I have to give a shout out to my wonderful sister, Jeanette, who planned and prepared a wonderful birthday for me this year. We still had company at our house from Thanksgiving, and my birthday was on a Sunday. Jeanette planned a yummy pizza dinner, and decorated the house to surprise me when I got home from church. I didn't have to do anything, but sit and eat my pizza and enjoy. Thanks to everyone for a great birthday!
Showing posts with label Marian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marian. Show all posts
Friday, January 15, 2016
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Las Vegas Trip, June 2015 (NO KIDS!)
Darren's work sent him to Las Vegas the first week of June for an HP conference. They gave him a room at the Venetian and paid for his airfare and his food. How could I not tag along? Mom came and watched the kids (she really is a saint) and off we went. I loved the fancy room and the fancy bathroom and the fancy ceilings in the fancy hotel. We walked around and saw other fancy things in other hotels and ate great food (hello Bellagio Buffet!). But my favorite day was the second day we were there. Darren had meetings all day, so I slept late, took a leisurely bath, picked up a fresh almond croissant and fresh squeezed orange juice from downstairs, and took my food and my book up to the pool. Where I sat in the sun, ate my food, and read my book. No one talked to me. No one needed anything. I did exactly what I wanted (which was not much) when I wanted (which was most the day). I put on a shirt and shorts to join Darren and a coworker for lunch at a burger place in the hotel and went back out and did the same thing until it was time to get ready for dinner. If I got too hot, I got in the pool and swam a lap or two without a child hanging on me. Then went back to my lounge chair to pick up where I left off. Pure bliss. And hanging out with Darren when he wasn't in meetings was fun, too.
You know what that is? It's a ceiling to floor chocolate waterfall. That's what I need in my house.
This is so typical Darren on a vacation - taking a gazillion photos of everything, but only 1/4 of them have actual people in them.
This is the lobby of the Venetian. Crazy beautiful.
Friday, July 24, 2015
Memorial Day Weekend, May 2015
As I looked at and edited the pictures from this trip to Ferron over Memorial Day Weekend, I was very aware of the blessings that tradition and family bring. I don't know when the Ralphs began gathering in Ferron on Memorial Day to put flowers on the graves. We have gone down as long as I can remember. Grandpa Max made sausage gravy at his house and Aunt Tauna made the biscuits at her house and we all crammed together at Grandpa and Grandma's house for breakfast. I would eat as many biscuits with gravy as I could stuff in, then one more with Grandma's homemade jam on it.
I loved when my aunts and uncles went out to the old white shed behind the house and got out the flower baskets and started cutting irises and stems of green leaves from the lilac bushes out back and stems of small white flowers for filler on the side of the house. I loved being given the chance to put a flower or two in the basket and be part of the whole process. Once at the cemetery, the kids, (myself included) were tasked with carrying the cut clothes hangers and pushing them into the ground to hold the baskets of fresh flowers and the mums, and with carrying the water buckets and making sure everything was watered well.
It is still the same, decades later. Baskets are pulled out, flowers cut (sorry about the irises, Mom!), aunts and uncles (and me!) doing our best to show the love and respect we have for the people whose graves the flowers will go on. Grandma Elaine always gets the dark purple irises Uncle Stewart brings from home. They were her favorite.
A tradition such as this one, of remembering our connections with the present and the past, help anchor us. We remember who we are and what we are a part of. Grandpa Elaine passed away when I was about 13 and I don't remember her at the cemeteries with us, but I feel her presence so strongly each year as we put together the baskets with the flowers and plants she grew at her home when she was alive. I remember Grandpa Max hoisting himself out of the car and sitting on a folding chair, overseeing the work on Grandma Elaine's grave and those of his siblings and parents. I remember Dad leading the way, sometimes with Robin or Randal or Stewart reminding him of details he missed, telling the family lineage and where the people came from and their history. I hope he continues for many, many more years so that my children can hear the stories of their ancestors. And so that we of the next generation will be able to someday tell our grandchildren the stories as we place flowers on the graves.
This year, we were lucky to have Grandma June visiting Mom and Dad. I was grateful to have her there because my kids haven't had the chance to get to know her well because Arizona is a bit of a drive from us. Eva smiled at her, Noah talked to her, and she taught Davis how to play Skip Bo (and he taught Grandpa Michael how to play when Grandpa had to take Grandma's place for a few minutes).
