Clara's first

Kerry and I have been lucky enough to be to the first birthday of each of our grandchildren and so we made plans to be to Clara's as well. We flew to Kansas on the Friday before her birthday to be with them. We haven't been around Clara as much as the others including Nora because last year was wild and crazy for us. As a result she doesn't know us at all, and was very shy while we were there.

She got into opening her gifts as long as we watched and didn't make a big deal about it.
Grandma Pat thought of Nora as well and sent this stuffed "Lady" so she didn't feel left out.
The Gordon's sent this cute little dress to her.
She seemed to love the animal farm that we gave her, so did Nora thank goodness they pretty well together!
Daddy knows how to make her smile and laugh.
The morning of her birthday she woke up with quite a fever and didn't feel well at all. Cydney canceled her party because she didn't want to expose the kids invited to something. She spent quite awhile just snuggling with her mommy.
Nora is a natural born entertainer! She is a beauty as well. She acts more like a four year old than a 2 1/2 year old.
The mall close to them has a carousel in it so we went and let the girls go for a ride, this was Clara's first ride. As we did some shopping Clara let me carry her through the store for awhile and I was grateful she warmed me up that much anyway, small steps...
Cyd is busy putting projects together for Nora to keep her learning and loving learning, she is quite a perfectionist about her projects.
It was fun to be with them even if it was a quick trip there and back.

Anniversary Tradition

We arrived home from Honolulu on the 17th, several days after our anniversary these were on the table waiting for me when I got home. I keep telling him that he shouldn't keep doing this since we are traveling and the cost of the flowers is crazy but he just doesn't listen. They are beautiful. He caught me smelling them in the afternoon and when I looked at him he had a big grin on his face.

Hawaiian Delights

I have posted so much about Hawaii and specific dates I thought this time that I would just show pictures of the trip in favorite mode.

While we were there the moon reached a full moon status and it was beautiful to walk in and enjoy from our lanai.
Because of the winter months the waves on the North Shore are pretty spectacular. They had been much higher than this during the week but even this Saturday they were not letting swimmers in the water and only experienced surfers could go in. The life guards were riding wave runners up and down the coastline watching people and they were a lot of fun to watch go through the high surf.
The high surf has really been hard on my favorite beach the sand was mostly gone. And we didn't even see a turtle during the time that we watched.
Look at the spray coming off of those waves.
This is Sharks Cove were Kerry likes to dive and snorkel but the waves were so intense there was no way either could be done on this day.
On our whale watch we saw a few at quite a distance, this picture is taken through Kerry's more powerful scope, he actually saw more than I did just watching. We decided that we really lucked out on our first two visits to Lanai Lookout and saw the whale shows that we did.
I thought this was an awesome picture of the Lookout.
Another beautiful sunset-time with Kerry

Another beautiful trip to Paradise. It had felt like home but now more of a vacation spot again.

80 Years Young

Pat Stevenson "Grandma Pat"

This poem was written for her by her friends in the WOW group (Widows of the Wasatch)

Pat Ooh Pat, how did you get where you're at?

Eighty years young

You inspire us all

Happy birthday's been sung

So let's have a ball!

We have a list....eighty items in all

It's the "we love Pat list"

We think you're a doll.

It's a list of your talents

There are too many to count

So we stopped at eighty

Your birthday amount!

I have talents one through ten

So I guess that I'll begin

1.  Jacks sweetheart

2.  Wonderful mom

3.  Grandma of 9

4.  Great Grandma of 10

5. You're a great example.

6. Slope loving skier

7.  Credit card Diva

8.  Hard work believer

9.  Premiere primary teacher

10.  If a friend has a problem...you can reach her.

Now I get to give 11-20

The accolades are piling up...you certainly have plenty

11.  Creative

12.  Gardening genius

13.  Seamstress superior

12.  Decorator Interior

13.  Great friend

14.  Sign maker extraordinaire

15.  Very sophisticated with your short, white hair

16.  Queen of short

17.  Mormon Momma, a queen to be

18.  Pottery painter

19.  Own home lodger

20.  Definitely a mushroom dodger

(numbered as in the paper I received!)

Twenty one through thirty.  It's my turn...yay!

I hope these next ten will make your day.

