Best News of All!!!

Of course the best news of the weekend is that Tal and Anita are ENGAGED!  We are absolutely over the moon and can't wait for pictures and "the written word" on that momentous event in our lives. I've been dying to talk to ya'll, but Tal made me promise that I'd wait until he had told everyone personally! I'm pretty sure that everyone knows now, so let's talk!

What a wild, wonderful idea to go to Maine and pop the question at the first rays of morning light in North America!  Congratulations you two. We couldn't be happier! We need pictures!!!

Star Valley Jamboree!

My cousin VerNon, his wife Annette, their son Gary (who is a professional photographer) and his wife Belinda, who is due with #4 in July and their little guy Toby traveled in tandem to Star Valley to take pictures of the old homesteads, relatives homes, Grandpa Clark's dry farm and Uncle Wilford's 500 acre farm.  We got "the new house" that Grampa and Grandma Clark built with their own hands and where Grandma Ida lived for about a year before she died with her two babies, Byron and Gerald!  We are putting all the pictures on a CD for the reunion so I won't spoil the surprise, but here are just a few shots of our adventure.  The girls will recognize some of this from our MFME trip! 

I can't wait for you to hear my cousin Nada yodel!  She is an extraordinary pianist...ala Grandma J. 

The barn where Grandma J milked cows a thousand times!

Jess and Belinda

Rama's Wedding Center!

The original man and wife who joined the church in Switzerland: Samuel Weber and Verena Goldenburger Weber.  They had 13 children...lost five! 

 

Here is the "new house" where Grandma died. Cots were lined up in the "parlor" and they carried them out as they died in the flu epidemic of 1920!

The "old house" has been torn down but sat right across the street here by these barns that still sit in the same spot. In fact these are the original barns remodeled!

 

These are two of the most beautiful gravestones I've ever seen. Look at this shawl drapped over the side!

Anita, do these hills above the cemetery look like Switzerland or what?  The camera really doesn't do the green justice. It is a gorgeous place to "wake up" on resurrection morning! 

Here is the place that we think the little house sat where Grandma Ida grew up with the large Weber family.  It's the house that I painted!

 

To say the least, Memorial Day was certainly MEMORABLE!

Memorial Day and Grandma J's New House!

We went to Bear Lake over the Memorial Day weekend and worked hard AND had so much fun!  Eli and Julie joined us for a day and made made some awesome Chocolate chip cookies.  Lenna and Jessica joined us for a cousin and ancestor tour of the Bloomington Cemetery and Star Valley (coming next).

 

This is Grandma Jacobson who lost 5 children and walked 1000 miles across the plaines pregnant, settled Bloomington and then her husband left her for his "other wife". 

Grandma Nellie, Grandpa Freddie and their son Jay who died at 18. How we love these great ancestors who made us who we are!

Here is the creek where Grampa Jacobson was baptized:

And here is what is left of the house where Grandpa Freddie died on the front porch!  WE have no idea wht happened...well we know there was a fire!

 

BUT on a happier note, we stopped to see Grandma's J's house, which was just sold to a darling young couple. The new owner came along just as we were prowling around the house and he let us come in and take pictures. It felt so good to see it loved again!

 

This is where the fridge, freezer and closet were:

 

Living room:  NOte the "telephone holder"

How about this bathroom!!!

Front bedroom (master I think)

 

They have one little two year old.

The middle bedroom is his room!

Even the "basement" looks great!  They're making this into a laundry room!

They haven't done anything with the upstairs yet, except taken the carpet off the stairs and painted the walls!

 

All in all...although we haven't seen the money yet, we are thrilled to have this house in such good hands!  

Haven, Hogs and Horse Heaven!

Last week Dad went to St. George without me while I did some "stuff" that I had to do here.  One fun thing was my haven of dear friends in my Book Club!  We met at Marsha Richard's house in North Salt Lake just around the corner from Lenna's and we had such a fun "Surprise for your Eyes" lunch! 

Marsha thinks of everything! Note the recipes by each plate! 

Mike Preece reviewed Massacre at Mountain Meadow for us and excruciating as it was to know the awful truth, it is such a fascinating, finally really balanced account of what actually happened. About a third of the book is footnotes. I can't believe the research they put forth to make it happen, nor can I believe that it happened! 

I headed straight up to Logan to visit with Grandma and Kevan and we had a little "Costco Dinner" together. Grandma is doing so well and Kevan is too! We're so grateful that they have each other!

Next I drove on up to Bear Lake where I slept overnight at the Bamboo house and then measure the windows from shades in the living room to protect ourselves from the heat this summer. Still gotta order those!

Came home that morning, planned reunions for July 10th and 11th with the extended family and then headed for the airport, where I just realized that my car still is! 

Anyway, I flew to St. George where Dad and I slept at Looslis and headed out to grab a Harley to drive through Zion's canyon on Friday.  It was an amazing way to feel, smell, touch and see nature close up and personal...as well as fast!  We had a great time!

We stopped that the greatest Mexican Restaurant in Springdale for lunch!

The next day the Looslis came up to Kolob and we went to Horse Heaven in five fingers of the Kolob.

A great time was had by all in this amazing country!

Just a reminder:

What a great family!

Tony's Graduation!

 

Anthony Scott Carver graduated from the University of Utah last week!  He has two great job offers and is so excited to be DONE!  It was so fun to sit with the Carvers during graduation and catch up a bit on what's up with them. They are just THE BEST! Plus we had our own little cheering section. 

It was a long wait, but worth it, even though I didn't get a picture of the graduate! 

Pat and Chelsea's Cayden was as happy as a clam until we all screamed for Tony when he finally came through the line and scared him to death!  After that, he just couldn't be consoled!

Other than that everyone had a great time.  Next for the Cavers:  THE OPENING OF TONY BURGERS COMING SOON!