Memorial Day Memories

Grandma Johanson invited me to go down with her to see the Manti pageant. We rode the bus down when I was 10 years old. That was the first time I ever saw it, and was a special trip that I will always remember.

When it gets closer to Memorial Day I begin to start thinking of the loved ones in my family that have passed on before me. All of us has at least someone that we miss that has left us to return to our heavenly father. I think of my Grandma Johanson especially and how much I miss and love her very much. Whenever I see the Iris flower it reminds me of her. It will always be my reminder of her and how much she meant to me and I cant wait to be with her again.

Every year as I was growing up her whole backyard was filled with beautiful flowers and Iris flowers of every color. Where there wasn't flowers, she had fruit trees. She was my favorite Grandma and she always did so much for us. The way she wrapped presents was always wrapped with her thoughtfulness, you always knew how much she loved you because of her special touch. It wasn't just a present it was her heart. She taught me a valuable lesson of giving presents to others with that thoughtfulness. I was very close to her and she was the best person on earth to me. When I was 14 years old I had written my grandma a letter. I came across this letter in my drawer a couple of months ago and it means a lot to me now. When it was getting her final days she was giving a lot of her things that she had kept back to those that it would mean something too. It is a little long but I felt I wanted to share the current events that was happening at the time about everyone in my family, Enjoy.

Dear Grandma Johanson,

Hi, How are you? I'm just fine and so is everyone else. How's everything out in Ogden? Is everything been okay? Everything out here in Clinton is just fine. My Mom's still working and I've been babysitting a lot to buy school clothes. Brett is doing fine on his paper route. Brett has eczema on his feet and has medicated cream. My mom spends a lot of time working. Tyler he's getting fatter and bigger. He can roll really good and likes to get on his knees and rock back and forth he's so funny. He also has one tooth on the bottom gum he's had it for a couple of days. Nathan's been doing really good going the bathroom on the toilet. All day he goes without one accident. He's doing really good. Tim is just fine, he likes to play Lego's and trucks. He's already picking out toys for Christmas. My dad is fine too . He's really busy in Scouts and his ankle is doing just fine. The swelling's gone down quite a bit. Me, I am busy babysitting for my aunt and mom. I'm making pretty good money, over a hundred dollars that's the highest I've ever made. I hope you and Don are getting along just fine and that you don't have any problems. If you do let us know.

The real reason I wrote is because I CARE about you. Your the sweetest Grandma anyone could ever have. Thanks so much for making us a quilt for my bed when I get married. It will help me out a lot when I get married. Every time I see it on my bed I will think of you and your thoughtfulness. I will take good care of it. Thanks for the cards and money on our birthdays. I took good care of the doll quilt and blankets and sheets for Tender love my doll.

I have them tucked away where no one will get them dirty. I will always keep them even when I get to be 50 years and older. Thanks so much for all you've done for me and my family. Hope to see you soon. I LOVE YOU!! Love Jackie

Funny week with the wildlife

These were just some ducks that were walking down the middle of the street.

This has been a funny week ... well to Me and Brian it has, I debated on whether or not I should post this on the blog, but than I thought Oh why not.

It started on last Monday when Brian just got done picking Braxton up from school, Brian decided to stop at the Clinton pond just for fun. For some reason this great big goose liked Brian and they had this little communication thing going on for quite awhile..... you know honk honk honk. This bird was very trusting and was letting Brian pet it, it followed him around wherever Brian went, They were friends!!! Brian encouraged Braxton to get close and start petting it too, but this goose didn't like anyone else and started chasing Braxton and started biting him on the legs by his feet, Not really hard but just a warning. Well Braxton of course freaked out and wanted to go to the car and leave but this goose wouldn't let Brian leave he waddled right behind him, when Brian got in the car there stood the goose in the parking lot right by the door not wanting him to leave.

Today when we were returning back to Brian's house after being over to the house for awhile eating dinner with Mom and Dad there was 3 ducks in Brians yard. We have no idea where they came from but they were in the front yard, they waddled across the street when we pulled in the driveway to go get some water in the curb because the neighbors had there sprinklers going they had enough to have a bath in it. It was only 5 minutes later but than they were back in our yard, we were trying to take pictures of them with the phone. We were constantly on them every which way and they soon didnt like us the paparazzi anymore, we lost them after that. Brian said to me "I think they left the pond and found out where I lived."

Home Improvement

This weekend a few home improvements were done. Mom's flower garden looks really nice and pretty. Tim, Mom and Dad worked at it today. Regina her next door neighbor planted one of her flowers in mom's garden.

Last weekend Tim worked on the side of the house by the fence. He built up a wall around the rose bushes, It adds dept and looks really nice. I thought it would be nice to share their hard work for others to see.

Mother's Day Dinner

I came up with a fun idea what to do for my mom for Mother's day to make dinner and have a nice formal table setting. I try to think of something different every year if I can and knew just to have a day off fixing dinner was a nice gift. 

I wanted to make it simple with what I had, my gold silverware, and goblet glasses that never get used. So I pulled them out of storage, I was excited just to have a special time to use them. The pretty tulips were a gift from my sister in law AnnJillene to my mom and they worked perfect with the flowers that I had already bought for the table. I love to entertain I just need to learn how to fold napkins really elegant.

I got Braxton in on the fun I gave him the job of being my waiter boy for the evening, he refilled the drinks and cleared the plates. He did a good job, it was fun. The very first thing this morning he said to me was "Happy Mother's day mom, Mom's don't lift a finger on Mother's day, me and Dad will do all the work." I like his thinking I think he has the right idea for his future wife.

I planned just a simple meal, you can tell that I got one thing on my mind "SIMPLE" everything is simple, just a Chicken casserole and several salads very easy to please and my mom appreciated it, that was what mattered the most.