21.  Cross country Grandma

22.  Sewing super woman

23.  Shopping Diva

24.  Church "Beliva"

25.  Inspirational

26.  Terrific talents

27.  On the sloped you keep your balance

28.  Super mom

29.  Rock mover

30.  Party groover!

Oh boy, I get thirty-one to forty to share

I hope this lets you know how much we care!

31.  Wonderful wife

32.  Cake maker

33.  Loyal

34.  Vacation taker

35.  Chocolate hater

36.  Ageless

37.  Luminous

38.  Personality plus

39.  Traveled to Tunisia

40.  Worries about old timers amnesia

I have forty-one to fifty

Have you figured out we think you're nifty?

41.  Generous

42.  Kind

43.  Tree planter

44.  Balloon wearer

45.  Non swearer

46.  Head honcho of Stevenson clan

47.  twenty three long years without her man!

48.  Basket ball impresario...not

49.  Sixty years since you tied the knot

50.  Attitude of gratitude you've got!

Fifty one to sixty...this is getting long

We're sure glad to the WOW's you belong

51.  Radical Republican

52.  Racy lady

53.  Heavenly human

54.  Great shopper

55.  Never been a name dropper

56.  Woman of substance

57.  Woman of wisdom

58.  Woman of charity

59.  Woman who can do anything

60.  Who solves problems with clarity

Sixty one through seventy that's what's coming next

Would you prefer I send these by text?

61.  Flowering tree lover

62.  Handled well the loss of her brother

63.  Can tackle any task and do it well.

64.  You know sinning will lead you to....

65.  Eighty going on fifty

66. Still learning to be thrifty

67.  Two sisters who love you

68.  Helped care for your mother

69.  We think you're terrific

70.  There is no other!

Seventy one to eighty that's terrific

Let's hope your talent list is very specific!

71.  Fixes anything inside or out

72.  Maybe plumbing isn't your thing

73.  But you can put up drywall and

install a swing.

74.  Terril's mom

75.  Shauna's mom

76.  Then there's Kerry, Joel, and Drew

77.  they love their mom

78.  We do too

79.  Our lives are better because of you

80.  You're a class act...and that is true!

Pat oh Pat, how did you get where you're at

The answer for us is quite clear.

You developed your talents and with dignity shared them

That's why we honor you here!

 Her WOW friends have done a very good job describing her we all love her very much.

Romantic Dinner on the Beach

Kerry asked people for suggestions from people he works with for a really nice place to celebrate our anniversary. First we started by going to see a movie, Sherlock Holmes, and then caught a bus back to the hotel and then to this restaurant for dinner. The name of the restaurant is Hau Tree Lanai. It is literally underneath a Hau Tree on a lanai that has been groomed to cover the seating area. We were there early enough that we got a really nice table with a great view, even though we had to duck under limbs to get there.

We were right along the beach with a great view for the sunset.

Another beautiful Hawaiian sunset

The food was really wonderful even though it was quite pricey.

The Hau Tree is really close to the base of Diamond Head and this is the view looking back to the city. Even though it isn't a very clear picture it gives perspective to where we were.

From here we walked back to our hotel along the waterfront and walked slowly hand in hand in the light of the full moon. It was a beautiful evening.

33 Years

34 years ago I met the shyest guy I had ever met in my life! I cooked for his apartment for a few months during my sophomore year at BYU and getting him to talk to me was one of my challenges. I didn't cook for them for very long because I was spending to much time doing that and as a result not studying enough. However, as a result of this challenge Kerry and I became friends. How grateful I am for that friendship and how it has progressed over the years, of course there is more than a friendship now but the friendship remains. And now we celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary, wow!

I love this man!

I love being with this man.

Happy Anniversary Sweetheart!

My Old Friend

I was walking down the Ala Wai canal today in Honolulu I put my ipod shuffle on and started to feel the rhythm of the music. It's funny in the seventies I liked the group Chicago a little but as I walk I find that their music is great for pacing me. I have tried other music and talks but the hits of Chicago seems to motivate me the most. It was a bright and sunny day and as I fell into a rhythm of walking I found that I had met an old friend, the music was good, the trade winds were wonderfully pushing and pulling me a long and there "I" was, feeling good, feeling strong, feeling happy. I missed that friend over the last few months. It felt good!