To Have Clothes on...or NOT....

I got quite a chuckle reading Sarah's blog, today... http://serenedesigns.blogspot.com/2010/05/just-so-were-clear.html .  It triggered a few memories...Seems, most of you when you were little...often...simply ran around...half dressed...Nothing like the PURE innocence of little ones...The closest to being that comfortable at our age, now, is staying in PAJAMAS all day!!!

Joshua - 25 July 1980

Caleb and Josh - 1981

Jennifer - 1983

Sarah - 1984

Rebekah - 1986

Abraham - 1989 

(has a lizard on his hand)

Angel - 1989

Angel - 1989

(couldn't decide which picture to put up - so I put up both) 

(smile)

Hyrum - January 1996

(Graduated from Nursery)

A Father Indeed

I posted this LDS story...entitled..."A Father Indeed"...Because, I haven't figured out how to put a You Tube WITHIN a POST...just look above this post to see it...It is from lds.org site...Garvin saw it, today...and was impressed with it...and asked me to watch it...


Wouldn't it be grand...if ALL OF FATHER'S children...would ACT UPON life's TRUEST PRINCIPLE...the ability to LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY...

Joshua and Holly....and their "5" Little Dudes...

I LOVE how Family TRADITIONS...continue onward...SIX WEEKS after we had our FIRST child (Josh)...Garvin and I took our first "Old Fashion" photo at the Yakima County Fair in Washington State...Throughout the years...we tried as often as we could to keep up the tradition...(by-the-way, that is a FAKE mustache) (but, he sure was HANDSOME!!!) (LOVE a man in UNIFORM) (smile)

Josh and Holly just sent this picture of their newest

"Old Fashion" family photo.

I LOVED how Josh commented on this photo:

"if you only knew how long it took to get this one"

For all of us who have raised a YOUNG FAMILY or in the midst of it...we have a very good idea what it took to get this picture - but, OH...are they WORTH the EFFORT! (smile)

YESTER YEAR....1986

A few months ago, Marj, Garvin's step-mother...sent me letters and pictures we had sent them...years ago...I was THRILLED to get them...!!!!  Wasn't easy to keep a JOURNAL in those concentrated years, so rereading events I wrote to Garvin's parents...was so WONDERFUL...I scanned all the letters into my computer, today, and one day...will make sure all you children will receive copies of them...There were drawings and other little things that were with the letters...All those were scanned as well...

It will take me time...but, I am slowly SCANNING all the pictures she sent to me as well...Today, I am posting the pictures that were taken in DECEMBER 1986 while we were living in our Lynndyl, Utah home.  All YOU CHILDREN...were SO CUTE!!!! MEMORIES...such WONDERFUL MEMORIES...

 

 Abraham - 1 week old

 Caleb - 6th Birthday

Caleb - Christmas Morning

Garvin and Jenny

Children's Refrigerator and Stove

Playing house

Joshua and Caleb

"Then, FUTURE MISSIONARIES"

Josh, Caleb, Jenny, Sarah (In front)

Christmas SURPRISE

Built this CLIMBING dome in the basement of our home

Rebekah

Don't you just love her "curly" hair!

Rebekah - Christmas Morning

Rebekah undid our bed...

and climbed in

Sarah testing out the new

"Climbing Dome"

Randomness

Mother's Day - Birthday - Wedding

Life is full of celebrations...Thank goodness for such events...It is what our "memory banks" were made for...to REMEMBER...God, Family, and Country...

This past weekend, we got to celebrate "3" such events...Wish I could post all "100" pictures...but, the hardest part right now...is deciding WHICH PICTURES to show you...(smile)

WEDDING

We wanted to surprise our dear FLORIDA friends - Tom and Lynn Whitcomb, by attending their son,

Todd's, wedding reception in Layton, Utah.  We did NOT tell them we were coming.

We drove 6 1/2 hours to IDAHO FALLS on Friday - to spend the weekend with several of our children.

Our daughter, Sarah, hosted the Mother's Day weekend event.

Next day, drove another "3" hours to Layton UTAH - OH SO WORTH IT!!! 

