It has been almost a year since I posted.  Our sweet mother, Afton passed away on March 15th,  it was sad to say good by for a while, but it was a real blessing for her.  She had gotten really miserable and weak and it was hard to keep her comfortable.  I am posting a picture of most of our family on the day she got buried.

She was 102 years old and lived an amazing life.  I have some funny stories about her I will try to write.  In 1977 we took Afton with us to California.  We were at Knotts Berry Farm and there was an upside down roller coaster.  I was not going to ride on it, but all of a sudden Afton was in lime.  I thought I better be brave enough to ride if she was.    So I got on the ride and kept my eyes closed the whole time.  I learned that day that she had an adventurous spirit and loved to travel and try new things.  I didn't even know that about her until that day because she was always home taking care of the people she loved.  She didn't ever travel very much.  Another time we were having Harding family pictures.  When she came to pick Dennis and I up, I was trying to fix my hair.  I had a perm and cut that day and it was horrible.  The lady had given me such a horrible perm that she just sent me home.  Before I knew it Afton was on the phone telling the beauty shop off.  I was so embarrassed, but I knew right then I had an advocate.  Well I won't go on and on, but she was one of the kindest most caring person I have known.  I was lucky to have the best mother in law in the world.

This week I have had some thoughts in my mind I just cannot get rid of.  A little over four years ago my sister  (she was 48) committed suicide.  It has been  something I can never understand.  This week we had a neighbor's son commit suicide.  He did it in the same way Lori did.  I felt so bad for the family and cannot even comprehend how bad his parents feel.  Not only that it brought every feeling I had four years ago to the surface again.  Another neighbor started an internet discussion about suicide.  She believed that the topic should be brought out in the open and discussed.  She is correct, but I can understand how much shock the family is in right now.  I could not even speak at first.  I could not even talk to the people I was closest to for  a while.  I just needed time to absorb it and figure out what I needed to do.  I knew I had a funeral to plan, her house to take care of and on and on.  It just takes some time to pull yourself somewhat together.  When I was notified my whole body reacted.  I almost fell to my knees in the middle of the street.  I thought I was doing really well and until all the feelings came back this week.  But the reality is we live in a beautiful world, surrounded by people that we love and that love us.  I find joy in this world.  Of course I am sad sometimes and we all go through really hard things, but we just have to remember we have a loving Heavenly Father that has given us beauty, peace, and people to love.

In February we were lucky and got to go to Disneyland with the Tew family.  It was really fun.  Disneyland has been celebrating their 60th birthday and has been crowded.  It doesn't matter I still love being there.

I have not posted for a while.  Taking care of two mothers (one just turned 102)and the other is 93.  It is lots of work when I have Afton (102) with us.  She had her 102 birthday.  She has a lot of anxiety and some pain so it is hard to keep her happy and peaceful.  It breaks my heart to watch her body fail.  Here are some pictures.  This is her nephew James Pinegar.  He came to visit her on her birthday.  It is amazing that she is still here. Afton was born in 1914.  When you take a look at history it is hard to believe what she has experienced in her life time.

Ok It has been a busy six weeks.  My graduation, our family trip to Disney Land, Dennis had surgery, Stratton was baptized and Jeremiah  left for his mission to Uganda.  That is why I have been so horrible about keeping my history blog up.  Really it has been an amazing few weeks and I have loved every minute of it!  Now I am back in to the mess of life.  Taking care of Grandma Harding right now and my mother.  Dementia is depressing and difficult and they both have it in the extreme!

Recent events.  Mom turned 93 and at her birthday pulled her dentures out and along with her dentures the tooth that held her partial plate in.  It was sad and she had to have the roots removed.  She was brave, but was on a soft diet for a few days.  To top that off Afton is with us right now.  She has had a bladder infection and is 101 (what does that tell you)  It has been an eventual few weeks.  The big event for me is I finally graduated from BYU.  Here are the pictures.  What did I learn from all this.  Be patient and you can take a little lady to the bathroom 100 times in a day.  When your little mom starts to shake after the dentist, feed her a shake.  The sugar can work wonders.  And the third things is never think it is too late to accomplish a worthwhile goal. Go for it!

Today was Stratton's Sunday birthday.  He organized it completely.  He wanted breakfast for dinner, he wanted money and he left me a note that he wanted one 20 two tens and four fives.  He also wanted a Baskin Robbins ice cream stack with his candle on the top.  He was really cute.  It was fun, I knew exactly what he wanted and it made it easy.  What did I learn the last couple of days.  I am not as patient as I want to be and I need to work on it. The Grandma's sometimes try my patience.  I will write about that later (maybe) we are in swimming suits because they played water kick ball.

