A Funny thing happend while Spencer was away...

Spencer went to EFY (Especially for Youth)--a youth camp for a week in Nauvoo, Illinois this week. He was kind of ticked because after we paid and had the flights he found out the golf tournament he felt sure he could win was while he is there. On a whim....SAM decides to go ahead and golf in it(remember, Sam is NOT the golfer, he's the baseball player)...and WINS 3rd place out of over 50 boys...he golfed a 43...and he took FIRST Place in the Long Drive competition (up to 16 years old) with a 270 drive. Needless to say I was a bit nervous to tell Spencer...Sam texted him and Spencer's mother AWARD WINNING text back was "Tell him I love him and GOOD JOB!" I'm going to keep that text on my phone forever. I'm equally tickled with them BOTH. Sam can't quit smiling...he just walks around saying..."can you believe that...I mean REALLY...can you believe it?" Too bad Don is in Mexico City and missed all the hoop-la.

Ragging our Hair

I had the funeral on Wednesday so I couldn't "RAG" mine this year...Megansita started this tradition YEARS ago...why the girls love it I'm not sure, but it makes for freaky cool pictures we can use to blackmail them with in the years to come.

YES!!! That IS the metal pavillion behind Joseph Smith...some dear (crazy maybe) soul sewed that "DRAPE" to make it look like the Nauvoo Temple!!!!! I was Martha...they wanted me to be Mary, the Mother of Jesus...but that just felt too wierd, so I said I had to be someone REAL who loved the Savior, I first thought of the woman taken in adultry...one of my personal favorite scripture stories about NOT JUDGING...but thought that might be a bit much for the younger girls...seeings as I get a little worked up about the Jews forgetting to bring the MAN along with her when she was supposedly taken right out of THE Bed HE was in...anyway. I LOVE Martha. I love that she spoke up for the help she needed. I loved that her Faith was the catalyst for the Savior bringing her brother back to life. What would it have been like to have been an everyday FRIEND of the Savior ---the friend He came to when he needed to rest from the throngs of the world. I want to be that kind of friend. So many miracles happend in Martha's home...and so many have happend in mine.

GIRLS CAMP

Let me just say...I LOVE the mountains, I LOVE the rolling hills, I LOVE the fireside, I LOVE the sunsets, I LOVE the sweet sweet girls, I LOVE to canoe and swim, I LOVE S'mores, I LOVE to dutch oven cook, I LOVE to lay in a tent with favorite friends and figure out our worlds until the wee hours of the morning with the girls giggling in other tents as background music .....we had a BLAST!!!!!!!!!
But I DO still love my BED inside:)

Jane Ann's funeral

I know this will sound strange to some of you...but funeral's are often my favorite church meetings. In our church they last about and hour, the family spends most of the time speaking, and the music is stirring. Everyone gets REAL about the lives they are living and perspective melts in my heart and oozes down my soul and the stupid things I worry about shed away. This funeral was no different. I loved EVERYTHING the kids had to say. And the song I helped the Grandkids with was LOVELY. I'll include the words here and just let you have a glimpse into the day. I am sad that I didn't take any at the luncheon...the church fed 150 after the grave was dedicated...the visiting was sweet and healing...and the food didn't hurt any either.

Kristine's Best Surprise

This is Joshua Butler...Dave and Kristine's BEST SURPRISE EVER!!! They have Sarah who is 21 and on her way to Peru for a mission in Septemtber. Janey who is 19 and attending BYU, Joseph who is 14 and one of the boys favorite friends, Emma (who was surprise No.1) who is 6, and now Joshua who is 1 year and as cute as cute can be!!!
I'd be mighty joyous if the same miracle could come my way...Don might die of a heart attack, but I'd nurse him back to health and keep on enjoying the JOY of it all.

Sweet Sweet Day

First of all, I walked into Walmart to get some groceries and Round Up when I see this shirt that says "INSTANTLY SLIMS YOU"..boy, someone got that marketing ploy RIGHT. I put it happily in my cart and bought the thing.

Later this afternoon I went out to help Kristine with the song all the Grandkids are going to sing at the funeral (If the Savior Stood Beside Me)...it felt so good to play the piano and have their sweet sweet voices practice singing for their GrandMom. I'm not in Primary anymore so it had been awhile since I had played and I was reminded what a pleasure it is for me.

I took the boys out with me and Don and Megan joined us later to try out GrandDad Olsen's new MAN SWING.....anyone who can swing hard enough to flip over gets his name on a plaque on the side of the pole. You will see by the pictures how NUTS this is...you can't help but start cheering them when they get close...even your body will move and thrust forward trying to help them. All the boys tried a time or two and got close...but , just as we were about to leave, Joseph said..."I'm GOING to DO IT this time"...we all believed him, and it's a good thing we did....HE DID IT!!! HE went around 22, yes 22 times once he made it over...people pulled over on the side of the street to watch....it might be a WORLD RECORD for the book of GUINESS :) Sarah his sister video'd it ...so, when she downloads it I will post it so you can see just how FREAKING AMAZING GrandDAD Olsen's "MAN SWING" is....he wants to patent it and start selling them.

I screamed so hard cheering I can barely talk...now, WHO IS THIS WOMAN? Is it the SAME woman who about died at the motorcyle boys at the rodeo? How could this be the same woman? I don't even understand it myself...but if you want to give the swing a try...call me....better yet...make it over the top and you'll get your name on the plaque!!!!