(I did not get pictures of Debi Woods, Bill and Max Andrus or Bill's new bride)

Garvin and I with Tom and Lynn Whitcomb

Garvin and I with John and Jody Sears

Lynn Whitcomb and her mom, Joyce Christiansen

Me, Jody Sears and Tricia Gomez

Abraham and Rich Carlson

Adam Ebanks and Abraham

Rich, Christy and Annika Carlson with Jared and Angel

Christy is holding "Lillie" 

(our newest granddaughter)

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Jacob HEINER's 3rd Birthday - Sunday - 9th of May

Big Sister - Savannah watching Jacob blow out his "3" candles

Anticipation of opening up his birthday present from his parents

MOTHER'S DAY CELEBRATION

"5" of our "8" children were gathered together for this WONDERFUL DAY!

Angel with her newest child - "Lillie Anna" and her first born - Nathan

Sarah surrounded by her little ones - and hubby - Luke

"5" of our "8" children

Hyrum, Angel, Mama, Rebekah, Abraham, Sarah

All my children "spoiled" me with gifts, a poem, phone calls, hugs, and their LOVE!

PRECIOUS and FUN MOMENTS

Abraham and Sarah

Alayna HEINER

Garvin with "3" of his "4" baby girls

Left to Righ: Angel, Rebekah, and Sarah

You think it is hard getting "little children" to settle down for a picture????

Abe took the cake and began to "smash" it into Sarah's mouth....

and then...Hyrum...what can I say...he is "17"...(smile)

Jared trying to snatch the "goodies" from Sarah 

(got to love Joel sleeping through it all)

Jared getting Nathan ready for Church

Luke getting Alayna ready for church

Savannah HEINER

Joel and Rebekah GREENWAY

"Granny" with her buddy - Joseph HEINER

Abraham and Rebekah "wrestling"

 "Papa" and baby Lillie DAY

"The End"

The Living Saga of Garvin Smith - Are you Dying to Read It? Part 13

Okay Greg, you asked for it.
AND I promised an update after my last treatment so here it is:
The treatment was a breeze (or so I thought).
There were no ill side effects . . . initially.
However, the side effects appear to be somewhat delayed this time.
I was not fatigued initially. But by Monday I was more tired than usual. Overall not bad though. The first time I was wasted. This time I was only slightly weakened.
The first time I had bad constipation. This time I used preemptive measures: eating prunes and drinking large amounts of prune juice. However, by today the constipation is getting worse. I let up on the prunes and now I am plugging up!
Today, for the first time I'm starting to get sores in my mouth again. Tomorrow at my Rituxan treatment I'll ask for more medication to stop the sores.

Overall I'm doing much better, thanks to the blessings of the Lord in answer to all of your prayers. This might be an example of Luke 18: 1 - 5; and the parable of the unjust judge:
"And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."

I will have four more Rituxan treatements over the next four weeks, and, if things look good, I will have another PET (positron emission tomography - Google it!) scan, and, if things look real good, we could reduce the number of treatments!

Thank you all for your concern and prayers on my behalf. Father has taught me much about charity through your example. My heart is still harder than it should be, but, much softer than it was. But believe me, I'm not going to seek for any more dramatic spiritual progress any time soon!

More to come . . .

The 'Original' - "Holy Griddle" Has a New HOME!!!

Yesterday, Garvin's dream and prayers have been answered...(seems he is on a roll in regards to the answering of his prayers...but, this one was a DELIGHTFUL reply...) (smile) He found a "home" for the "Holy Griddle"...Not only was the "griddle" released from the "storage unit" YESTERDAY, as well, but, Garvin bought a USED "3" year old trailer...that a "retired" man was selling...Seems this man RETIRED and decided in his retirement he would buy himself a RACE CAR...which of course, needed a "trailer"...After ONE YEAR, his WIFE...said..."Enough, get rid of it all!"...That was to be Garvin's fortunate moment...(smile)  I took pictures so that you all can see how Garvin's prayers were answered...He is one HAPPY CAMPER!!! Also, for once, the PRICE WAS RIGHT!!! Got a GREAT DEAL...and your know how Garvin loves to make "deals"...(smile)

He plans on BUILDING SHELVES and such for all the griddle gear...Plus, his camping and KITCHEN stuff...It, also, had the super "axle" he wanted, etc. (trailer was built in Ogden, Utah)  He showed me...where we can SLEEP...when we need to take the "griddle" places...(smile) You got to hand it to him...he has it ALL PLANNED OUT...(smile)