Surprises...

I have had a few surprises that really take the cake for me. And interesting enough they were given by my daughters. Have you ever been so surprised that your mouth just hangs open? Recently my daughter Paulette talked me into flying to her in Bullhead city for a surprise that she would not tell me about. When the special night arrived, and they had kept everything from me so I could not see any advertisement, or anything. Pauli and James took me out to dinner, at a casino which was on the river edge. (I don't usually go to places like that) Dinner was very nice, and we had a picture window from celling to floor. We sat next to the glass window and watched the water Jet skis in the river below. After dinner, Pauli and I went to a concert hall, where tables were set with lit candles on them. Pauli could hardly contain herself and asked if I wanted to know what my surprise was? I said yes! She should me the banner over the stage....And it said "The Australian BEE GEE" !!! The BEE GEE are one of my very favorite singing groups, I play their music all the time. Needless to say I was bouncing up and down for a good 2 hrs. through the whole concert.

Another wonderful surprise given to me by Paulette, was the time when she schedule a day for me to spend with her. Then she drove me to someplace in Salt Lake City. There the folks were setting up model train displays. (another one of my great loves!) Even though we had came on a day when they were putting things together, I just loved it. In a way it was kind of nice because it was not crowded. I bought my first N scale train there.....I ran it under our Christmas tree, in our new house. A little later we had lunch at a "Macaroni Grill" house, which was very good. And even found a Barns and Noble next door, and enjoyed browsing time.

Pauli and Jennifer were invited to play a musical number in Sacrament Meeting in Stansbury, where James parents live. Lynn and I were invited to come and hear them play. When the time came for them to preform, they had another lady playing with them. the music was very nice and I was surprised that they could find someone who could play so well to match the way Jen and Pauli played......Music was over and we were listening to the talks starting when I received a tap on my shoulder, I turned around and to my great shock......there was Jodie... my youngest... She had flown in from Arizona, and came and played with the other two. Its real sad when you don't recognize your own children.

About 3 years ago one of the neatest gifts I received for Christmas, Was a surprise Train trip, on the Verde Canyon Railroad, spent with just Jodie and I together. It was a lot of fun. The 1st of January, and we were frozen in the air of the open car we were riding in. We would buy cups of hot chocolate just to keep our hands warm. We saw a lot of beautiful Arizona scenery. And watched Balled Eagles fly, even saw where they were building a nest on the side on the mountain. I will never forget the time spent with Jodie, on the blue diesel train, with a Eagle painted on it.

Many years ago, about 19 years, My oldest daughter wanted me to spend a Saturday with her. She wouldn't tell me where we were going, but told me to wear walking shoes, and plan on spending the whole day with her and a few of the people she works with. I figured we would be hiking somewhere at a park maybe in northern Arizona.
Launie picked me up early in the morning while it was still dark. Instead of driving north, we went south...to the airport! In about a hour we were landing in California, and looking for a bus that went to Disneyland. I had never been to Disneyland, and had wanted to go my whole life. Launie paid for everything. I remember how shocked I was, and I kept telling myself "What am I going to tell Lynn where I have been?" and that "I was out of the state" of Arizona. I usually have a good sense of direction, but I felt lost in Disneyland, and kept a close eye on Launie. I loved every minuet of it, and I have stored memories with fun recall of the day. Alot of the neet rides of that time no longer exists. Computers have taken over, and rides have been updated. As old as it is, I was surprised to see how clean the workers kept Disneyland. I have never had the privilege of going back. This was the only time for me. I cherishes every memory, with a thankful heart.

The Catfish...

Before I was in Kindergarten, I remember my brothers riding their bikes to the boat harbor in Provo, and catching a large gray catfish with their hands. They brought it back home and I found it swimming in Mom's kitchen sink. When my mother found it in her sink, she made the boys remove it. Next I found him swimming in our bathtub, but shortly afterwards I saw him in a bucket outside, still alive. He could hardly fit in the bucket. I watched him sway back and forth, and I was amazed at the long whisker's he had. I had never been so close to a live fish before. My brothers said they returned him to the river....I sure hope so.

In a land of stone...

I am visiting a land where rocks burn black without any fire! As far as I can see, I look out across this desert, and see few bushes and small grasses and rocks across the land, darken as if they may have been in a fire. I even saw a retaining wall of round rocks all black on the top and light colored on the bottom where the rocks sit on the earth. It was very strange to see... The explanation was, the sun burns the rocks and plants because in this area there is very little rain, and the temperature easily reaches 120 degrees. For me this is hard to believe that rocks can burn, but I have seen it with my own eyes in Bullhead city, Ariz. 8-30-07

A long long time ago, in a galaxy far away...

I am the youngest in my family, a girl with 4 older brothers. My youngest brother was a premature birth and died before birth, which left 11 years between myself, and my next youngest brother. When I came along I was a surprise to my mom and dad. Mom had not planed on having any more children, and had given away all the baby things. And then to top it off I was a girl. So I ended up getting new girl things.
In those days you could not tell what the baby was going to be. So when I was born Dr. Smith said to mom "You finally got what you wanted!". Dad had been at the hospital for a while, and because he had been at work, he was very tired. The Dr. said I wouldn't be coming til morning, and for him to go home. (fathers were not aloud in the delivery room at that time). He had just gotten to sleep at home, when word came that I had arrived, he had to get up go back to the hospital.
I don't know how long Mom stayed in the hospital, at least a week, as that was a length of time given to mother when I was around 5-7years old. When I had my own children the hospital stay was about 3 days. Now its one day or in and out within 24 hrs.

I don't remember a lot about those infant years.
We lived in a home in Provo Utah, that my Father had built. My brothers, Bob, Ivan, Verl all had bedrooms downstairs, and I am told they had made a darkroom under the stairway, to do photography. Mom and Dad slept up stairs, and I slept on a coutch in the front room. I remember sitting in the doorway of the front room, watching it rain, when a bright lightening bolt struck the power pole across the street, and a big fireball rolled down the wires away from our house.

We lived in this home in Provo, until about the middle of my Kindergarten year of school. Then Mom and Dad bought a brand new home in Orem Utah. I lived there until I was married in 1965.

I was born April 12, 1944 at Utah Valley Hospital in Provo Utah. I was the only one out of my siblings that was born in a Hospital.