn't work out getting them lit for the actual event.  I know - Lame!!  And truly, this picture doesn't do them any justice, but you will have to take my word, they are charming, and will be perfect next time we need them.

Here is a sweet little moment from my day.  As I was cooking the usual Saturday night hamburgers, I noticed a bird on the edge of this lantern.  The bird kept dipping into it as if it was eating, but all I can figure is that there is water in there from our recent rain, and it was getting a little liquid refreshment.





I decided that this moment is one benefit of my blogging experiment...I notice little things like this and run to get my camera.  I truly had to run Trevor over as I was getting it.  It was not my finest moment. :)

30 days, 30 pictures, 30 posts

In a valiant effort to get back on the blogging horse, I'm posting 30 posts/30 pictures in 30 days.  It may be a failed experiment, but if one doesn't try, one won't know if something will work, will one???

So here's to a new blogging day, and we must start with the big event of the Summer...

Allison and Ryan's wedding!!!

The beautiful Newport Beach Temple was the place, August 10th was the day, and it was all a wonderful and fun experience.  There will no doubt be more pictures from the trip, but here are two of the happy couple.  (The top one is my favorite!!)

How did he do this???

A beautiful bride, and a handsome groom.

Here are a few more tidbits of info...

-Everyone from our family was able to come except Brandon, T1 and T2.  (You guys were missed!!!)

-Grandma Sollenbarger came to California for the big event, as did Shannon and Steven.

-I made Allison's dress from 2 patterns and a picture off the internet

-Their reception in California was a Mexican Fiesta!!  Ole!

-It was wonderful to have 3 of our daughters, and 2 sons-in-law in the sealing room.

-We had a simple open house in Lewiston after Ryan and Allison got back from their honeymoon cruise. 

Now the newlyweds are getting settled into their apartment and getting ready to start classes next week!

We couldn't be happier, (nor could they, I think!!) 

Fourteen Things to Note (plus one more)

My victorious candle extinguishing job!  There aren't 50 candles, but there were enough!  (Note the Scrabble tiles in the foreground!  My opponents probably let me win since it was my birthday!  NOT!! :)

Our picture perfect turkey on Thanksgiving!  Too bad we couldn't eat it right away, as my new meat thermometer did me wrong and it wasn't cooked all the way.  Luckily, we had turkey #1 at the ready.  And it was cooked!

Dallin is always up for a project!  He hung these fabric covered boards for me above the stairs.  I love, love them!

We took a hike down by Hell's Gate State Park.  It was a drizzly day, and thankfully the rain held off until we made it back to the car.  We made it to the top and had a lovely view of the river, and Tammany Creek Road.

We spied this majestic creature on our way down.  He didn't stick around long after  he spied us.

I truly think this is the largest tumbleweed I have ever seen!!!

The girls' Hobbit House

The boys' Male Mansion.  May I introduce you to Ryan?  He's the male on the right.   He came to visit for a few days before heading home for Christmas.  ( He mainly came to visit Alli, but he was a good sport and hung out with the rest of us also.  :)

The Male Mansion is full of all things "male".  We just have to use our imagination to see them.   See the sign on the Hobbit House? It says "No admittance except on party business."

Alli's 21st Birthday!  Strawberry Rhubarb and Banana Cream Pie!!

At Locomotive Park.  Cold but very pretty!  

Christmas morning post-present opening

The puzzle project, completed.  You can't tell, but the puzzle pieces are made up of tiny pictures!  It was hard, but the crew worked diligently and completed it in a few days.

A portion of the Grinch quilt.  My goal was to finish it before Christmas, so while Alli and Kristin made the Clam Chowder for Christmas Eve dinner, I finished the binding!  I LOVE this quilt.  It may be one of the top 3 favorites I have made.  (One of the many things I love about it is the pearl cotton I used to quilt it.  I think the bigger stitches suit this quilt perfectly.)

I couldn't resist including a picture of the whole quilt!   I think I will have to talk myself out of keeping it out all year!!
That is how much I love it!!

An ode to Allison

Okay, not really an ode, but the next best thing. A post all about Alli!

After Allison did this at the end of May...



















...she spent the summer -

- Working at Taco Time (No photo available)

- Playing at the river














-


-Getting her Young Womenhood Recognition

















- and finally, going off to college.






She was ready, she pretty much hasn't looked back, and she loves the college life.






She did take a break from Social life/School work and help Sena plan a bridal shower for her sister, Chelsie at Thanksgiving.














And most important of all, she turned 19!!! Where in the world did those 19 years go???














She has been a busy girl. Getting to know new people has given her all kinds of opportunities. Who knew she would hang out with a group of people who take her hiking, and who knew she would take a snow boarding class and love doing both of those outdoorsy type activities!

And just because she's so darn cute, here are a few more pictures of her with her friend, Erin, and family.

We love you Alli, and miss you, but wouldn't want you to be anywhere else!


































(Anyone know how to get rid of the underlining? This was not for emphasis, just an errant typing snafoo!!!)

Graduation Day

We knew it was coming, but who knew it would get here so quickly!!!
Allison, who has had a case of senioritis for many months, finally was
put out of her misery when she graduated on May 30th! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

The day before graduation, there was an open house to celebrate all of her accomplishments and wish her good luck. Cupcakes were the order of the day,
and we had plenty (thank you Grandma Solly!!! :-) Also, guests had the choice of different frostings and toppings. YUM! It was a pretty, and tasty treat. Grandma and Grandpa Rietz came to celebrate, as well, as Aunt Dawn and Grandma Solly (already mentioned above.)


Graduation day dawned and after a morning at church, it was time to head to the events center to grab our seats. We sat in just about the right spot, and had a great view of Allison receiving her diploma. She and Sheri, a woman from our ward, and a school board member are a little blurry, but its clear enough to know what it means!!! No more High School! On to bigger and better things.


Becky, Allison, Chelsie and Kaitlyn all marched in together. You can't see their feet in any of the pictures, but if you could, you would have seen them wearing these sweet shoes. Beautiful!














So, here's a memorable part of the day...
We were sitting in the events center waiting for the ceremony to start, and waiting for two friends who said they were coming. (That should have made me suspicious, who wants to go to someone's graduation who is not part of your family??? :-) Anyway, we were sitting there, and I happened to turn around, and who do I see coming down the stairs? Its our own Chelsie. In living color!!! Close behind was Dallin, who flew her up to Seattle for the weekend. They also spent a little time in Coeur d'Alene with members of his family, and then showed up at Graduation! It was a wonderful surprise, to say the least.








When asked for quote about her graduation weekend, Allison had this to say. "Yay!" Profound, don't you think?