W

What has life taught me today?  Today was a rough day with Afton.  She had a lady come bath her she acted out all day.  It was a struggle because with mom because she is recovering from a tooth incident.  When she pulled her dentures out on Sunday she pulled a tooth out with them.  The roots of the tooth stayed in and the tooth was an anchor for her dentures.  She had to have the roots pulled and her dentures fixed.  It has just been a rough couple of days with her.  So what do I learn, Suck it up and get through the situations and be happy and positive.  It only makes it worse if you walk around feeling sorry for yourself.  I started to think my theme should be let it go.  Meaning do the best you can, work as hard as you can, and then forget about the little hard stuff in live. Let it Go and enjoy the fun and good in life, and have a sense of humor!

Fun with some of our kids at Stadium of Fire!

I am still trying to catch up on my blogging.  It is just a good history of our lives.  I will just try to show what has been going on in pictures.

I am still taking care of the Grandmas.  This is Mom. 

Mom is turning 93 i about a week and a half.  Below is Afton .  She is 101. I never thought that I would be caring for them this long.  They are both pretty cute!

I am really loosing it with my blog.  I have been finishing up my degree and really busy the last several months.  Guess what I finished.  I am graduated!  I started BYU in 1967 and now here is is 48 years later and I am graduating.  I am excited and thankful that I could keep my mind alert enough to take finals and finish classes.  I need to catch up.  I will try to post some pictures of the last few months. 

Basically birthdays and baptisms.  Adaline and Hailey.  Wonderful days!

I have some pictures from Lorie's wedding.  She was one of the happiest brides I have ever seen-Also a few pictures of December.

Beautiful Bride- Happy Day

Christmas Eve Mexican Food.  We have our big crab dinner on Christmas Dinner and eat out for Mexican food on Christmas night.  Great tradition!

Live Nativity.  So fun, peaceful, and a reminder of why we are celebrating the season.

Wendy and Chandlers Birthday party.  Do you love the cake.  Chandler wanted strawberry shortcake and Wendy likes strawberry cake.  

We have had a great February so far-  Addie's baptism, Emma and Grandma Hardings birthdays, Grandma Harding 101  Birthday.  It was great.  Here are pictures.

Bingo on a Sunday  evening.  It is a fun family tradition.  Everyone wins!!!

I have not posted for a few months.  It has been really busy.  November was busy with Thanksgiving and my birthday.  It was great.  Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it makes you pause and think about how blessed you are and be thankful.  You just think about being thankful all month.  We should have thankful thoughts all year as often as we have them in November and who doesn't their birthday.  (even if they are getting really old)

Top picture is my birthday dinner, middle is my birthday cake, and the third is my birthday present from Dennis.  Great fun.

This summer was the year of the fron yard for Dennis and I.  The winter was hard.  Our shrubs along the fron porch died, as well as our rose bushes.  It was pretty horrible but with Rebecca and the boys we pulled everything out and started over.  We didn't get our flowers in until Jully.  Yes we were really late, but now in October they look pretty good.  Dennis designed it.  Here is the fall result.

Gosh, I love my Grandkids.  They always make me happy.  When I see them my whole day becomes bright.  I am sure every grandparent feels the same.  I would have to say that I have not had the easiest few years.  We are helping to take care of both of our mothers.  My Mom is 92 and has had Dementia seriously for about four years.  And what I mean by serious we dress her in the morning and undress her at night.  I bring her breakfast every morning and give her medication.  It is difficult. Dennis' mom is five months away from being 101.  She is blind and has dementia caused by strokes.  But my Grandkids make me happy and make anything hard of little consequence.  Here is a note Savannah left  me last week. She also left one for everyone in the office.

 I kept it there for days It made my day.

I spent this weekend tending Jeremy and Trixy's darling girls.  I loved having them around,  They are sweet and I hope Jeremy and Trixy never forget how sweet and good they are.  Not a fight the whole time, cute and kind.  I loved it.  Here are some pictures.  They seem to all be of Tycee- I guess that Hailey and Kiya didn't quit moving long enough to get pictures.

On 9-11 we attended the BYU Game.  It was a great game and they did a special program to remember 9-11.  The football players held the American flag that covered the field.  They also did an amazing card message on the East side of the field.  They played a video.  It made me want to cry.  It was an amazing night.

After the program , this is how they brought us back into the game.  It was great!

Dennis and I got a little trip to St. George, a little over a week ago.  We had to deliver this truck! We saw a movie, shopped, at yummy food, and were lazy.  The pictures describe it all.

That is cactus on his plate.  He ate it!