I loved when my aunts and uncles went out to the old white shed behind the house and got out the flower baskets and started cutting irises and stems of green leaves from the lilac bushes out back and stems of small white flowers for filler on the side of the house. I loved being given the chance to put a flower or two in the basket and be part of the whole process. Once at the cemetery, the kids, (myself included) were tasked with carrying the cut clothes hangers and pushing them into the ground to hold the baskets of fresh flowers and the mums, and with carrying the water buckets and making sure everything was watered well.
It is still the same, decades later. Baskets are pulled out, flowers cut (sorry about the irises, Mom!), aunts and uncles (and me!) doing our best to show the love and respect we have for the people whose graves the flowers will go on. Grandma Elaine always gets the dark purple irises Uncle Stewart brings from home. They were her favorite.
A tradition such as this one, of remembering our connections with the present and the past, help anchor us. We remember who we are and what we are a part of. Grandpa Elaine passed away when I was about 13 and I don't remember her at the cemeteries with us, but I feel her presence so strongly each year as we put together the baskets with the flowers and plants she grew at her home when she was alive. I remember Grandpa Max hoisting himself out of the car and sitting on a folding chair, overseeing the work on Grandma Elaine's grave and those of his siblings and parents. I remember Dad leading the way, sometimes with Robin or Randal or Stewart reminding him of details he missed, telling the family lineage and where the people came from and their history. I hope he continues for many, many more years so that my children can hear the stories of their ancestors. And so that we of the next generation will be able to someday tell our grandchildren the stories as we place flowers on the graves.
This year, we were lucky to have Grandma June visiting Mom and Dad. I was grateful to have her there because my kids haven't had the chance to get to know her well because Arizona is a bit of a drive from us. Eva smiled at her, Noah talked to her, and she taught Davis how to play Skip Bo (and he taught Grandpa Michael how to play when Grandpa had to take Grandma's place for a few minutes).
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Christmas in Ferron, 2014: Shootin', Playin', Burnin', and a little Twister
What a great Christmas. What a GREAT Christmas. The whole family was together in Ferron and I loved it.
What do you do on Christmas Eve in Ferron? Why, go shootin' out at the farm, of course! Davis was apparently a crack shooter (is that even the right saying?). Noah and James had enough quite quickly and took refuge in the car.
All the siblings and spouses after the kids went to bed. We had a rousing gift exchange game and Grandpa was the one encouraging a little competition.
What do you do on Christmas Eve in Ferron? Why, go shootin' out at the farm, of course! Davis was apparently a crack shooter (is that even the right saying?). Noah and James had enough quite quickly and took refuge in the car.
Darren
Davis
James and Noah
Marian and Noah
Noah
Grandpa, Davis, Ben
Natalie, Alex, Grandma
Christmas Eve all the boys slept downstairs on Grandma's extensive collection of twin mattresses. We heard little voices for a long time after the adults had vacated the basement. I think Jesse went down to quiet the herd after awhile.
All the siblings and spouses after the kids went to bed. We had a rousing gift exchange game and Grandpa was the one encouraging a little competition.
Christmas morning was beautiful, fun chaos. Our boys had been asking for light sabers for months, and luckily Santa got their letter and brought them some. A great big thanks to Aaron for taking our Christmas morning pictures!
These Superman pajamas that Noah got for Christmas have been worn more than any other pajamas in the history of our little family.
Grandma and Grandpa were given a wii by the Fillmore Ralphs and it kept little and big boys entertained all day Christmas and much of the next few days. The competition became fierce when Jesse, Aaron, Matt, Nic, and Darren took over the remotes.
And I just couldn't have a blog post without pics of Eva.
Max, chillin' with a gun.
The day after Christmas, it was back out to the farm to pick up wood and have a bonfire. Grandma brought out zucchini which was eaten in 2.4 seconds. Everyone loves Grandma's zucchini bread!
Breakfast at Grandma's house was no small affair.
Eva again. Because she's so cute.
We headed to Fillmore for New Year's Eve (we were still homeless, so we went where the action was). Jesse took us sledding in town and the boys could have stayed until it was too dark to see and too cold to feel, but me and Grandpa called it quits before that and took everyone with us. Back at Jesse and Natalie's home we had the greatest cracker dinner and New Year's Eve feast ever. So much great food. I could have eaten Natalie's stuffed mushrooms all night. It was fun to watch the little boys play Twister. It was even more fun to watch the adults play Twister. Well, I watched what I could see from in between arms and legs while playing. It was a great way to end 2014!
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