She made a DIFFERENCE in MY life XXOOXX

Jane Ann Bradford Olsen
Jane Ann Bradford Olsen A moment in eternity, June 21st 2008. A joyous reunion, Jane Ann Bradford Olsen was surrounded by her loved ones while returning home to be embraced by her family and friends that had passed before her. Her spirit was released from a tired and well used body. The cause of death came after a 14 month struggle with the effects of a central nervous system lymphoma which had developed from the use of immune suppressant drugs that were essential to maintain a liver transplant performed in 1990.Jane Ann was born January 3rd 1936 into the loving arms of Wendall H. and Leona W. Bradford in Cedar City, Utah. She grew up on Bradford Lane in Spanish Fork, Utah. She was married to Paul Raymond Olsen on March 2nd 1954 in the Salt Lake Temple. They were blessed with 6 children, Randall Bradford Olsen, Kristine Kay Olsen Butler, Ronald Bradford Olsen, Stephen Bradford Olsen, Daniel Bradford Olsen and Laura Ann Olsen Barney. She has 22 grandchildren and 1 great grandson. She will always be remembered as a person with a high level of intelligence, integrity and an interest in all people which made her a master teacher. She was one who loved learning. She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. Many would call her their best friend.She was preceded in death by her father and mother, her son Danny and her brother Leon Bradford. Mama, we will hold on together!Funeral services will be on Wednesday June 25, 2008 at 11:00 am at the LDS Chapel located at 470 East Salem Canal Rd. Salem, UT. Friends may call at the Walker Mortuary, 187 South Main St. Spanish Fork on Tuesday evening from 6 until 8 pm or Wednesday at the ward from 9:45 until 10:45 am prior to the services. Burial will be at the Spanish Fork Cemetery. Published in the Daily Herald on 6/22/2008.

LOVE THIS WOMAN!!

Jane Ann is the mother of one of my dearest friends--Kristine Olsen Butler. Kristine and I met at BYU . We had an intense all day 12 credit hour Spanish Class together there, went to Mexico together, were engaged together, had our children together, homeschooled together, have loved the gospel and life together. No matter where in the world she has been, our hearts have been kindred....and JANE ANN has always been there behind us, cheering us on and standing sure and steadfast as a testimony of LOVE and GOODNESS. Jane Ann's life was dedicated to being a true Disciple of Christ. Her home and yard became the "grounds" for many spiritual events --planned and spontaneous. Jane Ann would spend hours with us helping us to FEEL through our own testimonies of the Savior, helping us to plan and execute activities with our families that would build eternal memories together. Families CAN be together FOREVER. I am not the literal daughter of her womb...but I AM her daughter. My heart is thrilled that she is DONE with this earth and FREE . I have NO DOUBT that when it is my turn to cross over...Jane Ann will be there smiling with her arms stretched out still....

I'll leave girls camp to come down for the funeral.

Livin'

Last night we went to the Strawberry Days RODEO in Pleasant Grove (town right next to ours).

It's a tradition in our family to go and we LOVE it. GO to Megan's site to see the pictures...I forgot my camera. Although the "half time" entertainment about sent me over the edge. These BOYS (Okay, YOUNG men) would do these motorcycle stunts off a ramp in the middle of the arena which included FLIPS and flinging themselves off of their bikes in mid air. WHERE WERE THEiR MOTHERs? WHY would they let YOUNG CHILDREN see that stuff? I could barely breathe.

Life is running faster than me. Such a crazy last week and another one ahead. It's GIRLS CAMP...I actually love girls camp with my church girls...except the sleeping on the ground, no showers, and tick parts. AND another week away from work that I will try to make up....and another week of the BOYS in charge of the home cleanliness that I will get to come back to.

GrandDad's Gone Home

4 hours later, 4 delays, 2 gate changes, repairs on the compression sensors, then a replacement plane later, and GrandDad is off to Toronto swearing yet again to NEVER fly. If I want to see him I will have to go there, OR he will drive here (right). I am so grateful that they allow me to be with him until boarding. It would have been horrific for him to do it alone. It was a bit exasperating and the airport is large so I understand. Anyway. Same old worries are back and I am committing to laying those worries down...just give me a minute to practice. It's worse for me with him than with my kids because at least my children seem to have a healthy hold on their capabilites. Olive has been notified many times and will be there in Listowel to pick him up at the appointed place.

Rushed home to take SPencer to get his OFFICIAL Drivers Liscene and he has already left to Golf (driving himself) and you could FEEL his anticipated freedom through his raging energy. I'm excited for him.

Sorry, but not really sorry, for all the pictures of my yard...its coming alive and I LOVE IT and I want a record and want Michael to see.

Michael...I took GrandDad to Winger's for lunch and JESSE ABBEGG waited on us...knew you might appreciate seeing a picture. Had my camera on me and she didn't seem to mind at all. So, a littel present for you. :)

Happiness is JULY 31st!!!!

Just got this this morning!!! Yeeeeee HAWWWWWWwwww!!!!!!!! It will kill me to wait until 8PM...but at least it's COMING!!!! 44 days...YES.....44 days!!!!!!!

31 JUL 08 - THURSDAY AMERICAN 71 COACH CLASS EQUIP-BOEING 777 JET LV: FRANKFURT 1055A NONSTOP MILES- 5142 CONFIRMED AR: DALLAS/FT WOR 230P ELAPSED TIME-10:35 LUNCH-SNACK-MOVIE AIRLINE LOCATOR-AA -MQTFMU AMERICAN 1925 COACH CLASS EQUIP-MD-80 JET LV: DALLAS/FT WOR 615P NONSTOP MILES- 988 CONFIRMED AR: SALT LAKE CTY 755P

Father's Day

I made a feast :) Grilled chicken, southern baked beans, potatoe wedges, corn on the cob, watermeon, mega sald, german chocolate cake....I served it, cleaned it up and then we all just lounged. So great to have everyone here. Jeremy and Kori had to leave Sat. Nite... she is looking VERY pregnant...so sad I didn't get a picture.

We LOVE our Dad's!!!!!!